u/stjnky

Preferably with washer/dryer and under $900 (this is a joke, but what follows isn't)

Workers in the Capital Square building, residents of the Hotel Kirkwood, or anyone who lives or works around the area bounded by 5th/Locust/3rd/Walnut, have you noticed a new mourning dove nest lately? I live above the HyVee on Court, and I have a homie mourning dove who has been visiting my balcony for seeds daily for the past ~2 years. I am now fully invested in his life. He recently found himself a mate, and I have reason to believe that they have a nest somewhere in that area. I don't know if they would ever bring the kids by my balcony for seeds, so I'd really like to find out where their nest is and, if possible, get a picture before they leave it.

ETA: I've added a comment with the Tale of Homie

UPDATE: I got him! Box-on-a-stick worked after I found I spot I could run the string under my door and still be able to pull it.

Original post: I've got a dove pal who has been visiting my balcony in downtown Des Moines almost daily for 2 years, and I've grown attached to him. Now he's got his feet entangled in string. I texted Iowa Bird Rescue but they say it's on me to capture him before they can do anything. They suggested a Wile E. Coyote-style box-propped-up-on-a-stick, with a string attached to the stick, and a small bit of seed under the box as a lure. He's normally comfortable with me standing out there several feet away, but apparently he's not comfortable with me standing out there holding a string attached to a suspicious-looking new box. He just left.

I tried re-rigging the box so that it was no longer propped on a stick, it was just lying flat with seed inside, and a weighted flap was raised and held up by a long string, which I ran through my door so it was locked in place. I would stay inside, and if I saw him walk into the box, I would quickly (and quietly)) open the door, releasing the string, and the flap would drop, and I would jump out and hold it shut. THIS ALMOST WORKED, except the weighted flap wasn't weighted enough and he escaped before I was halfway out the door.

The good news is, he returned to the balcony later to eat after I had brought the trap inside and just left a cup of seeds out for him. The bad news is, I see that one of toes is turning darker in color.

I'm running out of ideas, and I thought I'd try crowdsourcing.... Anyone ever had success capturing a mourning dove?

I have a mourning dove pal who visits my balcony in downtown Des Moines a couple of times a day for seeds. Now his feet are tangled in string. I called a local rehabber but it's on me to catch him before they can do anything. They suggested a falling box trap, but my dove was spooked by the new box-on-a-stick and flew away. Any advice? He trusts me enough that he will (usually) land and eat if I am already on the balcony when he arrives, but apparently not when there's a suspicious-looking new box on a stick and I am holding a long string attached to it.