Evening is dove time.

They come and sit in the feeder, maybe nibbling a few seeds.

They perch on the rim of the heated bird bath, sip a few sips, and sometimes sit right in the water like they are in a dove hot tub.

They can be very still for a long time. Sometimes they face the sunset through the trees and seem to be watching and enjoying the last light.

A peaceful bird is a peaceful sight, a visual lullaby before the night.

The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family (Columbidae). The bird is also called the turtle dove or the American mourning dove or rain dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina pigeon or Carolina turtledove.

The Dove announces the approach of spring. Nay, she does more:–she forces us to forget the chilling blasts of winter, by the soft and melancholy sound of her cooing. Her heart is already so warmed and so swelled by the ardour of her passion, that it feels as ready to expand as the buds on the trees are, under the genial influence of returning heat. – John James Audubon