The Friends of the Library Used Bookstore put a call out for volunteers in April; this month an unusual pair responded.

Last Wednesday, a mourning dove was discovered roosting on a little pile of twigs atop some hardcover books on the bookstore’s porch. The dove and her partner haven’t come to help so much as to help themselves to a sheltered nesting location.

But, the Friends are delighted with the new volunteers nonetheless and have been fretting over the birds’ welfare while marveling at the eternal spectacle of new beginnings.

Soon after the discovery, Friends President Jean Dube tacked up a quick sign on the shelf to warn browsers to take extra care. By Saturday, a friend of a Friend had roped off the dove’s nesting area.

So far, the doves are tolerant of people; but once the babies are hatched, they may be less amenable to human onlookers.

New parents often dream of a better life for their children; perhaps that universal desire has been the impetus for this avian couple’s nest choice. The doves didn’t opt for a wet and drafty tree or some rain gutter, they chose books.

And not just any books.

They passed over the mysteries, romances and other paperbacks. They steered clear of religion and self-help. They chose top shelf, hardcover books.

The hardcovers are not only sturdy, the titles suggest they may be useful in the long days to come. What new parent wouldn’t gratefully turn to  “Aunt Erma’s Cope Book” or “Going Out of Our Minds?”  

And with four short weeks from egg to fledgling, the book “Fighting for Your Empty Nest Marriage” can’t be read soon enough. The “No More Shacks” title just below the nest seems particularly apt, as the doves calmly roost protected from rain, sun and wind.

The mourning dove, which gets its name from its lamenting cooing call, is the most widespread and abundant game bird in North America, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s website. Nesting mourning dove pairs stay together for the breeding season and although trees are a more typical nesting choice, it is not unusual for doves to use human structures.

Once a pair has chosen each other, the male gathers twigs and other materials, which the female weaves into a flimsy, unlined nest.

The female lays two eggs over the course of a day, which are incubated by the parents in shifts over a period of about 14 days. Once the babies hatch, the parents feed them with “pigeon milk,” a mixture of water, fat, minerals and protein that each parent produces in their crop. The babies typically fledge within two weeks, but the parents continue to feed them for another two weeks.

Bookstore and library patrons and volunteers have been eagerly watching this birth spectacle unfold. Children’s Librarian Mary Pinkham introduced her Friday’s Story Hour children’s group to the roosting dove last week, and they, too, have joined the new group of in-town bird watchers.

With a nod to Larry McMurtry’s classic novel of the American West, Dube, a.k.a, Granny Dove, aptly calls the sitting bird “Lonesome Dove.”

Dube said a “Name that Dove” contest for children has been announced. The prize is a $25 gift certificate to the bookstore. Entry forms can be picked up either at the library or the bookstore.

Like the doves, their new human friends are simply waiting and hoping for the best. We’ll keep you posted with photos and videos as this story develops.

Sue Mello can be reached at 207-844-4629 or suemello@boothbayregister.com.