No way that just happened!!!

So, in the living room of my rented 2nd floor apartment, there is one window (of 5) that has no screen. It's a window on the side and I wouldn't use it anyway, so it always stays closed. A few months ago, I noticed some movement in the window sill on the outside. I sprang up to take a look-see and to my amusement, I saw 2 doves building a nest! Cool!

Soon, the dad dove took off and I've never seen him since. I will resist the urge to take a cheap shot at the obvious joke here, in keeping with my desire to be positive.

Photo from internet

The mom sat so very patiently for the longest time and soon, I could see the two babies getting too big to stay concealed beneath her breast. She was very faithful to the keeping of those babies and soon they flew the nest, literally.

Photo from the internet

This was so cute to me, I really enjoyed watching that dove. She would sit in the sun, the pouring rain and in the snow. I got up once to close the windows as it started to storm, and when I checked, she was right there on that nest. She would even use her beak to pick up those tiny little red 'blood' bugs that like to crawl on concrete outside to get nourishment as she sat there.

After her babies grew up and flew away, it wasn't long before I saw her there again, tending two more young eggs that would soon hatch. They are still small, about 1/2 of a baseball in size, each.

Yesterday, I was sitting in my living room when all of a sudden I heard this thump-thump on the glass of that window. I thought, "What the??" I got up and went over to see what was going on. Through the slats of the blinds, I saw only 1 baby and no momma. Hmmm Then I noticed two people standing on the sidewalk below pointing up and then pointing over with looks of awe and shock. I went to the back room and opened the window to inquire what had happened.

"That big a$$ bird just stole a baby from that window and flew up there and it's eating it!"

I looked up to the light post, NO WAY THAT JUST HAPPENED!!!!

Photo from the internet

It was just perched up there eating one of my babies...er...I mean one of her babies!!! I live in the city, no way! It was like something on Planet Earth from the Discovery Channel. I went back to the window and pulled open the blinds and began a starring contest with the red-tailed hawk as it sat perched there as if deciding if it should just fly away or risk an encounter with me to take the other baby. I felt a strong desire to protect the other dove baby since it's mom retreated for her own safety. I really wasn't sure what I thought I would be able to do to protect it, but maybe my presence at the window helped, because the 'big a$$' bird with bright yellow talons flew away after a few minutes of looking at me in the window.

I kept checking in on the remaining baby and was delighted to see that the mom had returned, with caution, to care for what was left of her offspring. I felt a little sad for her. Don't get me wrong, I get the whole food chain deal but I still felt a little saddened.

Sometimes these things happen, I guess. It sure was odd though!