Early this afternoon, skies darkened above the Front Range foothills and, soon thereafter, heavy rain began to fall on our Littleton farm. Looking out the kitchen window, I noticed two young mourning doves, sitting on our power line and enduring the torrential downpour with no signs of distress. A half hour later, when the rain had stopped, they were still there, preening in the afternoon sun.
Under similar circumstances, most species of wildlife would head for some form of shelter: trees, shrubs, dens, natural cavities or a host of human structures (barns, bridges, nest boxes etc.). Exceptions are birds and animals that live their lives in the open; waterfowl, waders and many grassland birds would be obvious examples.
Of course, the rain-drenched mourning doves fit into the latter category. While they do nest in trees, they spend most of their lives in open country and it is not in their DNA to be intimidated by the occasional summer downpour.
