Country diary: There's a subtle beauty to the stock dove | Charlie Elder

West Dartmoor: The box I put up years ago, for perhaps a kestrel or an owl, has been taken up by a surprise residentIt felt as if I had uncovered a secret I was never meant to witness. Hidden from view, resting on scattered husks of beechmast within the dimly lit confines - two white eggs. Viewing any bird's nest always seems like prying, sharing in a confidence with which one has no business. But I reckoned I deserved a peek, having provided the shelter in the first place.Several years ago, I fastened a large wooden box to a tree at the end of my garden in the hope that it might one day provide a home for a kestrel or an owl. Instead a pair of unexpected visitors turned up this spring - stock doves. Continue reading...