Just a note on the dove: it is eating the hemp, it had an all hemp diet for a day or so, now the hemp is mixed with other seeds. He is chirping and quite content. Or cooing. And content until I change his bedding, then he has a fit. But otherwise he likes just sitting there with his bowl of hemp, and his tail feathers are now fully grown in, though some other areas are still bald.

The hemp I am feeding it BTW is Go Hemp!, a 7 oz package of which costs $7.99 at Wholefoods - a price that only reflects the fact that it is illegal to grow in the US - not that it is hard to grow - or it would cost much less...The nutritional info given is as follows, based on a serving of 30gm (2 tbs):

Total Fats: 9.8gm

Saturated Fat: 0.7gm

Trans Fat: 0gm

Cholesterol: 0gm

Sodium: 0gm

Total Carb: 7gm

Dietary Fibre: 1gm

Sugar: 1gm

It is also high in iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium, of which the Daily Values per serving are

20%, 20%, 15% and 43% respectively.

So I guess the little dove is getting enough trace minerals and protein.

For more info one can go to www.GoHunza.com

Protein: 11gm

These days I am painting hawks, Red tailed Hawks to be specific, and a particular individual named Pale Male to be even more specific. Whilst I paint away, a dove is in the room, convalescing from a run in with some glue that left him missing a tail and many feathers. A Mourning Dove to be specific, as pictured above: Zenaida macroura to give its Latin binomial.

It is good company. It bates when it sees me and seethes with rage at its dilemna, pining for the freedom I would be wrong to grant it at this stage. He knows not my reasons; I am in his mind only a warden, changing his food and water daily and cleaning his mess. His tail, after two weeks of this, has started to grow in well, but I see no sign yet of his breast feathers, and his primaries, which I had to clip on one wing, did not fall out hence they body does not know to renew them. He is no match for predators. Cats, or hawks, will find him a tasty morsel.

And I hope he finds my latest offering a tasty morsel as well: hemp. Hulled seeds which I got at Wholefoods here in Chelsea, and which I will share with friends and with birds on the Highline feeders. I am not yet sure if he is taking to the hemp, he goes for bread, which is cheap and abundant - but on which a dove cannot live alone.

Given his feather condition, I knew he needed some butter with it, at least this is an old falconer's tale - so he got that, along with powdered milk in his water. Not sure even if he drinks. He does not like to be watched. Our companionship is a solitary affair, limited to feeding and cleaning. He had bread, + millet, flax, sesame and bran in his bowl. Soon I will limit his rations to hemp so I can observe whether he takes to it or not. It has all the essential amino acids, so I know he will be getting the necessary nutrition at this time, and a high percentage of oil, 30%, which will give his feathers a shine.

When he has his plumage in good condition again I will release him to the Highline, which is near to where I found him, and where I spotted a juvenile Mourning Dove the other day. It is also not far from a spot in the city, the French Apartments, where these doves breed, so this makes sense. And just maybe, if feeling mischievous, I will add hemp to the 300 species of plants they have lavished on this structure so he will have a fresh supply.