Will Miles and Mona Mourning Dove return to Los Gatos home next year?

DEAR JOAN: For the second consecutive year, a pair of mourning doves – we call them Miles and Mona – have set up housing just outside our front door. This year, they had six squabs, two each time.

Is that an unusual number of births for one season?  And how long can we expect to see our feathered friends, of whom we have become quite fond?

— Larry Gerston, Los Gatos

DEAR LARRY: It would appear that Miles and Mona have found the perfect roosting spot and gracious hosts.

Mourning doves typically lay two eggs at a time and can have up to six broods. The doves are poor nest builders, but they are wonderful parents, with both taking turns on the nest and sharing feeding duties after the eggs hatch.

Mourning doves are prolific for a reason. They are the most hunted birds in North America, with hunters shooting about 20 million a year.

The average lifespan of the birds is only two to four years, but the lucky ones can live 10 to 15 years or even longer. The oldest known mourning dove was 30 when he was killed by a hunter.

DEAR JOAN: I have a critter in my backyard that comes in the night to dig holes in my lawn, I think to get grubs. I suspect a raccoon or opossum, but I don’t know for sure.

Is there anything I can do or use to stop this from happening? He – or they –  is ruining my lawn.

— Linda, San Jose

DEAR LINDA: I’m starting to get a lot of questions about raccoons digging up lawns, and that’s because from late summer through fall, and again in the spring, lawns can be teeming with tasty grubs.

There are many things you can try to combat raccoon invasions including using chemical deterrents, covering your lawn with netting, installing motion-activated lights and sprinklers, and leaving a radio tuned to an all-night talk show, playing softly near the lawn. Some of these work, but most involve a lot of effort and expense or provide only temporary respite.

Your efforts might be better directed not toward the raccoons but the grubs. If you don’t have grubs in your lawn, the raccoons have no reason to dig. The most environmentally friendly solution is to use beneficial nematodes. You can purchase them online or at your favorite home and garden supply store or nursery.

You also should take a look at your lawn care. Overwatering and watering in the evening can encourage grubs in your lawn.

Krane Pond update

More good news this week from Seth and Ted at Save Mount Diablo. The fundraising drive to save Krane Pond, launched in late September in this column, has collected $41,816 through 197 reader donations.

The group is trying to raise $500,000 to permanently protect the pond, which is one of the largest on the mountain and an important water source for wildlife. To date, Save Mount Diablo has raised $349,000, putting it at 70 percent of its goal. The group must exercise its option by Oct. 26, and complete the purchase by Christmas.

Send donations to Save Mount Diablo, 201 N. Civic Drive, Suite 190, Walnut Creek, 94596, or https://savemountdiablo.org/donate. Be sure to mention that your donation is for Krane Pond.

Animal Life column runs on Mondays. Reach Joan Morris at AskJoanMorris@gmail.com.