Lilu the Zebra Dove

My friend Lilu

On my trip to Hawaii we did lots of sight seeing. But we also spent several days doing nothing but sitting on the beach. On one such day I met a new friend named Lilu. Lilu is a Zebra Dove who lives near the condo we rented. He came over to say hi, and being a gracious host I shared my sandwich crumbs with him. He spent the whole rest of the day walking circles around our beach chairs. He'd stop and tilt his head and nod, then off he would go again. He'd wander through our stuff exploring, and take a rest in the shade of our umbrella. He was a cute little guy, and what's more, he came back and found us on the beach when we'd head out the next time! You may wonder how I know it was him, since most Zebra Doves look alike, but I am sure it was. He had a certain personality that the other doves didn't have, and he had a ruffled wing feather that never layed quite right that made him recognizable.

On our last beach day he came to visit again. I gave him a little crust of bread while I ate my sandwich, and he spent the afternoon patrolling our little area while I snorkeled, nibbling his snack, preening in the shade of our umbrella while we napped under it, and hanging out. He disappeared for a while, and I thought he'd gone without saying goodbye, but he appeared moments later with a "lady friend".
So me and my BF, and Lilu and his girlfriend spent the afternoon enjoying each others company and the beautiful beach. I was sad when it was time to say goodbye to my new friends, but who knows, maybe we will meet again someday?