Friday, February 15, 2008

Mourning Doves


Before I started to really take note of birds, or to take the time to use a field guide, I thought the spelling of this dove's name was, Morning Dove, for that is what I had heard people call them. Then one day while outdoors in my yard, I kept hearing their soft, repetitive, cooing sounds and I suddenly understood their name; Mourning Doves! It has only been the last few decades that Mourning Doves have become such a common all year round sight in our area. In past years their numbers were often an many as 29 or more in our feeder area, but this year I only count them in single digit numbers.

4 comments:

Sandpiper (Lin) said...

There are terrific shots. We have a lot of them here and they perch in the trees and eat the seed under the feeders. I just took pictures yesterday of a couple that were all puffed up against the cold wind. There are several hawks around here who favor them as breakfast. Hate to see the kills, but it's all part of nature, I guess.

me ann my camera said...

The doves always look like such soft and gentle birds to me, and they seem to pose so cooperatively for my camera. We had been plagued by a Sharp-shinned Hawk for a while recently, and tho it is a handsome bird, and, as you said, 'its all part of nature', I dislike to see it appear for its natural inclination, unfortunately, takes its toll at our feeders.

Your continuing walk pictures are very beautiful.

Mary said...

Lovely birds! I get quite a few here and tend to ignore them...I don't know why. You've given them a beauty that makes them worth looking at. That last flight shot is neat!

me ann my camera said...

Mary, thank you. Sometimes when there are so many duplicates of one thing its individual beauty often goes unnoticed. We don't always acquire an appreciation for the 'many'. It is often only the few, or single one, that becomes outstanding in our mind. I always try to include a 'portrait' shot if I can to individualize the one from the many.