I can't quilt but I can enjoy the birds. I've been an avid bird watcher since high school when it was a required biology unit of study and I found I enjoyed it. Anyway, we came home from my granddaughter's 11th birthday on Sunday when I glanced out the window and saw a dove on the farthest feeder. Something different about him and then I realized it was a southwestern species: White-winged Dove. He flew before my husband could see him but he flew over twice afterwards when we were out looking for him. I got my camera out just in case and an hour later he finally came back to the feeders. I quickly took several photos of him through the window again digi-scoping. They're good pictures but not as sharp as they could be not shooting through the window.
This is the 3rd southwestern/western species I've had in my yard. The first was a Black-throated Sparrow in 1993. The second was a Say's Phoebe in 1997 and now the dove. Too bad digital cameras and digi-scoping were unknown then. The sparrow was the 3rd documented record for Nebraska. The phoebe is a resident of the western area of the state and appeared here for several years but were never able to establish a long-time residency. The doves appeared in Kearney several years ago and have been seen sporadically in various areas of the state since. This is the farthest northeast reported. He is pretty bird with the bright red feet and blue around the eye extending up from the bill.
1 comment:
I don't know much about birds, but I live outside of Tucson, AZ and get to see these doves everyday. They are bigger than the mourning doves we have. I love to watch them fly as the white on their wings glistens. I live quite close to Madera Canyon. Supposed to be a great birdwatching destination. They have a board with a list of the birds that have been spotted.
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