Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
As a recently arrived species Swainson (1885) has nowt to offer, so I’m on my own here. What to say, what to say? Well this species has to be on the podium, if not the winner, of the ‘Fastest Bird Dispersal Olympics’. Although exact earlier distributions of this species are unclear, as is so much of it’s taxonomy, and I certainly aint going into that pile of old egos. It was recorded across parts of western Asia in the 1800’s, spreading into eastern Europe in the early 1900s. It appeared in UK from the beginnings of the 1950s with the first breeding record in 1956. And there we have it, the first british baby Collared Dove and the first baby me born in the same year, and we have both spread love, light, beauty and joy throughout the land ever since. Well, one of us has, I'm not really sure I claim those doves have been pulling their weight tho'.

The speed at which this bird colonises new areas is more accurately recorded from the USA. In 1974 about 50 escaped captivity in Nassau (Bahamas), within 50yrs it had been recorded in every state of the continental US, as well as Mexico. That’s some shifting, and shows how well an intelligent bird, with an omnivorous diet, can do.

It also shows how important birds are in recovery following devastating environmental disasters, like an ice age for example. It is their shit that spread seeds of recolonising trees and shrubs too. Well done chaps. I was going to use the word ‘poop’ there, but frankly any adult who uses that word should be taken outside and ….., as indeed should those frightened by the word, grow up.



Collared dove sitting on a post in lovely light

dove on a stick
This delightful bird has been adding a soothing soundtrack to the early cup of tea I’m sipping outside as the sun rises. Somehow it makes the first Earl Grey of the day taste that much nicer. I must though get on and take Julie hers in bed, then get out on the salinas.

For me, the lighting made this a must to capture, and include here. Somehow, perhaps reflection from the house’s white wall, illuminates this sweet looking bird nicely, despite the fact the sun is rising almost behind her/him.
Pair of collared doves, luvin

say that you love me

A few moments later and he/she is back wooing his/her wife/husband rather than me. It is the ‘charming’ way that these birds interact with each other, a visual epitome of love, that made them such popular birds to keep. I think I can understand that, even though the thought of keeping birds captive repels me. Beauty and sadness in one neat package: a metaphor of life itself perhaps.
Collared dove looking at you

watching you watching me
I ought to include a local bird I suppose. I caught this dove watching me as I walked past, so I watched back. We both agreed it was a nice day, and I took her picture.

most birds will move their heads to get a better look, and to compensate for limited stereo vision (hey they get near 360 degree view in exchange). That somehow makes many of them look as tho’ they are sizing you up. Well, of course they are. Pigeons and Doves seem especially intelligent when they do this, another reason they are favourites for captivity I suspect.

those of you who might be paying attention will remember the theory about the irises of oystercatchers – well here’s a thing you can clearly see the same here. What does that mean? Gallic shrug of my shoulders! Well, this species has no sexual dimorphism either, but of course we haven’t considered this birds sex, so it means nothing. Look, like I bet every ecologist and evolutionary biologist, I’m a sucker for a nice piece of ‘adaptive story-telling’, even tho’ most are balls. I’ll await the results of more work. Perhaps we need to engage the help of pigeon and dove ‘fanciers’. I do hate that phrase, it has strong overtones of perversion ... let’s move on.
Rock Dove (feral pigeon) Columbia livia
Well, I’ll guess we’ve all seen them, as ubiquitous as fish and chips, on which they will, of course, happily munch. Is there another bird species that has so completely adapted to urban living across the world? No idea, but we took them with us wherever we went and, for them, it was a case of "Veni, vidi, vici" !

There is no definition really of a ‘feral pigeon’, but is it generally considered that 1: we domesticated, selectively bred, trained, etc examples of wild rock doves. 2: Many escaped or were released and, being used to humans, they ‘happily’ hung around and bred, aided by their adaptability and generally broad diets 3: they carried on breeding, and they carried on breeding, and ……...

So, in principal, all examples of urban ‘rock doves’ found are ‘feral pigeons’. Well that certainly applies where Rock Doves are not native, but it may be more complex where they are. Who knows if wild birds do, or have, interbred within urban birds. In the UK it is believed ‘real’ rock doves are restricted to rocky areas of NW Scotland, numerous islands and Northern Island.

Rock doves have a number of older names inc: Rocker or Rockier (general), Blue dove (North Riding), Sea pigeon (Ireland), Rock Doo (Shetland), Doo (North Scotland) and simply Sod (Forfar).



Rock Dove looking sharp

street kid
Where do we find urban birds, down on the street of course. Actually, in this case, up on top of a multi story car park. It is a tad windy up here and overcast, but fortunately, owing to Highland Council incompetence (it's their superpower), the top few floors are closed to cars, so it’s only me and the birds up here, just how I like it.

But why? Well I had an idea that instead of looking to the countryside I ought to give a little love to those found ‘on the streets’. So this is my first attempt. More will come.

Up here, I have a view of those aerial denizens of Inverness town (it calls itself a city now, I think it won some lottery or other, either way tax payers coughed up for it all, without being asked of course). For a moment I imagine I am a gull, flying high over the Highland Council offices, a troubling full feeling in my bowels, where to aim, where to aim ..... ere .... hang on... oh.. right .. sorry I’m back now. OK, up here alone with the birds you get an idea of how they view the place. It is their world. A tall building is no different to a cliff. And down below, courtesy of litter throwing trash, or trash throwing litter, an endless array of nibbles, from dawn to well past dusk is laid on for them. It’s a high-carb, high-fat smogasbord of delights down there, with added-salt. That’s what I notice, all the birds are looking down, ready to pounce.

This chap is defiled by the term ‘feral’, his street 'threads' are quite beautiful and clean, he’s no tramp, he’s an urban dandy really. Sure he belongs to a gang, you have to up here, but the worse he’s ever done is shit on the odd car. And he’s working now, thanklessly helping to keep the streets clean of litter dumped by those with no appreciation of him or his work, or for much else to be honest. Some call him 'a flying rat', morons. If we didn't dump food on the street - no I refuse to accept the collective 'we' here, I don't do it. I suddenly begin to like my feathered urban friends even more.

He looks at me for a moment, perhaps hoping I’ll dump half a packet of chips or something. Unfortunately, for him, I can sometimes actually go without eating for whole minutes at a time. He senses this and looks back at the streets where so many denizens appear not to have this gift, I take his picture, we’re done for now. Other birds to see.
Rock dove, giving me a look

looking at you

As I walk away I turn back for a moment and see he’s watching me go, touching for sure, but look we only met a moment or so ago. Unless I am wrong, perhaps he’s just making sure I’m leaving his turf.

As I look at him closer I see that, although he’s standing against the light, the sky is overcast and not too bright allowing his colours to show well, in fact he’s posing for a picture. I like his posture, and, as I look, I like the lighting more. So, I take a couple. I promise him a chip for his time we meet. I hope he forgets.
Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
Swainson (1885) gives the then most common name for this species as Ringdove, amongst other things showing the interchangeability of ‘dove’ and ‘pigeon’. They really do have no differentiating meaning. That aside, this bird, with its ubiquity and lovely call, has a plethora of sweet names.

I mean let’s start with Too-zoo (Gloucestershire), if that isn’t enough we also have: Cootscot (Teesdale), the delightful Cushiedoo. Cusha (Roxborough), Cushat (Berkshire and others) and Crushet. From the melancholic nature of its call we have Queest, Quest, and Quist (all from West and Midlands) Quice or Quease (Salop; Gloucestershire) and Wood Quest (Dorset and Ireland). Now, amongst all this we have an entry from my home county of Norfolk, ‘Doo’, yes that’s it, ‘Doo’. Well done there, don’t put yourselves out guys.

There is a fair bit of folklore around this bird, and I only have space for a bit, so I’ll relate a version of a story of why the wood pigeon’s nest is so lackadaisical and half-arsed compared to other species, esp that of the Magpie. In Busk (1887), ‘Roman Legends: the fables and folk-lore of Rome), she tells this story, related to her by the Rev. Gilbert White (one of England’s ‘parson naturists’ and author of the Natural History of Selborne):

The Magpie was one day building her nest so neatly, and whispering to herself after her wont as she laid each straw in its place, 'This upon that, this upon that,' when the Woodpigeon came by. Now the Woodpigeon was young and flighty, and had never learnt how to build a nest ; but when she saw how beautifully neat that of the Magpie looked, she thought she would like to learn the art. The busy Magpie willingly accepted the office of teaching her, and began a new one on purpose. Long before she was half through, however, the flighty Woodpigeon sang out, 'That'll doooo! ' The Magpie was offended at the interruption, and flew away in dudgeon, and that's why the Woodpigeon always builds such ramshackle nests.

If told well, the 'This upon that! ' and the ‘ That'll dooo! ' take just the sound of the cry of each of the birds.

Clever of course, but maybe a bit flat to our modern hackneyed tastes? I leave that to you.

l simply love the call of these birds, the definitive pastoral background of the English countryside. Most mornings one sits outside the window and supplies a vocal accompaniment to my first cup of Lady Grey, he often pops back for an afternoon matinee performance and even returns again to serenade supper, what a delight he is. I understand something called Spityfly, or something like that, will play noise for a 'mere' 12 quid a month of their parent's money (is this serious, 12 quid!), anyway my woodpigeon is absolutely free, and sounds infinitely better for sure.

Rock Dove looking sharp

miserable forager
Again I’m down in the grounds of the University of Stirling, it’s a good place to come across friendly birds. Wandering around the small lochan I see this chap turning over leaves. Their diet is considered almost exclusively vegan so perhaps he’s looking for fallen berries seeds etc. but, just mebbe, he’ll add an insect or two if he comes across them. I can’t actually see what it is.

So I politely asked, and simply got this look of contempt for my troubles. Well so much for friendly birds. I left the miserable git to his labours.
Woodpigeon looking at something

what is that

Driving back from Inverness, probably from Majestic, I notice this wood pigeon. He’s moving up and down a branch, leaning and peering intently. I stop, grab the camera, walk back a few metres and carefully take a few pictures. He is fully occupied determinedly trying to see something. Regrettably, I cannot see over the hedge into the field, so I’ve no way of finding out what so interests him. To this day I still don’t know. It bugs me.