ML241103831

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

*Rare. Previously reported by several starting 6/22. Foraging alone on the lawn at the NW end of Pier 63 (about 23rd St.) just across the path from the flower beds where it was first reported. A robust, light brown to cream-colored dove, a little smaller than a pigeon, with a black tips of the folded wings, no spots, square tail, black crescent mark around the back and sides of the neck (the part on the back of the neck was not visible in some postures and light but very obvious at other times). I first saw it on the grass beyond a fence along the path,with benches on the path side, the nearest bench to the bird was occupied. After spotting the bird and having trouble photographing it, I circled around the far end of the fence and settled under a tree on a slight rise about 30 feet from the bird, who took no special notice of me and it eventually walked to within 8 feet of where I sat (and then away and back again). So we're not talking about a very skittish bird. I saw no bands or tags on the bird. It puffed up a couple of times to see off a robin and a fledgling starling. I noticed that adult starlings in the area nearby kept their distance, However, the dove walked rapidly away from two House Finches that flew in near it, and eventually flushed to the low branches of a small conifer behind me after a group of five House sparrows came and started dust-bathing a few feet from it. I think maybe it doesn't like small active birds. After flying to the tree (and its wing sounds were like a Mourning Dove's, perhaps a little higher-pitched) the bird began to preen, and then moved farther back into the branches. I went for a walk around the flower beds and the native plant garden to the north, and when I returned, the dove was back on the grass in the same area.

Technical information

Model

DMC-GX7

ISO

250

Focal length

300 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/400 sec

Dimensions

4592 pixels x 3448 pixels

Original file size

11.03 MB