Hello everyone - I've got a pigeon puzzle for you:
I first saw this bird in my garden in early March when I only had a brief view before it flew off. I initially thought it was a feral pigeon since I live on the SE London/NW Kent border and feral pigeons/tired racing pigeons have visted now and again along with the regular Wood Pigeons and Collared Doves.
I saw the bird several times in the ensuing weeks, feeding on the sunflower seeds we put out for the birds each morning, but it was extremely wary, so much so that it flew almost as soon as I clapped eyes upon it through the kitchen window. However, this morning at 7:30am it remained long enough for me to video it for a minute before it again flew off. By now, I had a nagging notion that it could in fact be a Stock Dove - a new bird for my garden. But, a Stock Dove in an urban garden? I've found no references in my available literature that refers to Stock Doves visiting gardens.
I know that out-of-the-typical-range birds such as this can be problemmatic to identify. I recall the debate over a Stock Dove/Feral Pigeon on Fair Isle a few Septembers ago which finally settled for Stock Dove, but it wasn't straightforward.
Am I right? Is it a Stock Dove? If so, has anyone else had a Stock Dove in their garden? My garden is 50ft long x 30ft and half is grass and half is rockery, hemmed in on three sides by neighbours fences, so it is hardly a farm field is it?
Thanks very much for your help,
Lancey
I first saw this bird in my garden in early March when I only had a brief view before it flew off. I initially thought it was a feral pigeon since I live on the SE London/NW Kent border and feral pigeons/tired racing pigeons have visted now and again along with the regular Wood Pigeons and Collared Doves.
I saw the bird several times in the ensuing weeks, feeding on the sunflower seeds we put out for the birds each morning, but it was extremely wary, so much so that it flew almost as soon as I clapped eyes upon it through the kitchen window. However, this morning at 7:30am it remained long enough for me to video it for a minute before it again flew off. By now, I had a nagging notion that it could in fact be a Stock Dove - a new bird for my garden. But, a Stock Dove in an urban garden? I've found no references in my available literature that refers to Stock Doves visiting gardens.
I know that out-of-the-typical-range birds such as this can be problemmatic to identify. I recall the debate over a Stock Dove/Feral Pigeon on Fair Isle a few Septembers ago which finally settled for Stock Dove, but it wasn't straightforward.
Am I right? Is it a Stock Dove? If so, has anyone else had a Stock Dove in their garden? My garden is 50ft long x 30ft and half is grass and half is rockery, hemmed in on three sides by neighbours fences, so it is hardly a farm field is it?
Thanks very much for your help,
Lancey