Dear folks,
 
What a day to have run out of batteries for my camera...
 
I was heading south on Tropical Trail Saturday PM about 8, a couple of blocks
south of the west entrance to Rotary Park when I saw a *very* pale dove - all
white under the tail, pinkish gray on the back but *very* pale compared with the
other two doves it was next to on the wire. It was odd enough looking that I
turned the car around after spotting it, and had a good look with binocs. At the
time I dismissed it as an aberrant Eurasian collared dove - maybe a juvenile
since it was about half a head smaller than the other doves near it.
 
But, upon looking at my Sibley's (which, of course, was sitting with my extra
batteries at home) the bird I saw matches Sibley's description of the turtle
dove.  I looked for it again today in the same stretch of road, with no luck -
but I did notice that there were four churches within about 10 blocks, so if
someone had wanted a traditional wedding complete with released doves... [I
thought no one did this anymore, but then I saw this traditional Italian wedding
cake on Cake Boss, with a plexiglass cage of birds between the second and third
tier of the cake.]
 
Anyone else seen this guy? What else could it have been other than a turtle
dove? (Slightly smaller than a Eurasian collared dove, paler gray, white
undertail but NO dark edges there, definite ring on the back of the neck.)
 
Best,
Rosemary Webb
 




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