I did not feed the birds last winter because every time I put out food there would be a huge flock of starlings come and just inhaled the food I put out.
I decided it was more fun to watch them than to watch nothing.
Yesterday I saw something fly past the front room window to land in the front yard...I jumped up and ran to see and it was one of these Eurasion Collared Doves. Or I thought it was...but it flew so quickly I was not sure.
Today they came back...they are definitely bigger than our Mourning Doves. I don't know if all act like these did, but they hardly paused to even eat. It was hard to get a decent pic of them. There was a third one...but there seemed to be bickering going on between it and these other.
What a fabulous post! The Starling pictures are gorgeous! Just look at the feathers, I have never seen starlings so beautiful. And I have never seen doves like this either. We have mourning Doves.
ReplyDeletePhil just said he thinks the starlings are babies. Because of the short tails and feather markings. Do you think so?
ReplyDeleteWow! These are incredible close-ups of the birds! THe starlings have beautiful speckled plumage. Great series!
ReplyDeleteI do think the Starlings are pretty, but I'm not sure I want them around my feeders. I love those Collared Doves. I actually saw one today as well.
ReplyDeleteI like the doves a lot better than the starlings. You take so many great pictures!
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteThe 'bickering' would have been two males over the one female. These doves are a bit like rabbits; once one brood out of the nest, she's looking to set another! Starlings are pretty - but can be daunting en masse. YAM xx
The more I learned about starlings, the more I came to like them--- and even respect them for the way they live.
ReplyDeleteI remember (just) when Collared Doves were very exotic here. They began an incredible expansion in the 1950s when they spread from south-east Europe to occupy the entire continent within a couple of decades. Nowadays we take very little notice of them.
ReplyDeleteThe starlings have beautiful feathers. The doves are so gentle.
ReplyDeleteI've always had the same problem with the starlings. There's always more of them than anything else and when there is one there is at least a dozen more.
ReplyDeleteThat dove is quite pretty
Belas fotografias.
ReplyDeleteContinuação de uma boa semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
O prazer dos livros
Starlings are very pretty but such nuisance sometimes.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThose Starlings can be piggies, they eat everything in sight.
The Eurasian Doves are pretty, great photos. Wishing you a happy day!
Nice pics of the doves. I don't think I have ever seen them. We usually have Mourning Doves visit. I absolutely HATE Starlings. Like the English Sparrows they are not native to America. They swarm our feeders too, but I think they just pass through because they are not usually around unless it's a lot of them. Not true when they bring their babies back in the Spring. I hate them because they raid the Blue Bird Boxes and last year I saw one pecking out the babies of a Red Breasted Woodpecker's nest. Oh well, don't want to start a rant here, lol.
ReplyDeletexx, Carol
I always like to watch the birds when I had the chance. The dove shots are very good too.
ReplyDeleteI like the markings on the starlings. I love all doves, they are so sweet and I love their cooing.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful close ups these are. I love the sweet eyes of the doves.
ReplyDeletebeautiful birds. i don't believe I've ever seen either one of them. Though Starlings have a bad rep, they sure are gorgeous with those colors and patterns in their feathers.
ReplyDeleteWow what a terrific shot of the starling!! Such detail.
ReplyDeleteThe doves are so pretty.
I've never seen one, only mourning doves.
I really like the doves. We have the mourning doves here where we live but the ring necks are all over the state.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a pigeon/dove fan, but I like most other birds. We have two feeders in our backyard and enjoy a variety of birds; some year round and others just passing by.
ReplyDeleteAround this time of year the starlings show up. My only problem is that they show up in large numbers and eat everything. This a beautiful image. They are very colorful.
ReplyDeleteI love the doves and more so the starlings...may be because I don't see starlings here.
ReplyDeleteHave you witnessed murmuration ? Please post a shot if you happen to take one!!!
Devi :)))
I did see a Starling around here awhile back, but don't see them that often. But the precious mourning Dove I see almost every day. Yes, these Eurasion Collared Doves look a bit different. They are beautiful.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Very nice and close shots of pigeon and star!
ReplyDelete