Subject: [Tweeters] Klickitat County's Eurasian Collared Doves
Date: Aug 22 21:43:16 2006
From: Bob Hansen - bobhansen at gorge.net


Folks,

Dan Lichtenwald and I observed 13 Eurasian Collared Doves at and near
the grain silos in Goldendale, Klickitat County yesterday afternoon,
between 5 and 6 pm. Dan had first observed the species on March 8th,
2006...a Klickitat County first. He later observed a second ECDO and
continued to hear and see them singly or a pair over the past 5
months, including observation of one apparent copulation incident.
Even though he made a point of observing ( hearing and seeing these
species) he never saw more than 2 birds. I visited him yesterday to
see and photograph them.

We went to the tall concrete grain silos in Goldendale and
immediately saw upon arrival a pair of adults and an immature bird,
feeding apparently on the spilled grain in the cinder gravel at the
base of the silos. Then we began seeing them in a variety of places
including on the ground, on telephone wires, on telephone poles, in
flight, and on the roof top members of the silos. The most we saw at
one time were 13. It was the first time to our knowledge that more
than two birds had been observed in Klickitat County. Some of the
photos I took are posted on the web, including one (ECDO2) which
shows the unusual tail feather pattern observed on all the birds when
in flight.

Adult
http://community.gorge.net/birding/ECDO1.jpg

In flight tail feathers
http://community.gorge.net/birding/ECDO2.jpg

Immature ECDO
http://community.gorge.net/birding/ImmatureECDO.jpg

Any thoughts on why the rapid large increase in numbers? Are they
moving in this quickly or is this simply a seasonal change
aggregation? Any idea from where they are coming??

What sightings/population establishment have been reported from areas
north, east and south of Klickitat county? Sibley notes that there
appears to be an established population in coastal California,
between L.A. and Santa Barbara, perhaps.


Bob Hansen
Lyle, WA