Spring is officially on its way. I know this because our yard has been visited by the aforementioned Laziest Bird There Is, the mourning dove. They left tracks.
Please note the crazy-lazy wandering path of the pair of doves. If you go out into our yard at pretty much any point during the day, you are likely to hear that distinctive "wheep wheep wheep" sound of doves fleeing in terror. I have read that the sound is actually their wingtips whipping through the air, but I think that is a marketing ploy designed to make us think they aren't just completely spastic.
Super X-treem Close Up:
I would also like you to notice that these tracks are, of course, the very definition of the term "pigeon-toed".
Tate objected to my term "sea cows of the lawn", arguing that there already are cow-like creatures who hang out in grass -- namely, cows. So I submit that the doves are maybe more closely related to dugongs, the SouthEast Asian cousins of manatees, who are sometimes also known as "sea pigs" and "sea camels". Later in the season, when there is some grass showing, picture comparisons of the doves and dugongs will surely confirm my suspicions.
Comments
Sarah
Wikipedia says that the closest non-manatee relative of the dugong is the elephant. Which means, I think, that doves are the elephants of the lawn. Of course, elephants fell trees and make burial grounds and build things with their trunks, and doves just go "whoo, whoo."And while I'm on the subject, re: the wing noise: do you really think doves can mount an effective marketing campaign? Seems to me all their ads would be "Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo. Wheep Wheep Wheep Wheep!" My guess is they have these people (www.stopshootingdoves.com) working the nets on their behalf. (And if you want to understand the true nature of American politics these days, check out this quote from the site: "More Michigan citizens voted No on Proposal 3 [ban on hunting doves] than voted for any candidate for statewide elective office, or voted for or against any other contested ballot proposal."
Eileen
You know, it says in one of my bird books that doves are America's #1 game bird -- more than 30 million harvested each year.Which makes me wonder: WHY? They are so small; plucking and dressing a dove has to be a thankless task. And then after all that work, you've got something like 1.4 ounces of meat. Whoo whooooo whooooo, indeed.