Monday, March 12, 2012

Mourning Doves and their family...

It's been lovely having mourning doves in the yard, lately...around here they're more likely to be in more suburban or rural areas.  Being able to watch them so closely reminded me how similar they are to the extinct passenger pigeon.

I recently found this rough sketch, left, on the back of an old bank deposit slip...I did research years ago for an article for Country Living Magazine, and drew on what I had with me!

8 comments:

  1. I can always tell whan a new Kate post is on the blog, before I read your name. It's fun how you learn to recognize styles. The doves are lovely.

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  2. Thank you so much, Concetta! I'm really pleased with my doves...first time we've had them in town so close...

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  3. They are a lovely bird, Kathy, and you've done the head beautifully. We have a pair that has been in the neighborhood [out in the countryside] for over a year now.

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  4. Aaah, just LOVE your doves Kate! Gorgeous sketches! Some interesting information - our Mourning Collared Dove (Streptopelia decipiens) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in Africa and despite its name, it is not a close relative of the North American Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura. Yet our dove seems exactly the same as yours - a largish, stocky pigeon, up to 31 cm in length and its back, wings and tail are pale brown. The head is grey and the underparts are pink, shading to pale grey on the belly. There is a black hind neck patch edged with white. The legs and a patch of bare skin around the eye are red (this info from Wiki).

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    Replies
    1. These are just beautiful, especially the eyes.

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  5. I've always loved the colors on doves and you've captured them beautifully Kate. I like your deposit slip sketch too!

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  6. Thank you so much! That was a challenge...

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  7. Beautiful doves Kate, we have a nesting pair here that keep trying to build their nest on a ceiling fan under our covered patio. It takes but a flip of the switch to keep them moving to a different location!

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