As we segue into our first hot weather of the year - temperatures are expected to hit 34C (93F) by mid-week - I will continue my "birds in snow" series. It's hard to believe that I shot these photos less than two weeks ago.
The Eurasian Collared-Dove is an invasive species that arrived in North America circa 1974 after some captive doves escaped from Nassau, Bahamas, and made it to Florida. Now they share space with Mourning Doves in tiny Val Marie, Saskatchewan. But there's a catch. The Mourning Doves migrate; Collared-Doves do not. I assume they are not genetically hard-wired to do so. And our winters get very, very cold. After especially severe winters, it is not uncommon to see Collared-Doves missing a few toes.
Known to be easily tamed elsewhere, these doves are as wild as wild can be in our village. After living here for ten years, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a Eurasian Collared-Dove that didn't fly away to safety. The reason? Food. I made this shot in my artist friend Laureen Marchand's backyard, near her feeders, where hundreds of birds gathered in the aftermath of the freak May snowstorm. She is @laureenartist on Instagram, and her site is well worth visiting.
Photographed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2021 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
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