It’s past time for me to put up or shut up. Today’s post is my attempt at redemption.
When I’m asked, as I often am, “What is your favorite bird to photograph?”, my typical response is to say “If it has feathers I’ll photograph it” which is my way of attempting to avoid showing favoritism and it’s pretty close to the truth. However, I’ve realized for a long time that that response is hypocritical because there are two species I virtually never aim my lens at – House Sparrows and Eurasian Collared Doves. European Starlings come close to being on that list too. All three species share the dubious distinction of being introduced to North America.
But two mornings ago I decided to sit in my back yard, with my camera on my tripod in front of me and coffee in hand, and practice flight shots on any bird that gave me the opportunity and of course Eurasian Collared Doves became one of my subjects. Collared doves nest in my catulpa trees and some of my neighbor’s trees and they occasionally come to my feeders.
So, this morning I (reluctantly) decided to share one of the collared dove photos I took that morning. Maybe doing so will make me feel a little less hypocritical.
1/8000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, possibly baited
I caught this one soon after takeoff. ‘He’ was facing slightly away from me but as compensation he turned his head my way and gave me eye contact. I also like his flight posture, he’s sharp and I even have good detail in his shaded parts.
1/8000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, possibly baited
In the interest of full disclosure, here’s what the image looked like before I dinked around with it. He had been perched on my fireplace insert cap atop my fireplace. My shutter speed was exorbitant because I knew that he was likely to fly in front of darker trees out of frame to the left which would dramatically slow my SS.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that introduced species can be just as beautiful and interesting as any other bird and besides, it isn’t their fault they’re here. Eurasian Collared Doves were first introduced into the Bahamas in the mid-70’s when several of them escaped from a pet shop during a burglary. From there they made their way to Florida and then rapidly spread across much of North America.
And like many other birds, native or not, they have some unique and fascinating traits, including this from Cornell about Eurasian Collared Doves:
Eurasian Collared-Doves are one of very few species that can drink “head down,” submerging their bills and sucking water as though drinking through a straw. Most birds must scoop water and tip the head back to let it run down into the throat.
OK, I feel a little better now. Maybe someday I’ll post photos of House Sparrows but I’m not there yet.
Ron
PS – another thought along the lines of hypocrisy. I love photographing Ring-necked Pheasants and Chukars and they’re introduced too. Makes no sense…
I could do without them sitting on my chimney and calling in that harsh voice. I admit it…I dislike them. Rock doves, diamond doves, mourning doves, yes. Eurasian no. They are bullies at the feeder. I’ve witnessed them landing their heavy-III selves on top of sparrows. But nice pictures!
I understand you you feel, Arwen. I have to fight the same tendency.
At our previous place the native Band-tailed Pigeons were far more of a nuisance than the Eurasian Collared-Doves. But, at least, they were only there for a short period of time. A beautiful bird but far too many of them trying to fit on a feeding tray at one time.
I am a member of a decidedly invasive species. An invasive species who survives and thrives at the expense of the native species. It would be hypocritical of me in the extreme to condemn the introduced species. That said, I rarely photograph the pigeons which visit us, despite seeing that they DO have a beauty, and considerable ingenuity of their own.
I have mixed feelings about pigeons too, EC – even though I raised them as a kid and still enjoy them.
Definitely an improved shot without that chimney cap in the way! For a rather drab bird, the unfolding wings do offer some visual interest.
I used to really resent all the ECDs that came into my backyard, but in recent years I’ve come to, if not enjoy them, at least more than tolerate their presence. I even put out safflower seed in a ground-feeder which they, Mourning Doves and House Finches snarf up. I consider them the clean-up crew. Both Eurasian and Mourning drink out of my fountain (and occasionally the birdbath), I will have to watch them more carefully to see their “snorkle” style, as Mikal called it.
Chris, I used to have a hard time appreciating them too but at this point i”ve at least reached the toleration level. And I’m not proud to admit that one of the reasons I didn’t like them much is their call. I think it’s an alarm call but I hear it so often, and I find it unpleasant enough, that I didn’t like them for it. For some illogical reason it annoys me.
Um, well, if fact, all the Pigeons and Doves snorkle water. Water depth has to be at least an inch deep for them to drink at all. So we’ll have to find some other justification for admiring them. When I started learning rehabilitation, they were rare here in NM. We tried to find homes for them as pets rather than releasing them back to the wild. A number of years later, it was obvious that they were here. Populations were increasing in spite of our paltry efforts. So in light of that, we’d might as well learn to enjoy them.
“So we’ll have to find some other justification for admiring them”
Mikal, pigeons and doves account for a very small portion of all bird species so I’d still say that the statement from Cornell is accurate. Whether it’s something to “admire” them for depends on the individual I guess.
But I agree, “we might as well learn to enjoy them”.
Like you, I’m often asked which is my favorite bird. My answer is similar to yours. Whichever bird I am looking at at the moment. I don’t feel like the introduced birds should be ignored. They have their own beauty and many fascinating behaviors. Because starlings aren’t native, the usual assortment of permits for capture and study are not needed. As a result, many of the things we know about avian physiology, etc. come from studies of starlings. And you will find fascinating behaviors in House Sparrows. Notice that the more aggressive and dominant males are the ones with the largest black bid. If we ignore these birds, we miss all of these details. I once wrote an article on biobigotry about the many prejudices we have regarding wildlife. For example, many people are upset to see a swift taken by a Cooper’s Hawk as the swifts fly into their night roost during migration. But there is no sympathy for the many insects eaten by the swift. Why not? Both are living creatures with their own lives to lead but we feel more kinship with the bird. I don’t like the problems introduced species can cause but I don’t think they should be ignored. If for no other reason, studying them can help us understand the possible impact on natives.
You make some good points, Dan. As always.
I guess I have known too many individual birds to feel they are great. We have used Eurasian dove pairs to raise orphaned morning doves. One of the most amazing birds I have had the privilege to know was an imprinted house sparrow.
I think I remember you mentioning that House Sparrow before, April.
I, too, share your ambivalence regarding nonnative birds. Flight shots especially, that you post of them do reveal their beauty. Our urban, suburban, agricultural, and large expanses of western prairies are populated mostly by invasive species, including most of us. Native birds and insects decline as a result. One only need look up and down ones street and be hard put to see any native plants (especially the ecological disaster of our lawns) that they have evolved with.
“including most of us”
That’s a very good point, Lyle. Talk about my hypocrisy!
Doves are pretty – we have a lot of Morning Doves. Pretty, but stupid. They build the most unstable nests in precarious locations. Am surprised they thrive!
PS- Puffin journey big success. Needed your rig to get any decent photos. They are skittish, small and avoid people. And sooooo cute!
Kathleen, lots of birds build nests like that, some of them even less stable and/or in more precarious locations.
And congrats on your successful puffin journey.
When I first started reading I was thinking that we should not be so critical of these introduced birds, and sure enough you confirmed that a little later. I like watching the Eurasian Doves at our bird baths out back. Obviously more attractive than our Mourning Doves. I guess most birders like them more say than the Starlings. Nice in-flight shots. Good for you to rest the back and shoot from home for a day.
Your drinking info is educational for me. I have watched them drink, but never paid enough attention to realize how they were doing so.
Thanks for that Ron.
Thanks, Everett. For some reason neither dove species goes to my bird bath. At least not that I’ve seen.
A good confessional can make one feel clean again. And in doing so you often find kinship. And so I confess the same conflicted feelings about these introduced species. They fall pretty much along the same lines as you.
Michael, I don’t think we’re alone in feeling that way. I fight it but with little success.
Nice shot, and no need for excuses about “dinking around” with it to remove the stove cap. When you only have one or a very few shots sometimes you just have to suck it up and do what needs doing because, after all no one is interested in anything but the bird and with full disclosure it’s not as if you’re really hiding anything; just focusing our attention where it needs to be. As for having too many of those and not enough Mourning Doves? I can’t help with the former but I can send a basket full of the latter as we are nearly overrun with them, along with starlings and grackles. My feeders, (even the supposedly weight regulated ones), are overrun with the latter and the doves and starlings are thick on the ground, even when I offer only sunflower seeds in the shell to discourage them. But hey, even starlings and sparrows can look pretty after a rainshower when their iridescence glows or sweet when they’re feeding their young. So, yeah, hawks, herons, owls and eagles etc are certainly favourites of most of us but even pests can be interesting sometimes so I’ll look forward to the next time you set up in your yard.
Granny Pat, I agree that “full disclosure” is key, but I still don’t like using the clone tool. Sometimes I get sucked into it though.
Probably 90% of the birds in my yard are House Sparrows or collared doves with a few House Finches thrown in for good measure. The occasional chickadee, blackbird, Mourning Dove and American Goldfinch round things out. At certain times of the year I also get quite a few Lesser Goldfinches but I sure don’t get as much variety as I’d like to.
HUGE laugh! 🙂 We have plenty of them around having stayed all winter – not a favorite. Fortunately, they haven’t run out the Mourning Doves………. Nice shot, Ron. 🙂
Thanks, Judy. I’m still getting fair numbers of Mourning Doves but their numbers have become noticeably reduced around here, most likely due to competition with the Eurasian variety.