Mulling things on my morning ramble with Storm, the family’s mixed Lab.
Mourning doves in singles and pairs were all over the wires this morning, which made our ramble a bit longer because I enjoy taking photos of doves on wires.
Something about the composition of the one above caught my eye and i really like it simply as a photo.
Considering doves are the most harvested game in the country, there is a remarkably little hard data on them.
I was thinking of that as I began checking with public sites yesterday on the number of doves and the conditions of dove fields.
Even the estimates of harvest by state and federal officials can vary widely.
When I talked to site supers, we were making guesses about whether the forecast heat next week will hold birds, chase birds and bring in fresh birds from Wisconsin.
None of us know for sure. That is one of the remarkable things about doves, that lack of hard knowledge.
Odd morning for doves, partly because I was out earlier than normal, right on the edge of dawn. They sat on the wires on singles and doubles. I did not single the congregations of dozens that I see other mornings.
A lone rabbit loped into the brush as we turned to go up the extended part of the ramble.
A few fish splashed in both old pits. I didn’t get a good enough look to guess what they were.
Otherwise, just kind of a nice morning, with all the blandness that nice implies.
I did notice I was noticing no bullfrogs and have noticed very few this summer. I wonder if something is going on or if predators–herons, largemouth bass and humans–is taking a toll. Or is it something related to habitat change around the town pond.
I don’t know.
Back in town, more singles and pairs of doves on wires. Even had a lone Eurasian collared-dove picking grit just off the alley by the bus barn, but I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo.
A couple blue jays squawked an alley over as we neared home.
