Ring-Necked White Dove

2326 White Dove
Originally uploaded by Oliver Leveritt

A couple of people have viewed this photo on my flickr page and told me that ring-necked white doves are rare in the wild. I guess that makes me a fortunate person in that I watch them frequently on my back fence. I quietly take position inside the house. The doves are very cautious -- more cautious than the other birds. There is a bird feeder in the patio next door. Other birds zoom straight in to the feeder. The doves land on the roof of our building and scope the scene from two stories up. Sometimes, they move to the carport roof to survey it a little closer. They know the cats might be there (yes, the feral cats). Then, they move to the fence to check out access to the feeder. The fence gives them a good view of the area. While they are taking their time on approach, I can get good shots of them thru the window. They are aware of every shutter click. That causes them to look in my direction, even though I'm in the house with the doors and windows closed. I have to move slowly so that I don't spook them. This bird raised his head and looked in my direction as a result of a shutter click, giving me a much nicer "pose".