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I don't understand why, but my messages to the birdnet from home never seem to make it on (the ethereal intricacies of the net escape me). So, my apologies for the delay. Here it is again, as posted yesterday:
This morning (Dec 30th) just before 9 am, Larene Wyss & I went out to
see the Red-headed woodpecker at the pecan farm by Hurricane. I was telling her we ought to keep our eyes open for unusual things like Common ground-doves at Lytle later in the day, and assured her that there were indeed Utah records for such things, when a few minutes later I was staring at an odd little dove in the driveway of the rental house at the pecan grove (see previous e-mails regarding this site). This was clearly NOT the target woodpecker.... Could it be?? Oh, Lordy Child... Yes it was. A lovely little Common ground-dove. We watched it and took several photos of the little beast as it flew between various locations around the house (the first big house as one enters the farm, on the right (west) side of the road). It was there from before 9 to a little after 10 when we left, usually on the ground (hence name) but sometimes in the trees or bushes north and east of the house. Most often we saw it in the driveway north of the house. Once it flew east across the road to some irrigation equipment, but soon returned to its ground duties in the driveway. Only dove we saw there. Look for a small dove with short, blackish
tail, bluish head with vinous wash to neck & face. If you get to the point where you see the scaling on the head & neck (but not the wings or mantle!) and pink base to the bill, you probably won't need me to describe it any more. Head looks relatively large in relation to the body compared to Mourning or Inca doves, if you should need an additional search image. That, along with the magnificent Red-headed woodpecker (which endlessly
and raucously loitered about the place, mostly west of the house), which was so ably described by others, we had ourselves a fine morning in southern Utah indeed! Thank you to all those before us who pointed us in the right direction. And for those of you Northerners who headed down for the Rufous-backed
robin, then turned right back around to get a look-see at the woodpecker, I do rightly apologize. Yes, yet another road trip to the same far corner of the state! What a hobby! And, everyone, let's do try and find some twitch-worthy species up along the Wasatch Front for a change or I'll never catch up on my sleep! P.S. The Snow geese are still at the sewage ponds, along with countless
Ring-billed ducks, as the British righteously put it. Happy New Year to one and all!
David Wheeler
dswheeler@utah.gov |