[Birdtalk] Cold Dove

[John Morgan]

Picture one of the recent TV ads that play on the weirdness that dreams play in our lives....

Ok, so I arrive home today and walk around to the rear of the Haulmark trailer parked alongside my house. This causes a freakish flurry of whistling wing beats as I flush some 15 Mourning Doves out from under my nearby deck. I lock the trailer back up and go into the house. I immediately go to my kitchen windows to see if any birds remain at the feeders after the Dove explosion. Several House Finches remained at the thistle feeder.

My eye is then drawn to an American Kestrel on the ground (appearing to be eating something) out at the base of the chain link fence at my rear property line. I reach for the binoculars and see that it is in fact some sort of carcass. Shortly the Kestrel flies to the top of the 12'  chain link fence (divides my yard from Mt. View Golf Course). I exit the door to the deck to go see what the Kestrel was eating. He flies off at my presence.

At the kill site, I see the fresh but near-frozen remains of an unlucky Mourning Dove and signs of a struggle in the 1/2" of snow. Head missing....its back side was where the Kestrel had been feeding from....plump breast appeared untouched.

And I start scratching my head because none of this is making sense. Suddenly its like I'm in that commercial with the Beaver and Abraham Lincoln playing chess at the kitchen table.

A Kestrel is eating a Dove just 40' away from where 15 Doves were parked, roosting on the ground in plain sight, AND THEY'RE OK WITH THAT????
A Kestel eats snips the head, eats the back/shoulder area and leaves the white meat?
A Kestrel attacks a sleepy Dove (his same size), gets full and leaves the mess in my yard?
What? No Magpies to heckle the Kestrel or pick at the remaining carcass??

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE??    

I come away with one thought ringing loud and clear: "Doves are dumb." (Compare to intelligent Magpies who at least make a fuss at the loss of one of their own!)

John
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