Hi All,
I've checked a few times over the last 12 months or so at a site in the
Melbourne suburb of Williamstown for reported Barbary Doves without success.
Last week I followed up on a report from Birdline Victoria of two birds being
seen at the very same site that I had been checking (at the end of Gray Reserve
Road, bordering the Kororoit Creek, Williamstown North). Within 10 mins of
arriving I had found a total of eight birds, including one bird incubating
egg(s) on a nest and two recently fledged juveniles (estimated to be out of the
nest by about 4 weeks).
Some pics are here http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/barbary_dove
I spoke to locals at the site who put seed out for the sparrows and pigeons.
They reported that a few years back two of these 'cream doves' had appeared and
that each year since then numbers had gradually increased so that this year
there were at least 10. These people were not sure of the bird's origins (i.e.
they were not responsible for their release), but were aware that some people
might consider the 'cream doves' to be pests. They also showed me the empty
nest from where the two juveniles recently fledged.
These Barbary Doves are certainly breeding and, going on the population
increase reported by the locals, most individuals are probably second or third
generation post-release. It therefore follows that these Barbary Doves are
probably 'tickable' if you count exotics on your list - I'd suggest you get in
fast because I'll be agitating for their removal.
Cheers,
Rohan
Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
=============================
|
