The finding of today's Common Ground Dove started an interesting debate. Which improbability is more likely? Did last week's dove escape the Merlin, only sacrificing its tail? Or did two individuals of a species so rare in New York wander to the same site independently twice in under a week? For those who got photos last weekend, feel free to compare to the picture I posted on my web site http://www.stevewalternature.com/ .
The dove was certainly getting around today. The encounter in the picture was a result of me going to park my car by the middle exit from West End 2. To my surprise, the dove flushed up, landed a short distance away, and starting walking along the edge of the parking lot. A while later, in the same area but by the road, I spotted a White-crowned Sparrow among the masses of sparrows. Considering the point of season that we're at, I figured it was worth a closer look for the possibility of a Gambel's race. And in fact, I think it may very well be. It's an immature, so maybe not as clear cut as an adult would be. To my eyes, there's a supercilium pale to the bill and a rather orange bill, which shows well on one of the pictures that I posted on the Recent Work page of the web site. See what you think. Ironically, I checked the date on which I photographed the adult Gambel's in the same area in 2005. Yep, November 8. A picture of that bird is on my Sparrows of the West gallery. Steve Walter Bayside, NY From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Gail Benson Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2014 8:53 AM To: nysbirds-l; Gail Benson Subject: [nysbirds-l] Common Ground Dove Jones Beach West End A Common Ground Dove apparently missing a tail. To west of entrance to coast guard station. Along the road. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html> Please submit your observations to <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> eBird! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
