Ohh, too cool! It's so exciting when a new bird shows up and you got a picture too! I just bought a subscription to the Birds of North AMerica website and this is what they say about Eurasion Collared-Doves.... One of many successful species introduced to the North American fauna in recent history, the Eurasian Collared-Dove was first released in the New World on New Providence, Bahamas, in the mid-1970s. Since its introduction, this dove has spread quickly across the North American continent. Reports of this bird continue at a rapid pace as the public is made aware of its presence Fairly uniformly distributed in Florida, Georgia, and along the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Locally common in Alabama, Arkansas, sw. California, se. Colorado, and regions of Illinois, Kan-sas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, N. Carolina, Oklahoma, S. Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Reports of small numbers (1Â10 doves) from Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Jersey, N. Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, S. Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as Saskatchewan, Canada. May occur in Mexico; all sw. Texas counties have reported observations. ... But not in Ohio :^( There diet consists of .... In North America, seeds and cereal grain offered from bird feeders and spilled from agriculture. Includes seeds of millet (Setaria spp.), sunflower (Helianthus spp.), milo (Sorghum spp.), wheat (Triticum spp.), and maize (Zea mays). Reported also to take spilled peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) from warehouse (Drennen 1997), fallen pecans (Carya illinoensis) crushed by automobiles on road (Steele 1998), crackers, and bread (CMR). Same male observed eating berries directly from Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine) every day for a week in early Aug 2001 in s. Florida (CMR). Flocks seen feeding on gravel in parking lots in Florida (CMR). And thanks Brenda, I haven't had any new birds in awhile so it was fun to research something new!

I thought I'd give those of you interested an update on the life and times of Tony & Theresa. For about 10 days after I'd decided that the chicks had hatched, Tony & Theresa came together every day. Sometimes they spent quite a bit of time. Their food consumption never increased so I slowly came to realize that they had no babies at home after all. Then one morning Tony came alone. In the afternoon, Theresa came alone and so I knew that they were again setting on eggs. But, within just a few days, they were both back together - apparently they'd lost these eggs as well. Theresa again began to try to get Tony interested in a move back into her birdhouse here at home. Of course, that was the morning I had to pull the pile of garden stakes out from behind her house. So while she's trying to convince Tony that this is really a choice place to raise a family - I'm involved in a demolition project next door. I got the stakes in the pickup and skedaddled but not before upsetting Tony. I was told that he did come back and went into the birdhouse for a second look around but that was it for him. By the time I got back home, Theresa was still trying to lure him back but he wasn't coming closer than the power pole in the neighbor's yard. At the moment, Theresa has apparently given up again. Both birds are showing up a couple times each day and getting something to eat but the birdhouse (honestly, choice pigeon accommodations) is being ignored. I was driving down the main drag Saturday and passed a tavern that has been closed for a couple of years. (Who says these joints never go out of business?) The wood awning has lost quite a few shingles and a pigeon looking very much like Tony was hanging around on top. Now this saloon is a good 2 miles away but that's not far for them. The problem is that it looks to me like a horrible place for them to have a nest. If this is Tony's "Blue Heaven," they'll probably have continuing calamities. The real problem is that Tony is a young, inexperienced guy. Doves of all types have a cooperative arrangement between Mom and Dad for the care of the young and altho' Mom builds the nest; Dad gives her the construction materials and decides on the location. The other day, while Theresa was trying to get her new guy into her birdhouse, she would suddenly appear back at the door. Her behavior for all the world said, "Where is he! Where IS he!" and she'd shoot off into the sky only to have Tony join her within seconds flying off the power pole or some roof top. Theresa would slow and turn back to the birdhouse but Tony would drift off somewhere to wait for her. The good news is that Tony is becoming more and more comfortable with me. It is very slow going. Today, for the 1st time, he flew to the ground to get food and stayed down there long enuf to have his picture taken. Two weeks ago, he'd hide behind the chimney every time I came out of the house. So we may be getting there. I don't think that the taming of Tony will come any too soon for Theresa. She acts at times like a nervous wreck. DigitS'

see that black collar on its neck that is a trademark of the eurasian collared dove they were an imported species but are now in just about every state. they usually do not migrate exept to maybe go to a lower elevation in winter and they have multiple broods year around and are now on the hunting seasons in many states in the fall hunting.

I've found some brands of pre-made suet blocks to be significantly more popular than others; Morning Song year round suet is liked far more than Blain's Farm & Fleet. They seem to be popular with woodpeckers of various types, Downy, Red-Headed, and Hairy I've seen. BOSS is very popular in my tube feeders, but do want to try the shelled variety to eliminate the shell waste. Corn seemed to be liked by Cardinals and Blue Jays, but also attracted lots and lots of Grackles, ugh. Thistle is liked by the smaller birds, especially finches, but I think they go for the bigger seeds more if they are available. Lots of various sparrows and similar smaller birds, Mourning Doves (counted 27 at one time, all at once), no Eurasian doves here but I have seen them in the fields a few mles away. Some Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, just saw a male Dark Eyed Junco this morning. 55 miles west of Chicago is the location. vince