Our doves are a little nervous still. All winter there was a Cooper's hawk in the area. The doves learned quickly to stick to the thickets and not tempt the hawk by gathering big groups. For a couple of weeks now, the hawk has been gone and the doves were just starting to relax a little. But they haven't forgotten. A Sharp-shinned swooped in Friday after a junco (it missed) and the doves have been in hiding ever since! Silly birds--Sharp-shinned hawks are pretty small and not likely to try for something as big as a dove...
I saw my first Ruby-crowned kinglet of the year today!
The fox sparrows are still thick out there. The song and chipping sparrows have returned. And last week I had a cardinal encounter. Saw the mama in the bushes (managed to get a few long distance shots of her) and heard the male but, alas, they seem to have moved on. *le sigh*
Fox sparrow:
Mama cardinal:
Song sparrow: