Rock Doves

A flock of about a hundred 'rock doves' arrived on the coast just to the north of us in mid-October and, while there are definitely fewer of them today, they're still here. At first we assumed the attraction was the loose barley left after the field at the back of the beach was harvested but they now seem to spend less time in the field, preferring the rocks of the lower shore or, if they're disturbed....

....the rocks further out which are usually the exclusive domain of a group of cormorants, gulls and grey herons.

Rock doves are the ancestors of the city pigeon and most so-called 'rock doves' are hybridised with these but there are said to be some flocks in northern Scotland and the western and northern isles which are genetically pretty close to the original. The only way for an amateur to judge is that true rock dove flocks don't have much variation in colour from grey with the two-barred black wing marking - and the Dunrobin flock fits that bill.

So our population of what look like 'pigeons' might be something a little special.