Mourning Dove

by Tanya Wagner

We explored some new areas today. First, we got up early and walked a section of the Black River Reservation trail from the Burr Oak picnic area. It’s a nice paved trail that winds through woods and fields and over bridges that span the river. Even early in the day, the trail was quite busy so we didn’t see much wildlife. We did enjoy the wildflowers blooming along the trail and we had a nice visit with a doe who peeked out of the woods at us.

Later in the afternoon, we visited a new park that was just developed near my mom’s neighborhood in Avon. There are a variety of short trails that provide access to ponds and woods and meadows. There is also a large new dog park. Chuck was very interested in that, so we will be back soon to let her run free.

As we explored the neighborhood, I saw a beautiful mourning dove posing on a garden trellis. When I was a girl, I used to wake up every morning to the soft slow coo of the mourning dove’s call and I always thought they were called “morning doves”. It was only years later I discovered my mistake. Everything about these birds is gentle and just so pretty. Look at the blue ring around her eye and the soft variations of brown and gray in her feathers.


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