The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Recently, I have had at least 3 purring male Turtle Doves in and around East Keal village. Zac Hinchcliffe in Old Bolingbroke has had up to 5. A slightly freaky number in a small area. Anyone else seeing many away from Frampton and Gib Point ?

Phil

I usually struggle to hear any in the Willingham Forest around Market Rasen. This year I've heard three, possibly four so it is looking a bit better.

4 purring males Salfleetby Theddlethorpe nnr about 30% of the early/mid eighties population
however 2 areas of habitat ( c 20%) removed 2005 to 2007 for dune flower/meadow restoration by directive from NE

One regularly near Porters Mill at Navenby, another at Haconby and a pair bred and fledged at Dunsby.

Ian

Interesting thread. Turtle Doves have returned to Whisby NR this year (last bred in 2011) and we have at least one, possibly two, territories.

Grahame

Turtle Dove purring near Pottergate golf club at Branston Moor today. I have noted them here before.
Generally been poor for sightings locally.

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http://birdmanbirds.blogspot.com/

And, the first year I've ever had one in the garden....

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Andrew Chick
Website: http://www.forktail.co.uk/

I would be distressed to witness TDs (or other species such as orioles or hoopes) being blasted out of the sky in Malta or Cyprus.

But, given that it is a longstanding activity, what percentage of the UK decline can be attributed to shooting in Mediterranean countries? Could it be less than five per cent?

How much are farming or other factors - either here or in their winter territories - to blame? Can they be quantified?

Does anyone know what is the current status of TDs in France and the Benelux countries? Does the species summer in Scandinavia?

On the subject of shooting, there is an element of hypocrisy. Plenty of people in Lincolnshire and elsewhere enjoy shooting wood pigeons. They can justify it by claiming WPs are a farmland pest.

But what if the position was reversed - with TDs being common and WPs were rare? How would the
debate change?

A pair of turtle doves in residence just east of Rippingale at traditional site. No sign of young though....

Ian

http://www.operationturtledove.org/turt ... -and-food/



Evidence for a population crash across the species' range: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/specie ... t/22690419



Woodpigeons possibly part of the problem through disease transmission: http://www.bou.org.uk/disease-and-turtle-doves/ but introduced gamebirds also implicated - TDs likely to feed at pheasant hoppers for instance...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25212735

Woodpigeon + Corvid numbers likely out of equilibrium given the lack of Goshawks* in eastern England.... disease + nest predation

So perfect storm of habitat loss on breeding + wintering areas, continued hunter off-take + disease

*don't go there

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Dr Alexander C. Lees
Lecturer in tropical ecology
Manchester Metropolitan University

Lab Associate
Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
Cornell University

http://www.freewebs.com/alexlees/index.htm
@Alexander_Lees

Many thanks for that informative update, Alex - greatly appreciated

I just got back from 4 days with Rob Carr at his place just south of Bergerac, France. Turtle Doves were plentiful there, commoner than I can recollect them ever being in Lincs. If they have crashed there, the French must have been knee deep in them in the past.

Look on the bright side. Every cloud has a silver lining! Turtle Dove has now become so scarce that it is almost twitchable. Thus giving that high level of pleasure and satisfaction - when seen - that is to many birders the only reason for birding. After all who gets excited when they see a Wood Pigeon?