Birds in Nature - images of wild birds by Richard Ditch

Subject: Ruddy Ground-Dove (Columbina talpacoti)
Place: Red Rock, AZ, USA
Date: February 2004
Equipment: Nikon N90S, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8, TC20E (600/5.6 equiv), monopod from car
Film: Fuji Sensia 100
Exposure: Aperture priority matrix meter
Scan: Minolta Dimage, significant crop

Commentary: A rare Mexican species, first seen in the U.S. in December 1950, it has become more regular in AZ and CA since the 1980's. It is now seen somewhere in AZ every winter, and is a species sort after by visiting birders. A few Ruddy Ground-Doves have been regular at a cattle feed lot here for many months.

I made two trips to get this image - the first was in the morning and I could only get the birds with backlight on them. I made a second visit in late afternoon hoping for front light. This bird was inside the cattle lot, behind the fence, at the SW corner of the lot.