Page 9 - Black Range Naturalist, Vol. 2, No. 3
P. 9

  If woodrats weren’t so indiscreet in their excretions and more respectful of our leather goods and rations, we’d probably live with them. As it is, Patty and I still make occasional runs a few miles up Highway 152 to introduce our unwanted neighbors to a new home. How well they adapt, we’ll never know. Could be some even find their way back. Certainly the supply remains endless. We’d not have it any other way.
Nesting Eurasian Collared-Dove
 by Bob Barnes
Last year I reported on the efforts we made to document the nesting of a Black-chinned Hummingbird. This year’s effort involved the recording of the nesting of a Eurasian Collared- Dove (March 3 to April 8).
The Eurasian Collared-Dove first appeared in North America when roughly 50 of them escaped from their owner in Nassau, Bahamas in 1974. Since then the species has spread to many areas of North America, including Hillsboro, where I live.
The videos which document the nesting effort of this pair of doves falls within two categories. The long-form videos are designed with the researcher and masochist in mind; there are four of these volumes. There is also a composite video for those who are interested in natural history but may not be as interested in masochism.
This effort involved the review and editing of 214 hours of raw video (2.34 TB of material).
All of these videos have been added to our new The Black Range Naturalist video portfolio. That portfolio includes all of the videos which have been referenced in The Black Range Naturalist and which are original to this area.
And, for those of you who are not videophiles, the following photo sequence (framegrabs from the videos) may be interesting.
On March 3 we noticed that a pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves had set up shop and were mating in a shed at our house in Hillsboro. On March 19 we noted that an adult was removing part of an egg shell from the nest and by the 21st saw that feeding of the nestlings was visible (camera angle precluded a definitive assessment of this earlier - although it most certainly was happening). Both adults shared in incubation and feeding duties.
The nestlings were being fed crop milk, an incredibly rich liquid which is secreted from glands in the crop of the adults, and grew very quickly.
Mating at the nest March 3
 March 4 to March 18 - sitting
   March 19 - Adult removes part of egg shell
 8
March 21 - Adult feeding young nestling




















































































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