Posts tagged "oriental turtle dove"

Would you wait in line behind hundreds of people and pay $8 to catch a glimpse of a rare turtledove? From inside an opportunistic ornithologist's kitchen, no less? If so, you are officially an avid bird-watcher.

When longtime bird enthusiast Steve Akers spotted an extremely rare Oriental turtledove in his backyard in Oxfordshire, he couldn't believe his binoculars. The dove, native to Japan, Russia and Southeast Asia, has been spotted only twice in the United Kingdom, according to Sky News.

Realizing that he was witnessing history in the making, Akers contacted the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which reportedly confirmed the identity of his extraordinary visitor -- Streptopelia orientalis.

"It is brilliant to see this beautiful and very famous bird -- especially in my own back garden," Akers told Sky News. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and for it to happen here is very overwhelming."

News of Akers' unusual guest traveled quickly on the Internet, and the ornithologist decided that he should share the opportunity with fellow appreciators. That's when he announced that, for a modest £5 ($8) entry fee, bird-watchers could bring their binoculars into his observatory/kitchen. A reported 500 showed up.

Stubborn birds. That's a thing?

After a pigeon built her nest on a bicycle seat outside a home in Japan, the owners removed it (natch). But their efforts were in vain -- the dirty bird only returned the next day to start all over again. Eventually, the owners gave up after the bird (which a YouTube commenter argues is an Oriental Turtle Dove) laid eggs, and have now aligned with the dove and help her protect the area.


Source