My friends had told me that they had seen Turtle Doves, or more specifically a Turtle Dove at Haldon Forest, quite close to public walks and one of the popular carparks. I have had a busy few days since my return from Lundy so it wasn't until yesterday that I got the chance to go to try to find it. I parked the car and even as I collected my camera from the boot I could hear the distinctive song, once you hear one you will never mistake it for anything else.
I walked towards the sound and for a few minutes, even though I had pinpointed the tree that it was singing atop of, I couldn't see where it was. It continued to sing though and I eventually located it. This is the first Turtle Dove that I have seen in Devon so another species for my gallery, 208 now. Have a look by clicking on the links. here.The Turtle Dove is a bit special though and we should be really alarmed by their current rarity. This is a species of dove that has declined by 94% in the last 20 years. Year on year, they decrease even more and it is expected that that without a miracle, they will be extinct in the UK by 2021! Supposedly the reasons are not known but when you learn that 100000 are shot every spring in Malta alone, not to mention illegal hunting in France and Spain then its not too hard know the reasons. We should take the strongest possible stance against these countries. But we don't. They act without regard to the law and without any regard to the sustainability of an entire species. The Turtle Dove is going to become extinct and those responsible are member s of the EU, seemingly mainstream and civilised countries yet we can do nothing to prevent them exterminating an entire species which will be lost, just like the Dodo. It is an absolute outrage and our own government could do so much more if we really wanted to. We could take action against the countries responsible but there does not appear to be any political will to act. So are we responsible for the demise of this species simply by our own inactivity.
I remember seeing Turtle Doves when I was a boy and not even thinking about it, though the Midlands has never been a particular stronghold for the species but they were comparatively common in the summertime. I do remember one particular day when I saw them in willow trees by the Trent and Mersey Canal and then minutes later I then saw a Tawny Owl at its nest in a very old Willow. Quite a day when you look back and it must have been good if I can remember it for 54 years!
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