Rodney Olsen and I found a White-winged Dove this evening at Dead Creek WMA.  The bird was first heard and seen in the small cluster of trees by the parking lot to the fishing access on the north side of Rt 17.  The bird later crossed Rt 17 and was seen from the Brilyea access road on the east side of the creek.  The bird was watched from about 6:30 to 7:00pm.  It was last seen in a leafless tree on the east side of Dead Creek where the first cove is on far bank and the tree is just behind and north of a blue nesting box.  


The bird is Mourning Dove size but slightly more chunky.  It has a long square tail that has a wide white terminal band on the underside.  When perched the bottom of the wings from the leading edge and along the bottom were outlined in thick white.  In flight the tops of the primaries were dark and there is a white bar that runs the full width of the wing at the bend that separates the primaries and secondaries.  The bird has a small dark crescent on the side of the neck.  No marks on the nape of the neck.  The voice was a series of hoo's that where more hoarse, hollow and windy sounding than a morning dove.  The bird moved quite often and was best relocated by voice.  When perched, it tended to be in the open on leafless branches, but it did not allow a close enough approach for any pictures.


After the bird was last seen at 7pm, we continued searching until 8pm without being able to relocate the bird.

Henry Trombley