Until recently, reports of Eurasian collared-doves, including nesting,
have come with regularity in Ohio, most of them in the far west, but
more recently some from the Bobolink area. Are these birds just receding
into the background in the west, or have they actually declined in
numbers there?  I've also heard that in Celina, up to recently a
reliable spot, that what are likely escaped ringed turtle doves have
joined them, and hybrids are being seen. What about CBC numbers?--are
they up or down along the Indiana border?
        When the first birds in any numbers were confirmed in the state a few
years back, they showed up along the Indiana border; in fact Indiana had
its first birds long before Ohio. It was thought our birds were a sort
of backwash of local nesters from the doves' overall headlong dash NW.
In Europe, collared-dove invasions showed two features: (1) they nearly
always expanded to the NW, and (2) they avoided mountainous regions.
This played out in North America when the first doves showed up in
Florida.  They showed up in Alaska before we could verify the backwash
individuals from Indiana, having been thwarted by the Appalachians on
their way northwest, we thought. The growing number of sightings in and
around Wayne Co could easily have arrived in a continuation of the
backwash.
        This year Franklin County had its first solid records. Yes, we'd had
isolated enigmatic reports over the past thirty years, but never a good
description or photo. This year one was photographed 6/25 in the eastern
part of Prairie Oaks MP, and on Christmas a pair was discovered along
Alum Creek. It could be that part of the population that first colonized
western Ohio is gradually expanding to this county along with those
showing up in Amish country. Maybe the CBC numbers will help with this
guess.
Bill Whan
Columbus

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