mourning dove

now i know why it's called "mourning dove".

the first morning that we arrived in the states last week, i had to go for a walk. there is a homestead park a mile from my brother's house and because i know where it is (during my previous visits it was where i would walk when i've had enough of family) that's where i walked to. as i was crossing the street to enter the park, i heard this loud moaning sound. the first time i heard it, i thought "that's a rather sad sound". as i was taking photos of some trees, the sound persisted and i knew it had to be above me. i looked up and this mourning dove was perched on the wire, happily making its sad moaning sound. now i have seen mourning doves a few times before but have never heard them make that sad moaning sound. the good thing was when i was already annoyed by the insistent moaning, i just yelled "okay, enough already!" it stopped. a lady walking her dog was coming out of the park and we both had a good laugh.

post-script: as an anti-thesis to the mourning dove, watch this for a good laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YNFGmhHWg0

[JackieR]

Only you can get a chirruping bird to shut up!!!

[Susan Wakely]

Was the lady really laughing or scared into submission like the bird?

[Casablanca]

Nice composition

[katy]

Great shot of this one. We have them all over the place here. It never occurred to me that you had never actually heard one before.

[Kathy]

A nice story and a nice photo of the bird. My oldest brother had a room on the top floor of our house growing up. There was a utility line that ran past the corner of the house. In the summer he would complain that those **** birds would sing and wake him up way too early. It certainly is a plaintive song they sing.