[mou] Eurasian Collared-doves Appleton

[Dennis/Barbara Martin]

Stopped to check out the Eurasian Collared-dove reported by Andrew Longtin
last Friday.  A first county and location record.  What I found were two
doves that were doing some mating things that I had previously only seen in
Caledonia (Houston County.)  Caledonia is the site of, I believe, the only
confirmed nesting in Minnesota.  I think it is possible that these birds are
nesting in Appleton based on the way they acted.  They seem to hang around
the old metal bridge, the elevator and the closed gas station next door.
Both of these structures are right accross the river from the park that
Andrew originally found the bird in.

I was unable to find a nest and when one of the birds flew over the gas
station and proceeded to disappear I suspected that the nest may be on the
roof of the old station.  Especially since the other bird then sat in a tree
next to the station till I left.  But it is all speculation till somebody
finds the nest or young birds.

Keep your eyes open and fill the rest of us in.

Dennis Martin
dbmartin@skypoint.com