Columba oenas

Or stock dove to us regular folks who don't speak latin. Amongst the vast populations of wood pigeons and feral pigeons, these rather lovely doves tend to get overlooked. This was one of a pair feeding in Morden Hall Park where I enjoyed a stroll in the spring sunshine with Irki. I haven't been to the park for more years than I care to remember, but it's another of those surprising little green spots tucked away in the suburban sprawl.

Today's extra shows that you wouldn't want to feel the rough edge of a Canada goose's tongue - quite a revolting and unexpected sight. For some reason this bird and a couple of others were acting out some kind of aggressive territorial behaviour - perhaps it was a response to the orange buffoon wanting to take over their ancestral homeland :-)