SANDGROUSE, PIGEONS, CUCKOOS

Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis

Jandia, Fuerteventura. January 2009 ²

Rock Dove Columba livia

Bempton Cliffs RSPB, E. Yorkshire. June 2010 ³

Stock Dove Columba oenas

Pennington Flash, Greater Manchester. February 2012 ⁴

Pennington Flash, Greater Manchester. January 2013 ⁴

Pennington Flash, Greater Manchester. September 2013 ⁵

Wood Pigeon Columba polumbus

Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk. April 2008 ¹

Pennington Flash, Greater Manchester. September 2013 ⁵

Bolle's Pigeon Columba bolii

Erjos Ponds, Tenerife. March 2008 ¹. See below

Erjos Ponds, Tenerife. March 2008 ¹.
Bolle's Pigeon is not an easy bird to see on Tenerife. The traditional approach is to climb above the laurel forests and scan downwards, hoping for a glimpse of the birds as they fly over the laurel trees and dive under cover. We had a big stroke of luck. After spending a couple of hours above the forest, getting one distant glimpse, we gave up and went to Erjos Ponds nearby, just to see if there were any unusual waterbirds or passerines about. Whilst there we saw two pigeons fly in to drink; they then sat in trees and allowed enough of an approach to get these pictures.

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Church Norton, West Sussex. August 2022 ²

Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius

Anarita Park, Cyprus. April 2012 ³

near Belen, Extremadura. April 2013 ³

¹Canon EOS 400D, 100-400 IS USM lens
²Canon EOS 50D, 100-400 IS USM lens
³Canon EOS 7D, 500mm IS USM lens plus 1.4 extender
⁴Canon EOS 7D, 500mm IS USM lens
⁵Canon EOS 6D, 500mm IS USM lens plus 1.4 extender