One thing I always enjoy when I’m out watching the birds is hearing the doves fly. In the sky, doves are strong, acrobatic fliers, which helps them avoid air borne predators and allows them to go swiftly from place to place. Those strong wings make a very distinctive whirring sound that is almost exclusive for doves. Today I was able to catch one of my mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) as she took flight off the ground after she had been eating. It was actually the sound of the wings that alerted me to what was happening, allowing me to get this shot.