Lately there haven’t been a lot of common ground doves (Columbina passerina) coming to my feeding stations. They are usually a common fixture there, but every summer as they nest and breed, they stay away from the hustle and bustle of the stations and forage on their own. During this time of the year they also tend to supplement their mostly seed diet with some insects and snails. That increases both their calcium and their protein intake. Both of those are very important for laying eggs and rearing young. That’s why I was pleased to see this little ground dove foraging yesterday while I was birding. The bird was very shy and watched other birds coming and going from the nearby underbrush for quite a while. It was only at a point when things were quiet that it ventured out and had some food. After it ate it flew off and didn’t look back. Perhaps it will be back again soon.