Ruddy Ground-Dove in Norwood

[Nathan Pieplow]

Hi all,

I just got off the phone with George Steele. He saw the Ruddy Ground-Dove at his feeders today at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, noon, and 2:30 PM. George is OK with having birders come to look for this bird, as long as they keep their distance from it (and from each other, for COVID purposes).

George lives at 1350 S. Lincoln in the southwest corner of Norwood. His house is on the northwest corner of Lincoln and San Miguel. He also owns the empty lot to the east across Lincoln, including the old green trailer with an old truck parked in front, and that lot is where he recommends that people park off the road to watch for the dove. There is a wood-and-cement wall along the edge of George's yard, and sometimes the bird drops down behind it to feed, but George has put some rocks outside the wall at the north end of the sumac hedge, and he is putting some seed out among the rocks. The dove visited that seed outside the wall at least once today.

When the dove visits his yard, it often spends time in the elm tree before and after feeding. When it leaves his yard it flies off to the north.

Good luck to anybody who chases this remarkable first state record, and be safe.

Nathan Pieplow

Boulder