Morning doves are nearly ubiquitous throughout North America and their soft calls and whistling wingbeats (especially on takeoff) are familiar to all birders who come to the continental US.   These birds were perched on a granite boulder in the Box Springs Mountains above Riverside, California, and on a fence and dry limb in the nearby San Jacinto Wildlife Area.

• Canon 1D Mk. II or 1D4, 500 mm f4 IS lens plus 2X converter or 800 mm IS lens with 1.4X converter, fill-in flash on some images (2004, 2010, 2011)