Nature Note:Surprising Dove

As I go about maintaining the property,mourning doves often explode out of a tree or shrub,startling me-no matter how many times I have experienced this.The doves want to stay on their perches,but fear overwhelms them until,at the last moment,they are forced into the air with a great rustle and whistle.They would have been perfectly safe,as I've never noticed one who subsequently blew past me.On the ground,this placid and portly-looking bird gives no hint of its extraordinary agility and speed in the air,which make it a test for hunters in the late summer.