Report a Turtle Dove Sighting
if you are fortunate enough to see or hear a Turtle Dove, please do help us by logging your sighting on the form below. This will assist us in identifying suitable locations for the future release of our Turtle Doves into the wild. Depending on the date, your sighting could provide further helpful evidence of over-wintering.
Identification
The Turtle Dove is the UK’s smallest native Dove (L 25-28 cm, WS 45-50 cm), approximately half the size of a Wood Pigeon.
Turtle Doves are generally seen from April to September foraging on the ground or perching on telephone wires but may be harder to see if they are in the tree canopy where they can be well hidden.
They have an orange eye, bright orange-brown feather edges on their upper parts, a white tipped tail and a patch of black and white stripes on their neck.
Their song is a distinctive deep, hard purring, ‘turrrrrr turrrrrr turrrrrr’ repeated several times.
As proof of captive breeding, the birds we release are ringed on both legs with a closed 6 mm size ‘P’ seamless light metal ring. These have kindly been donated to the Trust by the International Ornithological Association (IOA). They are coded green for 2020 and magenta for 2021. Each one has a unique 4-digit number in between the letters and numbers ‘P20’ and ‘IOA’.
For example:
P20 2062 IOA & P20 2063 IOA
P20 2056 IOA & P20 2057 IOA
Please report any sightings or found birds with the above closed rings to the IOA Membership Ring Secretary at ruby@lordlumley.plus.com
Latest Turtle Dove Sightings in East Anglia
| Date | No. | Location | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25/12/2021 | 1 | Broom Green, Norfolk | Feeding in private garden |
| 25/10/2021 | 1 | Barling Magna | In garden |
| 16/10/2021 | 1 | Hunstanton, Norfolk | Flew south over cliffs |
| 22/09/2021 | 1 | The Naze, Essex | pm |
| 19/09/2021 | 3 | Hulver Street, Suffolk | 2 adults & Juv. near Sandy Lane |
| 15/09/2021 | 1 | Thorpeness, Suffolk | At old caravan site |
| 14/09/2021 | 1 | Cottenham, Cambs | At Smithy Fen |
| 13/09/2021 | 1 | Titchwell, Norfolk | RSPB |
| 12/09/2021 | 1 | Stowmarket, Suffolk | South at Combs at Boyton Hall on wire |
| 10/09/2021 | 2 | Beighton, Norfolk | Seen early evening |
| 08/09/2021 | 1 | Dickleburgh, Norfolk | Off Norwich Road opposite Orchard Farm |
| 08/09/2021 | 1 | Cley-next-the-Sea NWT, Norfolk | In SW corner of Snipe's Marsh |
| 08/09/2021 | 1 | Grunty Fen, Cambs | Adult In garden |
| 08/09/2021 | 1 | Ouse Fen, Cambs | RSPB, flew through Cuckoo Fen at 9.35 |
| 04/09/2021 | 10 | Snettisham, Norfolk | RSPB pm |
| 02/09/2021 | 1 | Wrabness EWT, Essex | Seen from sea wall |
| 29/08/2021 | 1 | Abberton, Essex | At reservoir |
| 28/08/2021 | 1 | Salthouse, Norfolk | Heath at 3.25 pm |
| 20/08/2021 | 1 | Little Wilbraham Fen, Cambs | Juvenile |
| 19/08/2021 | 1 | Russell Green, Essex | On wires behind fishing lake mid morning |
| 18/08/2021 | 2 | Wilbraham Common, Cambs | pm |
| 18/08/2021 | 3 | Etton, Cambs | Maxey GPs |
| 15/08/2021 | 1 | Pulham Market, Norfolk | Juvenile 1 mile north at Colegate End |
| 15/08/2021 | 1 | North Warren RSPB, Suffolk | RSPB pm |
| 09/08/2021 | 1 | Weybourne, Norfolk | Flew west over camp am |
| 06/08/2021 | 1 | Stradsett, Norfolk | At Grove Farm feeding in a wild bird seed plot |
| 06/08/2021 | 1 | Holme next the Sea, Norfolk | On dunes along approach road |
| 05/08/2021 | 2 | Saffron Walden, Essex | NE at Ashdon early am |
| 29/07/2021 | 2 | Wakering Stairs, Essex | In bushes near buildings |
| 29/07/2021 | 1 | Fingringhoe Wick | EWT pm |
| 27/07/2021 | 2 | Bainton, Cambs | GPs by fishing lake |
| 22/07/2021 | 1 | Boyton Marshes, Suffolk | At Banters Barn pm |
| 21/07/2021 | 1 | Heacham, Norfolk | South beach pm |
| 18/07/2021 | 1 | Long Stanton, Cambs | Midway along Wilson's Road |
| 15/07/2021 | 1 | Thwaite, Norfolk | Toad Lane opposite Observatory am |
| 11/07/2021 | 1 | Litlington, Cambs | pm |
| 11/07/2021 | 6 | Stapleford, Cambs | S at Dernford Farm |
| 10/07/2021 | 1 | Botesdale, Suffolk | Male singing 1.5 miles ESE am |
| 05/07/2021 | 1 | Stonham Aspal, Suffolk | At Brewery Farm |
| 05/07/2021 | 1 | Horsey | Male singing at Horsey Corner |
| 03/07/2021 | 1 | Blythburgh, Suffolk | On wires above pig farm SSW at Hinton |
| 28/06/2021 | 2 | Ixworth, Suffolk | 4 miles NE in garden |
| 25/06/2021 | 3 | Keyston, Cambs | pm |
| 24/06/2021 | 2 | Wicken Fen, Cambs | At NT pm |
| 23/06/2021 | 3 | Wakes Colne, Essex | am |
| 22/06/2021 | 1 | Fen Drayton, Cambs | Male singing near Ferry Mere |
| 21/06/2021 | 1 | Heybridge, Essex | On feeder in garden by Elms Farm |
| 20/06/2021 | 2 | Thurston, Suffolk | At Black Bourn Valley SWT pm |
| 18/06/2021 | 3 | Boreham, Essex | In garden |
| 18/06/2021 | 1 | Westleton, Suffolk | On common |
| 16/06/2021 | 1 | Braxted Park, Essex | By road pm |
| 14/06/2021 | 1 | Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambs | RSPB |
| 13/06/2021 | 1 | Wreningham, Norfolk | In wood |
| 10/06/2021 | 1 | Northrepps, Norfolk | At Hungry Hill am |
| 08/06/2021 | 1 | Langham, Norfolk | In garden am |
| 07/06/2021 | 3 | Covington, Cambs | am |
| 07/06/2021 | 1 | St Ives, Cambs | GP am |
| 07/06/2021 | 1 | Salthouse, Norfolk | On heath |
| 06/06/2021 | 2 | Kimberley, Norfolk | On wires at 8.40pm |
| 06/06/2021 | 1 | Maldon, Essex | Male singing am on wire above towpath |
| 06/06/2021 | 3 | West Stow, Suffolk | At country park |
| 06/06/2021 | 1 | Ramsholt, Suffolk | 8am in tree behind wetland |
| 06/06/2021 | 2 | Lackford Lakes, Suffolk | SWT |
| 03/06/2021 | 1 | Ellough, Suffolk | At east end of airfield pm |
| 03/06/2021 | 1 | Thorington Street, Suffolk | am |
| 03/06/2021 | 1 | Chelmsford, Essex | in garden |
| 02/06/2021 | 3 | Fulbourn, Cambs | Seen 1 mile NE |
| 02/06/2021 | 1 | Sotterley, Suffolk | By gatehouse entrance to church |
| 02/06/2021 | 1 | Stowmarket, Suffolk | NNW at Haughley |
| 31/05/2021 | 1 | Hickling Broad, Norfolk | NWT |
| 30/05/2021 | 1 | Happisburgh, Norfolk | pm |
| 30/05/2021 | 1 | Tuddenham St. Martin, Suffolk | Male singing pm |
| 28/05/2021 | 1 | Kelling Heath, Norfolk | pm |
| 28/05/2021 | 1 | Sidestrand, Norfolk | am flew E |
| 27/05/2021 | 2 | Foulness Island, Essex | Singing males |
| 27/05/2021 | 1 | Cavenham, Suffolk | By Icklingham Road pm |
| 27/05/2021 | 2 | Alderford, Norfolk | At common at 5.30pm |
| 25/05/2021 | 1 | Landguard, Suffolk | Flew over NR |
| 23/05/2021 | 1 | Minsmere, Suffolk | RSPB |
| 22/05/2021 | 1 | Wattisham, Suffolk | Male singing airfield |
| 22/05/2021 | 2 | Walberswick, Suffolk | pm |
| 17/05/2021 | 1 | Heybridge, Essex | NW at Langford |
| 16/05/2021 | 1 | Danbury, Essex | Male singing 1.5 miles E |
| 16/05/2021 | 1 | Colchester, Essex | In garden at Monkwick |
| 16/05/2021 | 1 | Goldhanger, Essex | Male singing by sea wall, am |
| 16/05/2021 | 1 | Wells, Norfolk | At North Point Pools |
| 15/05/2021 | 1 | Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk | In garden by golf course |
| 13/05/2021 | 1 | Willingham, Cambs | West at Over at Furtherford |
| 13/05/2021 | 1 | Fenstanton, Cambs | Flew NE over West Brook |
| 10/05/2021 | 1 | Impington, Cambs | pm |