Today marked the second time I have seen a raptor snatch a dove from my back yard. The first time it was a Cooper’s hawk. Today it was a prairie falcon. It’s a stunning site to witness. The doves (both white-winged and mourning) tend to overpopulate each season. By late summer, they have become a nuisance. I don’t think it right to kill them just for being in my yard, but I welcome raptors to visit the buffet.

We’ve also had a couple of desert cottontails end up on the raptor menu. Again, when their populations expand, the raptors are not far behind.