Sleeping mourning dove squab

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Left my camping pillow outside to dry and found a mourning dove squad (read: baby) taking a snooze on it Saturday morning. He/She also took a dump on my pillow. 

Camera & settings: Nikon D5100, 240mm on Nikon 70-300mm telephoto lens, 1/400th shutter speed, f/10, ISO 200. I shot it hand-held. 

UPDATE, JUNE 21: One of my neighbors down the street has a bunch of cats she lets roam free and one of them killed the baby dove this morning in our yard. People with cats: keep them in the house or supervise them. We certainly never invited this lady's cat into our yard. 

Wildlife belongs to everyone -- not just selfish cat owners. A recent study by the Smithsonian Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that domestic and feral cats kill 2.4 billion birds and more than 12 million mammals each year. See this New York Times article. 

Cats are just doing what cats do. The problem is selfish fucking people who believe their pets should have the run of the neighborhood. If their pets didn't have an impact, I'd say whatever. But they do. I have a dog and I'd love not to pick up his poop all the time. But I do. And I don't let Sam run free, both for his safety and out of respect for others. 

Yea, I'm really fucking pissed to be honest. 

--S.H.

This photo is ©Steve Hymon and may not be used elsewhere without advanced written permission. All rights reserved.