For many country folk the gentle rolling purr of the turtle dove is evocative of the splendour of high summer, but this once familiar sound of the sunlit country lanes of rural Norfolk is disappearing.

In much of the countryside this migratory bird has been replaced by the slightly larger, and resident, collared dove, whose call to my mind is less pleasing, a nasal sounding ‘hah-hah’ with the cadence of a blacksmith’s hammer.

The collared dove’s spectacular rise in number is in stark contrast to the turtle dove’s sad decline.

Although its disappearance has little to do with its plainer white-grey coloured cousin and more to do with human activities. Despite this, you may still be lucky enough to see turtle dove this summer.

Once common around every village in the southern half of England, Norfolk has become one of the last surviving heartlands for the turtle dove, particularly in the county’s Claylands area. However, centuries of hunting across continental Europe has led it into secretive habits and it is quick to take flight upon approach.

(Image: Martin Brown)

It is a small, slim dove with a thin neck and protruding round head, its wings are neatly........

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