Rock Dove Columba livia

This specimen to the left has a large and hideously pulsating tumor protruding from the breastal area. I would have had an excellent closeup of the excrescence, but the spectacle proved too grisly for my dining companions, who shooed the bird away.

We expect the Ornithology Department here at The Twisty Center for Urban Varmint Research to receive a much-needed shot in the arm when the new telephoto lens arrives next week.

Above left: August 2004 The Four Seasons Hotel, Austin

Below left: Rock dove on a rock. September 2004, Town Lake