WHEN walking along a farm track near Dollar, my eyes were drawn to a pigeon perched on a fence post

My first inclination was the bird to be a woodpigeon, but when brought under the scrutiny of my binoculars, I quickly realised it was a stock dove.

Stock doves lack the white wing bar and half-collar found on woodpigeons, and are also smaller in size.

The short, deep, grating call of the stock dove is quite distinct from the modulated cooing notes of the woodpigeon.

While locally common in Clackmannanshire, stock doves are not nearly as abundant as woodpigeons, and their behaviour differs in that they nest in tree holes and hollows, rather than building a traditional stick nest in a bush.

Stock doves are sociable birds and will flock together in groups of up to 20 individuals, and will often consort with woodpigeons.

Woodpigeons, on the other hand, are so ubiquitous that they tend to get overlooked, which is a shame because they are attractively plumaged.

One must also admire their adaptability. Virtually all our bird species breed in a relatively narrow timeframe in spring and early summer, but the woodpigeon is content to cast aside such hindrances and there have been records of breeding in Scotland in most months of the year.

I imagine they can extend their nesting season by taking advantage of spilt grain in our fields after harvesting.

The pigeon family certainly does seem to have an inherent ability to adapt. Feral pigeons are, of course, common in places like Alloa, but perhaps the most astonishing story lies in the expansion of the collared dove, which is often seen in the leafier suburbs of Wee County towns.

In what has been described as one of the most remarkable ornithological events of the 20th century, the collared dove didn't even occur here until the mid-1950s when it then rapidly colonised the British Isles after spreading north-west from Turkey.

It has been suggested that a genetic mutation affected the birds' sense of direction and encouraged them to move north and west from their core range.

It is all fascinating stuff and the collared dove is now totally at home here and like the woodpigeon it too has an extended breeding season.

They are very dainty doves – fawn in colour and with a black half collar - and often hang around in pairs.

But the success of our woodpigeons and collared doves shouldn't be taken for granted as is borne witness by the plight of the passenger pigeon.

A native of North America, it made the tragic journey from being one of the most abundant birds in the world during the 19th century to extinction early in the 20th century. A lesson for us all.