Former summer visitor now a rare passage migrant.

Turtle Doves were once common summer visitors to Britain, but have declined nationally by 96% since 1970, the reasons for this decline are, losses in their wintering range caused by the Sahel drought, shooting in Southern Europe during migration, agricultural changes in Britain and the intolerance of close Human pressure.

As an example of how common they once were, 40 were seen perched on wires near Stevenage on 3 July 1955.

The rapid decline locally is illustrated by the three Breeding Atlases. In the1973 Atlas breeding indications were recorded from 10 of the tetrads covering Stevenage, with breeding confirmed from the, Chesfield Park, Boxbury Farm, Norton Green and Aston tetrads. The 1992 Atlas recorded breeding indications from all 11 tetrads covering Stevenage, with breeding confirmed from the, Boxbury Farm, Pin Green and, Broadwater tetrads. No breeding indications were recorded by the 2012 Atlas for the tetrads covering Stevenage.

In the 1960s they were recorded from: Box Wood, Chesfield, Monks Wood and Whomerley Wood.

In 1972 they were described as widespread, but not uncommon at Stevenage. During the 1970s they were recorded from: Astonbury; Aston End; Box Wood (where a freshly fledged youngster was ringed on 23 September 1979); Monks Wood; Norton Green; Warren Springs; Watery Grove; Whomerley Wood.

The records for the 1980s are: Box Wood 30 April 1980 and, one ringed in September 1980; Astonbury on 7 May 1980; Roebuck 1980; 20 seen in June and July 1981 at Aston; Chells Manor and Watery Grove June and July 1981; one at Norton Green Tip on 13 June 1983; four at Box Wood on 1 May 1984; two at Box Wood on 5 May 1985; seen in Box Wood on 19 April 1986.

At Watery Grove where they were described as, “unusual visitors to the wood”. The Common Bird Census recorded their presence in 1972, 1977, 1978, 1987 and 1992.

The earliest arrival date was 12 April 1973 at Box Wood and, the latest departure date was 23 September 1978 also at Box Wood.

The records since the 1990s are: one seen flying over the Main Lake at Fairlands Valley Lakes in the evening of 19 May 2005; one on wires by the River Beane at Aston End on 9 June 2007; one in a Stevenage Garden on 21 and 26 July 2011; one at Norton Green Tip on 4 May 2012; one in an Old Town garden on 20 April 2018; one seen flying across the A1M south of junction 8 on 6 June 2018.