'Bill Hamilton Ranch, Winters Cnty. Sept 1, 1979 Betty and I spent last night with Bill and Virginia Longhurst; ate a lovely dinner, played poker, and got to bed too late. Up at 5pm to go after the elusive mourning dove at Bill's place (he is in Africa now). As was the case two years ago, the dove flight at Bills was light, whereas a mile or so to the south where there is water in the ditcher the flight (at consequent bombardment) were mighty impressive. Still we got a dozen birds between us (mostly Bill's.) and had a pleasant outing. Of the 12 birds, 5 were squabs, 4 adults. Main food item in crops was wheat, followed closely by bull thistle. There were a few odd small weed seeds. Bill L. also shot one field geese and it had a mix of wheat and barley in its crop. One of the adult doves had traces of milk tissue in the crop watched a white-tailed kite trying to harass a passing prairie falcon, the falcon didn't seem perturbed. Also saw marsh harrier and kestrels. A shooter on the next property south shot a hestral, presumably mistaking it for a dove. Some women came out to repair a fence, and within a few feet of the spot where Betty had been sitting they found three rattlesnakes. Killed one of them, two escaped.