JDog Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 Just to add to the confussion I spoke to a friend in Greece yesterday and he said the the recent bad high winds we had on Monday have moved south to Greece and it has brought rain and Pigeons from Europe . The hunters are out in the mountains shooting birds from Russia and Albania as the weather has started to cool also. There is no confusion to most of us. Your post confirms that pigeons have arrived in some numbers in the mountains of Greece from somewhere whether it was Russia, Albania or wherever (there are several countries and several thousand miles between the two). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passionforangling Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Well, the pigeons definately seem to have abandoned my local area. Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours driving round the locality in search of them, including a good walk over several acres of a nearby farm. I saw hardly any at all which is very frustrating with a free day tomorrow. Maybe better to dust off the pike gear and go fishing tomorrow I'm thinking........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocknee Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 There are not pigeons around here in any numbers now a mate said he had, over the past few days seen several thousand heading west towards where apparently there is a good beechmast crop they will always follow the food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad63 Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Thousands of pigeons over East Devon heading West this past week. Typical site this time of year, apparently coming from Northern France and heading to Ireland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Thousands of pigeons over East Devon heading West this past week. Typical site this time of year, apparently coming from Northern France and heading to Ireland. I am not sure that the origin of those pigeons would be Northern France nor that they would be heading for Ireland. More likely that they have come from the North of England via South Wales and are heading to Southern France, Spain and Portugal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 There are not pigeons around here in any numbers now a mate said he had, over the past few days seen several thousand heading west towards where apparently there is a good beechmast crop they will always follow the food. These won't be stopping, otherwise we would see people posting big bags shot in the woods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I am not sure that the origin of those pigeons would be Northern France nor that they would be heading for Ireland. More likely that they have come from the North of England via South Wales and are heading to Southern France, Spain and Portugal. There are not coming to this island. I keep saying. We get birds that pass over the north channel via scotland and may have come across the north sea before that. They never hit our shores before the second week in november Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad63 Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I am not sure that the origin of those pigeons would be Northern France nor that they would be heading for Ireland. More likely that they have come from the North of England via South Wales and are heading to Southern France, Spain and Portugal. Local RSPB Warden, BTO WeBBS Counter and NR Wardens / Counters would disagree with you. Appears to be common knowledge among the birding fraternity in these parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuy Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Thousands of pigeons over East Devon heading West this past week. Typical site this time of year, apparently coming from Northern France and heading to Ireland. well the guys in Ireland haven't said that they are seeing 10s of thousands at all! Got to say that the Ireland one is a new on me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 i saw a big flock today heading over the rape fields,and they were not stopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Local RSPB Warden, BTO WeBBS Counter and NR Wardens / Counters would disagree with you. Appears to be common knowledge among the birding fraternity in these parts. I have no difficulty whatsoever disagreeing with a lot of what the RSPB has to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuy Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I have no difficulty whatsoever disagreeing with a lot of what the RSPB has to say. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 I have no difficulty whatsoever disagreeing with a lot of what the RSPB has to say. + 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 well the guys in Ireland haven't said that they are seeing 10s of thousands at all! Got to say that the Ireland one is a new on me Woodies are starting to show up in decent numbers on the east coast of Northern Ireland. Same happens every year, and the consensus is that these are Scottish birds. But like woodcock and snipe, I suppose it's possible some would also make the hop from Wales. Really big numbers of woodpigeons (and woodcock) come across to NI when there is sustained cold weather and ideally snow in Scotland. If they leave it too long before leaving Scotland, they will arrive exhausted and will not leave a field, but just take off and land a few feet away as they try to build up their energy. Regarding the birds you are seeing in Gloucestershire, I don't know where there have come from, but there is no shortage of pigeons in Wiltshire, and there are signs that they are only starting to flock up. On the basis of what I am seeing, and the literature on woodpigeons, I would on balance suspect these birds are coming from further afield, perhaps Scandinavia and are simply passing through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 For the last three mornings between 7am and 7:30 am I have seen over 1,000 pigeons each day. These birds are flying low out of the woods surrounding where I live and they just keep on heading South and never look back. I have yet to see a bird return along the same route in the afternoons. Unless these birds have faulty radar they will not be going to Ireland. As others have said the influx into Ireland is mainly from Scotland and possibly Scandinavia before that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fieldcraft Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Most I've seen round here in the last 2 months was about2-3 hundred going to roost in the woods near goring on way home for on work we've got winter rape, barley drillings, maize stubble near Oxford and its completely dead everywhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Woodies are starting to show up in decent numbers on the east coast of Northern Ireland. Same happens every year, and the consensus is that these are Scottish birds. But like woodcock and snipe, I suppose it's possible some would also make the hop from Wales. Really big numbers of woodpigeons (and woodcock) come across to NI when there is sustained cold weather and ideally snow in Scotland. If they leave it too long before leaving Scotland, they will arrive exhausted and will not leave a field, but just take off and land a few feet away as they try to build up their energy. Regarding the birds you are seeing in Gloucestershire, I don't know where there have come from, but there is no shortage of pigeons in Wiltshire, and there are signs that they are only starting to flock up. On the basis of what I am seeing, and the literature on woodpigeons, I would on balance suspect these birds are coming from further afield, perhaps Scandinavia and are simply passing through. Where did you see these birds on the n ireland east coast? I havent seen them yet! Its bit early for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad63 Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Below is taken from the Dawlish Warren (South Devon) LNR blog. That's an awful lot of pigeon Today will be remembered for the spectacle of an exceptional passage of Wood Pigeon, a new site record of 53,400 headed west on a broad front before midday, there was a short respite from counting around 09.30 but otherwise flocks were almost constant through to 11.30. The previous record was 35,860 also heading west on 06/11/2011. As always the case on these days Stock Dove were considerably undercounted but at least 150 of these were picked out amongst the lines. Also moving overhead 256 Starling, 230 Jackdaw, 35Skylark, 20+ Lesser Black-backed Gull, five Buzzard, three Sparrowhawk, two Pintail, two Redpoll and aMistle Thrush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuy Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 202,000 were counted crossing the Bristol channel today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 202,000 were counted crossing the Bristol channel today! That's your decoying up the spout then stuy. Can you type with one hand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuy Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 That's your decoying up the spout then stuy. Can you type with one hand? just about jdog! Been watching woodpigeon flying over my cottage all morning, a stunning sight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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