JDog Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 It may be a long time to harvest but I believe that I have seen the first pigeons today sitting on wires over rape fields looking down into the crop and just waiting for it to ripen. This was not on a single field but on lots of fields between Louth and the coast at Chapel St Leonards and up to Alford and back. As far as I could tell the birds were not going down onto bare patches to eat the leaves. As yet I have not seen any laid barley. Some barley crops are well advanced and if those went down they would be of significant interest to the grey hordes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 I was going to start a topic about seeing pigeons dropping in on standing barley for the first time this year - I won't bother now. I saw them on two fields less than a mile apart, dropping in from the wires overhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 As always we have some long straw variety of barley growing, i walked up the tramlines last night and it was as high as my chest. Although pigeons are yet to show an intrest, i'm hoping heavy rain and some wind will knock patches down this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 I was going to start a topic about seeing pigeons dropping in on standing barley for the first time this year - I won't bother now. I saw them on two fields less than a mile apart, dropping in from the wires overhead. Don't let my post put you off from sharing your observations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 I have a field that the farmer often has as barley that is on a hill top ... it always gets the attention of pigeons very early. I think that might be very soon!! I call it my BBF Best Bag Field Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 As always we have some long straw variety of barley growing, i walked up the tramlines last night and it was as high as my chest. Although pigeons are yet to show an intrest, i'm hoping heavy rain and some wind will knock patches down this weekend. Seems to be all short-straw stuff in my area, laid crops, either barley or wheat seem to be a thing of the past. They do hit wheat, dropping off wires and "helicoptering" down into the wheel tracks, grabbing a stalk on the way down. When that's eaten they helicopter up and down and grab another. Flappers on a timer can mimic this and you can get a few but the biggest draw to any one place seems to be birds on wires. I have yet to try putting lofted decoys on wires.....!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 Rooks started to mow their way into the edge of one of my fields at the start of the week, might get to them sunday, barley is well forward this year look for a early harvest on winter sown crops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 Saw one of my farmers today while out on reconnaissance asked me not to shoot the cereals till harvest as shot has been found in the ears in some areas. So no shooting the laid barley this year, unless can get em on a flight line coming in and shooting away from the crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 I was going to start a topic about seeing pigeons dropping in on standing barley for the first time this year - I won't bother now. I saw them on two fields less than a mile apart, dropping in from the wires overhead. Already here, 'blowholes' all over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 Seems to be all short-straw stuff in my area, laid crops, either barley or wheat seem to be a thing of the past. They do hit wheat, dropping off wires and "helicoptering" down into the wheel tracks, grabbing a stalk on the way down. When that's eaten they helicopter up and down and grab another. Flappers on a timer can mimic this and you can get a few but the biggest draw to any one place seems to be birds on wires. I have yet to try putting lofted decoys on wires.....!! All short strawed wheat in my area (Kent), but has its advantages as pigeons over the last few years have learnt to spread their wings on top of the crop to support their weight in order to get at the milky ears. I think that this happens elsewhere. Anyone else noticed this. Hopefully this will happen again shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 tomorrow im off to walk round barley fields to see whats about.then on to the pea fields.that have been picked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 tomorrow im off to walk round barley fields to see whats about.then on to the pea fields.that have been picked. Your Peas are very early if you already have some cut mossy , if I were you I would look at the pea stubble first rather than the Barley as they might have been on the Peas without you or anyone else noticing them going on , where as the Barley heads wouldn't had much grain in the ears unless they are well forward , Good luck on one or the other if there are any showing a interest . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul taylor Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 I know most on here will be bright enough for this to be obvious and don't want to get my ear bent for pointing out the obvious but pls be careful you know they're not power lines if you ever think of lofting decoys into wires. Would hate to loose any of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HIDENSEEK Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 All short strawed wheat in my area (Kent), but has its advantages as pigeons over the last few years have learnt to spread their wings on top of the crop to support their weight in order to get at the milky ears. I think that this happens elsewhere. Anyone else noticed this. Hopefully this will happen again shortly. Yes, I've seen them doing that. I've used a cradle pushed into a 3ft garden cane and then spread the wings out, to get the pigeon in range. The pain is finding the ******* in the thick crop.( if you manage to hit any!) Roll on harvest, no peas on my perms! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty* Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Ive been driving from cambridgeshire to newark to the cereals agricultural show all week and been on the look for pigeons all the time. Ive seen many pea feilds on the way but none with many on at all but yesterday on the way back i noticed a barley feild with a few going into it, i beeped the horn as i got level with it and a good amount got up. I shall be keeping an eye on any barley from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 I was driving through the Sandringham Estate today and saw one field alive with pigeons all on layed barley. The barley was still very green but it was still attracting the pigeons. Pigeons still patchy on my ground , mainly on cut clover and peas. Bit early to have a go at them yet but if they are still on the peas next month I will have to get the gun out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 J dog ,harvest is not that far away . My farmer friend told me today that he would probably be harvesting rape and cereals with in the next 3 or 4 weeks . Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 J dog ,harvest is not that far away . My farmer friend told me today that he would probably be harvesting rape and cereals with in the next 3 or 4 weeks . Harnser That would appear to be very early. I thought that crops here in the Wolds were well on but they will not be ready in a month's time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 That would appear to be very early. I thought that crops here in the Wolds were well on but they will not be ready in a month's time. I don't think we will see any combining of any crop around here until at least the second half of July , the earliest we started one year was July the 12th and that was winter Barley . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kippylawkid Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Talking to one of my farmer pals and reckons harvest is way behind recent years in Northumberland. Doesn't anticipate any cutting until early August at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Northumberland may vie with Yorkshire as 'God's own country' but it is pretty far north and east to allow for a harvest within even three to four weeks of say East Anglia. I used to live in North Northumbria near Berwick on Tweed. When my farmer friends from the south were telling me that harvest was over and they had half finished the drilling not many on the fertile land in that area had even started. Another friend who has an estate in Angus started his harvest in mid September one year and that was on grade 2 land at no great altitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted June 20, 2015 Report Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) The harvest looks all over the place in my part of Norfolk. Some winter barley is well on and starting to turn while much of the spring sown it looking like being very late. But thats how I like it. When the winter barley gets harvested if we get a long lull before the spring crops are harvested and the pigeons have a limited number of fields to feed on making it simpler to get a bag togeather. This happened a few years ago and the estateonly harvested 3 fields before wet weather stopped all harvesting. Every pigeon in the area flocked to those three fields for weeks before harvesting could be restarted and they scattered across the countryside. Edited June 20, 2015 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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