kitchrat

I've tried clearing snow off, by pulling a branch across rape to dislodge snow. It had some effect... I have also tried asking a farmer to put a tarpaulin out the night before it snows, so that I could remove it later. He said something about about going forth to multipy, which I took as a negative! On the temperature side, if the pigeon needs to maintain a body temerature of, say, 30C and it's +5 to +10 outside, his nice warm feathers (fluffed up if required) can handle the job with a minimum consumption of energy - stored fat etc. However, if the ambient temperature drops to -5 to -10, the temperature gradient across the feather duvet almost doubles. The Laws of Thermodynamics say that the rate of heat loss is proportional to the temperature gradient across the insulating layer. Therefore, the poor old pigeon will have to use up more "fuel" to keep his body at operating temperature. Therefore, after a few days, when he has used up most of the stored fat, he has to eat more. So sitting in the trees and having the odd snack when the fancy takes is a life-threatening life style. That's when the pendulum of fate swings a bit in our favour (I hope!!) Sitting in the trees also saves energy, farmer's rockets just make the poor things fly about and use more fuel, therefore they must eat more. But try explaining that to a farmer!!! Still doing my snow-dance Cat!! All the breast, Kitch

Thanks for this, Yes I did see a tiny scrap-yard sort of place, didn't look too bad. Cheers, John

Where's this traveller camp?? I was looking at a house in Jasper's Green and wondered why there were a lot of For Sale signs....... Please scare them down to Essex then....

Well Cat, we are never going to agree on this % are we? This winter I have studied pigeons in the Dunmow area with a passion (Nothing better to do!) I can almost be certain that if I have to scrape ice off my truck, then I will see small groups on rape, no ice, no eat rape. Foggy or sunny mornings equals a sit in trees day. I know we don't have a lot of birds, too warm in Europe is my theory but I can't prove that one. In the area I have most of my perms, there is not an unusual supply of acorns or berries, just an average year, What we don't have is enough birds to hoover them up. Numbers are building now (note that it's got colder in Europe) and game covers are getting a beating. Less than weeks and we might be able to get a decent bag again. Good luck all....

Not here it's not, a bit cooler but quite foggy. All birds just sitting in the trees.

They are like trying to pick up mercury with chopsticks round Dunmow right now. See a reasonable lot, clear it with the farmer, then none there next day. I still say we need some winter to get them to concentrate their minds a bit....

Yes, there certainly are more about now, but still very unreliable - here today, somewhere else 2 hours later. If you mean the rape fields on the left as you pull off the "New A120" and head for Tesco, yes they have been slowly building up there on colder days for the last couple of weeks. I'll bet they aren't there tomorrow, it's too warm. I'll pass there about 9.00am....

Agreed, too much rape, not enough birds, other food sources equals no commitment, as Cranfield says. In addition, they are not hungry, any I shoot are plump, with fat. So, any disturbance, like a shot ot a dog walker and they either leave to another field or just sit it out in the trees. I watched a rape field yesterday for an hour, approx 150 birds on it. In the hour, they drifted down for a quick bite, which took 10 minutes, then floated back to the trees and sat in the sun. Eventually a dog walker 400 yds away sent them off. They will not settle down, even a very distant rocket going off gets them off the field and into the trees for 20 minutes. That is why I want it cold, with snow, because right now it's all in their favour.

Well I believe you, I'm just peed that they are so near to me but might just as well be on the moon!!

Agree 100%!

Not much sign of birds or **** in the woods either. I beat loads of shoots and see very few pigeons, anywhere.... Get amongst them!!! (Shoot a few for me!!)

Not round here, it's not a bumper year for acorns or pigeons. The pigeon supply is way down, no **** in the woods or anything.

True, but I have my reading glasses on! Today I drove back from Buckingham to Buntingford, via Baldock and saw very few. Who knows what is going on??? PS I don't agree with you all about his being a bumper year for acorns etc, above average maybe but nothing special on most of my perms - around Dunmow.

So that's 128, plus your 18 from yesterday, plus your 15 today, plus my 18 today = running total of 179

Well done Kev, I've just spent all day to get 18 down here in the pigeon-free zone of Essex. You northern boys have all the luck, and can afford a house too!! - With an oven!!! I live in a ditch (well it feels like it...)

Where are you?? Please send me some.... XXXXXXX

Still in Europe, in the warm weather there.

Well I spent most of the day at Dunmow, on a rape field that is quite popular with the 20/30 flock.. Got 18 in 4+hours, it was really quiet. Where are the 1500 just down the road at BS?? There have been some building up on game cover there but 1500? I never saw them, and on set aside?? I suggest it was a migrating flock resting up until the headwinds drop??

Sure will Cat! I've enjoyed your postings ( and your picture) and would enjoy meeting you! As to the huge bag, double figures is good right now. Anyway, it would be fun trying!!

Your farmer should be careful, letting birds feed on his farm will make them get accustomed to feeding there and it will become a favorite haunt. They will breed well and when a crop is edible they will murder it! Still, that in itself could enhance your "sport", which is why we all do it, if we are honest. If pigeon control;was not a challenge and you could, say, just walk up to them and hit them with a stick, none of us would do it!!

I'm finding it harder and harder to get a good bag, not usually because of a lack of birds but because they out-smart me! Magnet aware, less confident when decoying etc etc Numbers ARE low here right now but I'm sure that's only temporary (I hope!!)

Whatever you all decided on the "Do pigeons migrate?" post, they are very mobile and some places seem to have loads. So there's no need to worry, unless you are, like me, in a near pigeon-free zone right now. I'm sure a good weather change will shift things about.....

If you thought the £1,000,000 offer was a serious reason for me to shoot pigeons, then you ARE daft! And to try and use my farmer's joke to defend your position shows desperation. However, I do see your point, (I would hate to see pigeons become rare), it's just that don't share it.

Partly true Cat, but I want cold to get them over from the continent and on the rape, some snow to cover much of the crop but not the bits where my hide is........

"Some farmers do not allow decoying as they can not see how attracting birds to a field is protecting that field, especially as the shooter packs up & does not return for days, leaving the field vulnerable." Hopefully, decoying DOES attract pigeons to the field - that's when you shoot them! Then they cannot return to eat the crops at a later date. You then take the birds to the game dealer and take the decoys with you!! These farmers with their " just so long as the rockets get them off my field" attitude have not thought it through. A population of pigeons will eat a set amount of crops, making them fly about all the time just makes them MORE hungry (and more difficult to shoot). Not one bird that I have shot has left my fridge or the game dealer's chiller to plunder a field. Please try and explain this reasoned argument to all farmers you meet....