crap harvest

[pete evans]

how was harvest for other people? on my permission it was dissapointing, few birds in any numbers and not really worth setting up. Last year on the same fields with the same crops there was an abundance of birds. On the bright side one of the farmers has decided to plant beans and peas so there should be some sport to come.

 

pete

[mossy835]

peas and beans will give you sport its gave me a lot this year and i am still getting a lot now and its been cut since july they are still coming in on it.as for the stubble fields i have had great fun this year on them

[Cranfield]

The main disappointment on the stubbles this year , both rape and cereals, was the short time the Farmers left it alone.

On some of "my" fields, the cultivators were almost following the combines.

 

The birds are spoilt for choice during the harvest time.

[Paul in North Lincs.]

Have had the same problem with some of my permission too cranfield.

 

Birds just started nicely hitting the stubble,..........bingo....... its been turned over??!$$%%*

 

some of my wheat patches have also been providing poor sport, but then again with the arrival of my new born, getting out as regularly is proving quite difficult.

[lanber1088]

Having the same problem my end, as soon as the combine has been in they turn it over, also sport been very patchy.By the way Congratulations Paul :blink:

[blackthorn]

hey lanber hows mat doing with that shotgun bin talking to you mate mick

[invector]

Harvest very quiet on my patch too. Cultivations following the combine have encouraged some rooks and jackdaws but the pigeons seem to be following wheat stubbles on other ground. A couple of days ago there were several pigeons on grass and also on bean stubble. The clover silage has just been cut for the third time and I expect them to find that by tomorrow. If they want grass they`ll love clover (I hope!) Had some decent bags after the first two cuts.

 

The lupins are due to be cut at any time and that should be a draw, particularly as the lupin fields are close to pigeon backgrounds.

[bigsam]

the rape in my area was harowed up two to three days after cutting but the wheat stubbles are being left as the farmer uses an autocast machine on his combine which dispearses rape seed behind the header bar on the combine and then the chopped up straw covers the seed that acts as a mulch for the seed. he then just rolls in the seed and leaves it ! have had some good shooting for the last three weeks on the stubbles

[Highlander]

No **** Sherlock. Harvest round here (East Anglia) has been very disappointing this year. For birds I mean as I believe most farmers have had a good crop year. As soon as the crop is harvested the fields have been chiselled and then ploughed up. Many have now been resown. In the last few days there have been more birds around, seems to be after a heavy rain which we've had.

 

We've had small local populations of birds flitting about but no real flocks or even something that could be described as a concentration. Having talked to people in other parts that appears to be the general trend but I understand in Scotland they're having a good time. Did our pigeons from down south go on holiday??? I would hazzard a guess that some large scale migrations (perhaps too strong a word more like a movement) have taken place with birds tending to follow the cooler, wetter weather. It's certainly been very dry here (not summer weather but not wet either) and pigeons do like a drink or two. Dunno but it would be useful if someone were to tag a few and get some movement data about our favourite quarry.

 

Only large concentration we had here were on peas harvested back in late July and that only in one particular area. All the other crops; rape stubbles etc have been very disappointing and wheat stubbles hardly worth a look. There's been little crop damage so not much left flat and lying for the birds.

[mossy835]

they are still coming in now on cut peas, and haveing fun.