Observations.

[Cranfield]

I was out this morning and shot 9 pigeons and 12 black corvids..................at five different locations, yet I saw plenty of birds.

 

In quite a small area there were about 6 flocks of pigeons between 20-30 birds, but they were mostly small groups of 4-7 birds.

In total I probably saw over 500, but they were split up all over the place.

At the moment it seems that everywhere a pigeon lands, it has something to eat.

I shot birds on grassland, disced stubbles (wheat and rape), disced pea fields, from hedgerows and around straw stacks.

 

I used a few decoys wherever I stopped, but the birds were not that bothered and I had to keep moving on.

 

There have been quite a few posts asking "where are the birds", it seems they are there, just spread out all over the place.

[ellebarto]

I've noticed that. No big flocks at all around here at the moment and its just passing trade and no big bags!

 

Got a day planned tomorrow over fresh cut barley stubble which I woul dhave thought would be rammed but looked very quiet when I checked it out earlier!

[yates]

I was out this morning and shot 9 pigeons and 12 black corvids..................at five different locations, yet I saw plenty of birds.

 

In quite a small area there were about 6 flocks of pigeons between 20-30 birds, but they were mostly small groups of 4-7 birds.

In total I probably saw over 500, but they were split up all over the place.

At the moment it seems that everywhere a pigeon lands, it has something to eat.

I shot birds on grassland, disced stubbles (wheat and rape), disced pea fields, from hedgerows and around straw stacks.

 

I used a few decoys wherever I stopped, but the birds were not that bothered and I had to keep moving on.

 

There have been quite a few posts asking "where are the birds", it seems they are there, just spread out all over the place.

 

I agree with your comments. I was out in Doncaster yesterday evening shooting over rape stubble. There were 100's of birds flitting about, but landing all over the place. Landing in ploughed fields, rape stubble, pea fields and flitting between the trees. No set flight patterns and ithe birds were in small groups and odds and ****. The difference being that i had pigeons coming to my decoys. Not in large numbers though but i had several land in my pattern, i was shooting after work and was to idle to move after setting up the hide and decoys. I put down about 20 shell and 6 FUD decoys

[yickdaz]

same here birds all over the place with no real big numbers we shot 20 on rape stubble thursday;i opened the crop of one bird and it had wheat and rape seeds in it so that shows they are not settled on one particular field with so much food available they can drop in any stubble they like..that should change soon when the stubbles start to be ploughed in giveing them less choice and hopefully head back to our permissions if they are not the first to be ploughed in that is.

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

Birds have changed too early morning feeding about a month earlier than normal.

 

I still shoot until mid sept from 1200hrs till 1830hrs normally.

 

But I spotted birds in huge numbers using a wheat stubble at just after sunrise 0600hrs ish yesterday while taking the digs out.

 

Had a go this morning rolled three round bales together the birds poured in for a hour and half then stopped.

 

Very much like winter rape shooting ,during the day there are spread about like you say cranny.

 

Regards OTH