Fisherman Mike Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 (edited) Being a keen ornithologist and having studied our native Wood Pigeon over many years I was always of the opinion that they dont actually like rape that much when other food stuffs are available to keep them occupied. This is why in some areas devoid of other foofstuffs rape will be targeted by ravenous pigeons In other areas rape fields are rarely touched if at all through the Winter Months. This was illustrated today when I spent a couple of hours at a local roost shoot which is essentially in the middle of several feilds totalling some 300 acres planted to rape with another 300 or so just up the road and another 500 or so on the adjacent farms...in fact there is rape everywhere apart from Winter wheat or Barley. The feilds are interspersed with woodland including Haley woods which is a large acreage of woodland in the Ownership of the Local Estate. On top of this the Stroud valley is completely awash with mixed woodland from Stroud all the way to Painswick and Bisley in the other direction. I shot 11 birds in the final hour this evening and all of them except one had no rape in the crop at all. They were all full to bursting with Ivy berries.. Thats pretty conclusive evidence that they prefer the old winter staples over brassicas when its available, and that they are indeed WOOD pigeons and not field pigeons. Classified correctly as a true woodland bird and not a farmland Bird. Obviously when large flocks congregate and rape is the only foodstuff they have to gorge on it because it has so little nutrient value in its infant state. Contrast this with the birds from mid summer which are absolutely stuffed to the brim with high protein oil packed rape seed. Coincidentally good Autumn and Winter yield of Berries, mast, acorns, haws and Ivy seem to coincide with good breeding years for the native woodpigeon. Interestingly the other pigeon had some rape in its crop but also a few Ivy berries, some chick weed, what looked like tree buds of some sort and about 150 peanuts. ! Edited February 9, 2011 by Fisherman Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomV Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Interesting, however, I wouldn't of thought there are many berries around at this time of the year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted February 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Interesting, however, I wouldn't of thought there are many berries around at this time of the year No there isnt the Scandinavian Thrushes have stripped them all. But there is plenty of Ivy just coming in to ripen ( go Black ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Interestingly the other pigeon had some rape in its crop but also a few Ivy berries, some chick weed, what looked like tree buds of some sort and about 150 peanuts. ! Mike, it must have been scoffing up at my place in Milton Keynes. The squizzers have worked out how to empty the squirrel proof feeders onto the ground and the woodies and collar doves mop what's left Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ROBSON Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Mike, I would dissagree. I've heard this statement many times that pigeons only eat rape when it's the only thing going, in my area it's simply not true. I could go for a drive today and see pigeons feeding on rape, barley stubbles (with plenty of grain left on them) and old rotting potatoe fields, all withing a few miles of each other. They can tend to switch on and off rape in my area every now and again but will certainly eat rape when there are "better" options about, often in the next field! I have had guns shoot 100+ bags in APRIL on winter rape while surrounded in fresh drillings..................work that one out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoughton Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 :good:The birds I've shot recently (roosting) have been full with ivy berries too, with only the very occasional piece of rape or chickweed mixed in with it. I suspect that it's to do with the time of day - they seem to feast on the rape first thing around my way (I'm lucky enough to have somebody living near the fields who is keeping daily logs for me ) and then again just after lunch. But then I suspect they top up on ivy berries just before going to bed. I'll qualify that though by stating everytime I think I've worked out their pattern I am then proven wrong the first time I go out decoying (as happened last Friday just after lunch :( ), so I'm no expert! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted February 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Mike, I would dissagree. I've heard this statement many times that pigeons only eat rape when it's the only thing going, in my area it's simply not true. I could go for a drive today and see pigeons feeding on rape, barley stubbles (with plenty of grain left on them) and old rotting potatoe fields, all withing a few miles of each other. They can tend to switch on and off rape in my area every now and again but will certainly eat rape when there are "better" options about, often in the next field! I have had guns shoot 100+ bags in APRIL on winter rape while surrounded in fresh drillings..................work that one out? Thats interesting...are not the majority of Northern Birds non resident though ? Coming in from Scandanavia and Europe each winter and leaving again April / May ? Fresh Drillings also present very little for a Pigeon as modern seed drills leave very little grain on the surface and unlike crows pigeons wont "burrow" for the grain. At least thats true down here anyway as moreoften than not shooting over drillings is a complete waste of time whether there is rape available or not. Often I have often found here that pigeons feeding on stubble fileds which have been direct drilled with rape immediately after Harvest are not eating the sprouting rape they are still mopping up the left over grain in the stubble. QED I still think Grain, and Natural foods are the prefered choice of the indeginous birds. Rape is obviously a valuable food stuff in winter and sustains high populations of birds. We have to consider also that the population of woodpigeon has been increasing to an extent year on year possibly due to the inordinate amount of rape available, (though the growing season for this doesnt coincide with peak breeding times) and the natural harvest is often eradicated completely before new rape is available. Food for thought...if you excuse the pun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Mike, I would dissagree. I've heard this statement many times that pigeons only eat rape when it's the only thing going, in my area it's simply not true. I could go for a drive today and see pigeons feeding on rape, barley stubbles (with plenty of grain left on them) and old rotting potatoe fields, all withing a few miles of each other. They can tend to switch on and off rape in my area every now and again but will certainly eat rape when there are "better" options about, often in the next field! I have had guns shoot 100+ bags in APRIL on winter rape while surrounded in fresh drillings..................work that one out? I would side with Mike on this one, we've had this debate on this forum before, and as a GENERAL RULE, I've found that Woodies will tend to favour Ivy Berries, Hawthorn Berries, Beechmast and Acorns over rape. In our area, the birds will leave the rape as soon as there are any Spring drillings, (admittedly now pretty rare), but will return as soon as the drillings have been cleaned up. Having said all that, I believe that their feeding habits have changed over the last 20 - 30 years, with big numbers of birds now migrating on a daily basis from their roosting woods into Town Centres to feed. Also, there are very often good numbers of birds on the rape during October / November, when there are still a lot of berries and nuts available, this wouldn't have happened a few years back, you wouldn't see a single bird on the rape until all other food sources have gone, often right up until the end of Jan. Perhaps their feeding habits are changing? Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 I recall reading that there is little nutritional value in rape, hence the need for the woodies to eat the quantity that they do. I would also subscribe to the theory that woodies would prefer numerous options in preference to rape, but when times are hard the rape is certainly the crop that they hit. It sees millions of pigeon through the winter months whereas a few decade ago prior to the common practice of planting winter OSR vast numbers of pigeon starved due to lack of food, controlling their numbers in the process. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ROBSON Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 are not the majority of Northern Birds non resident though ? Coming in from Scandanavia and Europe each winter and leaving again April / May Certainly not the majority. It still doesn't axplain why birds will feed on rape while they have a stubble next door covered in grain. I could take you to several sites like this TODAY. I'm not saying they don't use the stubbles, but they will eat rape when barley is easily available. We have a lot more stubbles left till the spring than most of the UK and there is grain on them in Feb/Mar before they are ploughed in. Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 seen it meself this winter 1 area we shoot has rape off our boundary;in a few places surrounded by stubbles but when you go for a reccon or to shoot they will be on the rape;you see a few on the stubbles but the majority 90% are feeding on rape. on the other hand a different area has a lot of rape and again few stubbles;same again they are sat in the woods with rape at the side of it and when disturbed they go straight to another wood with stubble surrounding it and they don;t come back;you just watch them diving out the trees onto the stubble off our boundary again ;but it could be the fact that very rarely they are shot at on the stubble so stay there knowing its safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted February 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Certainly not the majority. It still doesn't axplain why birds will feed on rape while they have a stubble next door covered in grain. I could take you to several sites like this TODAY. I'm not saying they don't use the stubbles, but they will eat rape when barley is easily available. We have a lot more stubbles left till the spring than most of the UK and there is grain on them in Feb/Mar before they are ploughed in. Mark. Interesting...perhaps thats the difference stubble fields down here are usually clear of any surplus grain by the end of November. That which is left after harvest, not consumed by pigeons is mopped up by crows, rooks, and big flocks of finches, that which they miss is usually rotten by November or has volunteer sprouted. You would have more chance of shooting a pigeon in Tescos carpark than finding any grain left inon the stubble in Feb/March around these parts....Chickweed starts sprouting in the stubble fields about this time however and often Pigeons in stubble feilds in winter are eating this or just gritting. It probably illustrates how feeding habits vary regionally. Cheers, FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Stubble.......what's that...?? Perhaps it's that hideous growth around MC's chin..?? Certainly no stubble around these parts, as the combine is driving out of the field in late August, the plough is already there waiting. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 speak for yourself Cat, we've a good 50 acres still there that will be ploughed in the next few weeks then drilled when the weather allows. I'm working on bribery to get it drilled on a thursday so they can have a day on it before having a crack at the weekend Lots about on the rape all round it so it may give a good day or two, just a shame they don't do peas any more as that used to be very nice as spring drilling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 I've got pea's to go in Won't be till later in the Spring though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookiemonsterandmerlin. Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Farming practice and quality of machinery is vastly diffrent in scotland to ours the scots farmer will be driving a combine around that lets more though the seives very few farmers or worker can set a old manual setup of combine, which inturn casues more corn to go over the back which inturn causes more intrest from woodies on the stubble than our modern combine with computer push button seives to each crop type. I still think woodies like OSR despite what others think we have got chopped maize and woodies still pour into the OSR . Woodies as we all know are lazy birds and will flight to the nearest crop and rarely flight massive distant from there home woods . I think on average the most a bird will flight to feed in winter/autum time is 15 clicks and in summer when on a nest even less. Cheers OTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Rape is hit hard round me and has been hit hard for as long as ive been shooting . Even when there is other food around they seem to stay on the rape in certain areas anyway . Ive at the moment got pigeons on all sorts of food stuff . but last saturday after roost shooting i opened up over 60 birds crops to see what they had in them and 47 had rape 3 had ivy berries 8 had sugar beet 1 had maize and 1 had fresh wheat drilling . so even with chopped maize drillings ,berries and sugar beet tops they are still on the rape . but i would expect the birds to come of the rape on many of my farms and on to the drillings and maize crops ,then on to the peas which we have alot of this year going in . I think it is different in areas of the country but for me they like rape enough to stay on it when there is plenty other food stuf around in my area anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 I generally have around 1200-1500 acres of peas to shoot over each year, drilled from the end of feb (sometimes) right through to the start of june. I generally find that the pigeons will leave the peas alone until at least late April, because they are still busy on the rape. This is still the case when the rape is next door to the peas. I normally have pretty good bags on rape from the end of feb right through til the middle of april and that's where i'll be looking for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ROBSON Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) I would suggest the variety of Rape grown might have something to do with this. I get rape fields absolutely hammered by pigeons and yet a field the next farm along won't get a bird on it. Mark. Edited February 11, 2011 by M ROBSON Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 rapeseed has a very high oil content, that oil is energy for keeping alive when food is scarce. kind of like chips and humans, you dont see many chips eating only humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ROBSON Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) Don't confuse the Rape SEED and the rape PLANT they are very different. Mark. Edited February 11, 2011 by M ROBSON Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 rapeseed has a very high oil content, that oil is energy for keeping alive when food is scarce. kind of like chips and humans, you dont see many chips eating only humans. Have you been smoking something. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 I've had more boring hours than I care to mention at rape fields having been called out by farmers who think they are loosing their entire crop. Also and this is a question are there some strains of OSR whichmpigeons do not like? You will see some fields untouched while others are devistated. Among the pigeon shot last Friday one had been feeding on sprouting stubble beans, clean green half beans which is I think how a bean sprouts with the two halfs forming the first leaves, again this is a question? Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.