Empty crop

[WoodyPopper]

I spent a happy two hours this evening walking round a couple of fields I haven't explored before. Pigeons were dropping from the trees and flying away before I could get to them. But, thanks to a chinook helicopter which suddenly appeared, very low, over a copse and frightened some pigeons towards me, I managed to shoot one. What puzzled me though was that its crop was empty. I'd have expected that, at 5:30 in the afternoon, pigeons would be stuffed and looking for somewhere to roost and digest.

Edited April 20, 2011 by WoodyPopper

[JustJon]

It gets dark around 8, might have just been starting to feed.

 

I would guess they can fill a crop in 2 hours without an issue, and sundown is around half 8?

 

If you rally wanted to see if it was off the feed you could have opened the length of the guts? Enjoy

[mrpip]

I spend most evenings now with the rifle shooting rabbits, one place I go has a large forestry block across the road no shooting allowed. Sat there Friday & watched as a 100 plus made there way to roost between 7&8 o'clock in pairs or small groups.

[The Duncan]

I think it depends also on cloud/mist - ie they seem to roost earlier if cloud cover lowers light levels earlier.

[jacksdad]

Changing the clocks added an hour to our time as well. A couple of weeks back it would, by our clocks, be 4.30, then the days are quite a bit longer now, so 5.30 ish is still an early sitting for woodies! Had 3 in my garden at around 7pm last night

[Hamster]

There are two logical explanations for this, the first concerns the Chinook which may well have startled it so much the poor thing could have vomitted the contents of it`s belly before seeking refuge on the end of your barrels . The second slightly more plausible theory is that pigeon just don`t need that much sustenance to get through the warmer months, little and often is obviously good enough for them, I say obviously because despite a good thirty years worth of pigeon shooting behind me I have to admit I rarely shoot woodies in any time of year, that are full to bursting with something. Winter does tend to produce more such birds but even then it is not at all uncommon to kill empty birds in the late afternoon.

 

I recall Archie Coates telling Jack Charlton that he too had noticed this phenomenon but he assured Jack that this was simply not the case in the old days!