Herts, Bucks, Bedf and Essex no birds about at all?

[blasterjudd]

Well did a big trip round the counties today and it was obvious by the abscence of woodies in the air and on the ground they are just not about at all.

Were they blown away in the gales?

So whats going on fellas?

Its not looking good out there at all.

[Catamong]

In my area they are still scoffing the beech mast and acorns, there are such vast quantities of those about this year there may be enough to see them right through the Winter, the rape may not even be touched at all...

 

Cat.

[bakerboy]

plus one with that statement

[DEADLY PLUMBER]

Good topic. I noticed about a month ago 75% of the birds just vanished.

I've done 4 recce's in the last 2 weeks and seen very little on my permissions.

Nothing on the rape fields. Locally there are a few resident birds about.

Driving around Herts I see a few under oak trees. All the acorns and mast has

dropped and is now going rotten. I have not seen any flocks on the move.

Have they migrated?. Have they moved to other area's ?. A lot of others are

saying a lack of birds about in many area's. I guess we will see what happens.

I'm hopping for a bit of decent shooting on the rape in Jan-Feb unlike last year

with the massive flocks.

[blasterjudd]

Not convinced on this reply as when we go on the pheasant shoots the woods are silent no birds at all.

 

Acorns and Berries untouched and now going rotten!

 

In my area they are still scoffing the beech mast and acorns, there are such vast quantities of those about this year there may be enough to see them right through the Winter, the rape may not even be touched at all...

 

Cat.

[Beardo]

plenty in the gardens and woods, just not flocking.

[Elby]

Seen about 200 on some maize stubble.

Other than that it's very quiet

[garden gun]

They are about in the beech woods and gardens. Like beardoi - not flocking. Mind you not that thye really flock within sight of the roads round here anyway.

[Catamong]

 

Not convinced on this reply as when we go on the pheasant shoots the woods are silent no birds at all.

 

Acorns and Berries untouched and now going rotten!

 

 

 

Well, there are plenty in the woods around here, although they are obviously not as visible as they are when flighting out to feed on the fields.

 

There are still literally tons of untouched acorns, simply because there has been a massive crop, far too many for the birds to have eaten by this time of year, and, believe it or not, they will still eat the rotten ones. Acorns are very quick and easy for the birds to fill up on, they also take longer to digest, the birds don't need to feed so often.

 

In my experience their preferred Winter food menu reads, beech mast, then acorns, then ivy / hawthorn berries, only when these have been exhausted will they start on the Winter rape.......and they've not yet even started on the berries yet..!

 

I must stress that this is for my area only, they may already be on the rape in other areas where there hardly any beech or oak trees, although if reports on this forum are anything to go by, they are not hitting it it any numbers, and those that are may only be picking up the odd bit of chickweed that grows alongside the rape.

 

Also, the rape has got off to a particularly good start this year, with most of it at a very regular height well above ankle level. The birds will not feed on a crop this tall, they will attack it from the margins or favour fields where the rape has been direct drilled onto stubble and the growth is not as tall. This can actually help the shooter as and when the birds do start hitting it, as they will definitely favour certain fields and will be easier to decoy.

 

I believe there has been a general slow decline in numbers over the past few years, the severe Winter weather we have had has not helped, once we get any prolonged snow cover the birds simply disappear and are very slow to return, I don't believe that they migrate out of the UK, I reckon they might move away to areas where there is less snow cover and hence more food.

 

I last dropped some birds off to a local contact in mid September, he looked puzzled when I wished him a merry Christmas and a happy new year, and asked "why so early..?" I said that I probably wouldn't see him again until well into 2014, sadly for both of us, that looks like being the case.

 

Cat.

[camojohn]

In my area they are still scoffing the beech mast and acorns, there are such vast quantities of those about this year there may be enough to see them right through the Winter, the rape may not even be touched at all...

 

Cat.

As you say will the even touch the rape, as it is grown so much. I was out beating yesterday, and only saw the odd woodpigeon plus a small flock of feral pigeons. However I saw that the farmers have built some new straw bale hides. Wonder if they know something we don’t.

[Fisherman Mike]

 

Well, there are plenty in the woods around here, although they are obviously not as visible as they are when flighting out to feed on the fields.

 

There are still literally tons of untouched acorns, simply because there has been a massive crop, far too many for the birds to have eaten by this time of year, and, believe it or not, they will still eat the rotten ones. Acorns are very quick and easy for the birds to fill up on, they also take longer to digest, the birds don't need to feed so often.

 

In my experience their preferred Winter food menu reads, beech mast, then acorns, then ivy / hawthorn berries, only when these have been exhausted will they start on the Winter rape.......and they've not yet even started on the berries yet..! Yep spot on Pigeons generally eat rape only when other natural mainstays are exhausted, when they do hit it however they have to gorge on it because of its low calorific value

 

I must stress that this is for my area only, they may already be on the rape in other areas where there hardly any beech or oak trees, although if reports on this forum are anything to go by, they are not hitting it it any numbers, and those that are may only be picking up the odd bit of chickweed that grows alongside the rape.

 

Also, the rape has got off to a particularly good start this year, with most of it at a very regular height well above ankle level. The birds will not feed on a crop this tall, they will attack it from the margins or favour fields where the rape has been direct drilled onto stubble and the growth is not as tall. This can actually help the shooter as and when the birds do start hitting it, as they will definitely favour certain fields and will be easier to decoy.

 

I believe there has been a general slow decline in numbers over the past few years, the severe Winter weather we have had has not helped, once we get any prolonged snow cover the birds simply disappear and are very slow to return, I don't believe that they migrate out of the UK, I reckon they might move away to areas where there is less snow cover and hence more food. I think you are right and this would appear to be backed up by the reduction in confirmed sightings in the last couple of BTO national breeding bird surveys which shows a reduction in breeding numbers..Its a pretty good yardstick and I think more of the resident population has perished in the last two or three winters than we realise.

 

I last dropped some birds off to a local contact in mid September, he looked puzzled when I wished him a merry Christmas and a happy new year, and asked "why so early..?" I said that I probably wouldn't see him again until well into 2014, sadly for both of us, that looks like being the case. I usually find that January and February are the best months and in recent years it hasn't really been worth setting up in other months even though in the five valleys where I live there are no shortage of pigeons at all. Most of the Estates on the large acreage I have access to also have active game shoots which also keeps a lot of the pigeons out of the fields between October and January

 

Cat.

[sittytree]

Cat has it spot on. A bumper crop of beech masts and acorns means the rape won't get bothered much this winter. I shot my last decent bag in mid September and don't expect another good day until well into the new year! The last bumper crop of acorns was about ten years ago and the pigeons didn't start on the rape in any numbers until beginning of March! Everyone was saying there are no pigeons, but they were just in the woods and not on the rape.

[Sharpshooter.123]

Been for a drive round this morning, iv seen a handfull of small 10-15 bird flocks drifting about. Nothing huge but is it a good sign? Maybe.

Looks like a few rape fields iv seen have birds on it

[numpty]

Just spent 3 days travaling on the A14 from Kettering to Newmarket, and for 3 days, over various times, have seen a large amount of pigeon on a huge expanse of rape on the west bound side, well before the Cambridge services, at the Cottingham turn. Because of traffic, I have seen two good flight lines in and two seperate feeding areas. First there at 8.15am, still there at 12 and yesterday at 1.30. Estimated numbers around 500+, if the wind gets up, enough to give them a tickle for someone local! My own ground is just starting to show a few small flocks gathering, not enough yet to have a go. Word of warning to others pigeon spotters though, yesterday I was involved in a 4 car pile up on the A43 as I waited to turn right into a farmers road, car behind stopped but one behind him hit his at about 50mph and then a van ploughed into that one.Low sun was said to be the blaim. Not a good end to the day.

[Catamong]

numpty,

 

Sorry to hear you were involved in an accident, I hope nobody was hurt, that's all that matters matey..??

 

I came back from Norwich via the A14 a couple of weeks back, then went via the A505 towards Baldock, noticed a good few birds dropping into some rape opposite Heydon Grange golf course.

 

As per usual, there was nobody shooting them.... , so I concluded they must have been on the Chickweed or something similar, perhaps some locals could enlighten me....?

 

Cat

[Outlander]

Its the same in north Beds , not many about at all thankfully its the game season !

[The Sipe-ist]

numpty,

 

Sorry to hear you were involved in an accident, I hope nobody was hurt, that's all that matters matey..??

 

I came back from Norwich via the A14 a couple of weeks back, then went via the A505 towards Baldock, noticed a good few birds dropping into some rape opposite Heydon Grange golf course.

 

As per usual, there was nobody shooting them.... , so I concluded they must have been on the Chickweed or something similar, perhaps some locals could enlighten me....?

 

Cat

That is very close to my patch. They have slowly shown interest on the rape fields for about 3 weeks now. I had a half day on friday with my work mate and picked up 63. Not a massive bag but good fun, should keep them off that field for a few days.

[Catamong]

Yes, it's odd how feeding patterns vary around the Country, the year before last we had a fair crop of acorns, (nothing like what we've got this year), and the first bag of birds I shot over rape was 107 in the first week of Feb. They were not touching it prior to that.

 

I did notice in my travels around the Cambridge area that the birds were on the rape a lot earlier, around Christmas time in fact..?

 

That just shows how it varies in different areas.

 

Cat.

[kitchrat]

They're starting to show up a bit in the Herts/Essex border area at last. I did manage 30 on late-drilled wheat on Tuesday. Their crops had some wheat, some regrown flax from the next farm and some acorns.

However, I must say that this "bumper crop" of acorns is not so bumper over here. Sure there are plenty but not megga-loads. There are few beech trees so I can't say about that. Ivy berries and sloes won't help, but I'm hoping that colder weather in Scandinavia will send birds over and we'll get a decent year on rape after all. In fact, with much rape being so well developed, the fields that are behind could become more of a draw and make it less difficult. (I nearly put easier there, silly me, winter rape is never easy!)

Keep up the reports Guys!!!

Kitchrat

[Penelope]

A news report on Radio 4's Farming Today mentioned that a far greater number of ponies and cattle have died of acorn ingestion this year than normal due to the exceptional acorn crop. The authorities are considering extending the 60 day 'pannage' (commoner pig foraging) which starts in September through until the New Year to help remove the glut of acorns.

 

 

They're starting to show up a bit in the Herts/Essex border area at last. I did manage 30 on late-drilled wheat on Tuesday. Their crops had some wheat, some regrown flax from the next farm and some acorns.

However, I must say that this "bumper crop" of acorns is not so bumper over here. Sure there are plenty but not megga-loads. There are few beech trees so I can't say about that. Ivy berries and sloes won't help, but I'm hoping that colder weather in Scandinavia will send birds over and we'll get a decent year on rape after all. In fact, with much rape being so well developed, the fields that are behind could become more of a draw and make it less difficult. (I nearly put easier there, silly me, winter rape is never easy!)

Keep up the reports Guys!!!

Kitchrat

[Beardo]

all the woods around me are carpeted with acorns still

[DEADLY PLUMBER]

I saw a rape field in St Albans starting to shoot and is starting to flower.

No pigeons on any rape yet. I am starting to see more birds in the area now.

Went on the Norfolk flush yesterday. More birds up there and starting to flock

up there. Keep watching and waiting.

[bakerboy]

I saw a rape field in St Albans starting to shoot and is starting to flower.

No pigeons on any rape yet. I am starting to see more birds in the area now.

Went on the Norfolk flush yesterday. More birds up there and starting to flock

up there. Keep watching and waiting.

I was at the flush as well, pity we did not meet up (or did we? )

[Bluebarrels]

Out shooting today and counted at least 20 flocks of pigeons flying over with 150+ birds in each flock very high and un shootable,and they seemed to be on a mission That was in North Hampshire BB

[Catamong]

I saw a rape field in St Albans starting to shoot and is starting to flower.

No pigeons on any rape yet. I am starting to see more birds in the area now.

Went on the Norfolk flush yesterday. More birds up there and starting to flock

up there. Keep watching and waiting.

 

I think you will find that it wasn't rape in flower that you saw, but a weed called Charlock which grows freely in amongst the rape and has a distinctive yellow flower.

 

It doesn't like the frost and will die off as the colder weather sets in.

 

I admire your optimism re bird numbers but I still doubt that we will see any birds in the St Albans area on the rape until mid to late Feb, at the very earliest, (if at all this Winter)..

 

Cat