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

[DEADLY PLUMBER]

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

Yep must meet up next time. The trouble is only a few people

know who is who. Without name tags or chatting to everyone

it's pretty impossible. Also every one wants to get shooting.

I was with my teen age son and sadly their are not many teens

shooting. You may have spotted him. Next time I will get Alan to point you out.

Or may come out on a Herts Christmas gathering if their is one.

[DEADLY PLUMBER]

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

Yep it could be charlock. I'm back working near that field later in the week

ill take a closer look. Also you might be right about mid to late feb.

Lets hope it's sooner rather than later.

[Elby]

A good few hundred on a rape field near Bletchley this afternoon

[Catamong]

A good few hundred on a rape field near Bletchley this afternoon

 

Hmmm......but are they eating the rape, or the general rubbish that grows up alongside it..??

 

The only way to tell for sure is either to look at the rape to see if it's been chewed off or to examine the crop contents of those birds that have been shot leaving the field late afternoon to see if they are full of rape.

 

Perhaps you could enlighten us on this one Elby..??

 

Cat.

[Elby]

They were definately feeding.

The rape was drilled late and not in great condition, it's no more than 2 inches out the ground

[Catamong]

Definately feeding on what..?

 

Good luck to you if they are scoffing the rape, you've got a good chance if it's not in good condition, but I'm still doubtful if it will give you or your clients a bumper day..?

 

Cat.

[Elby]

Who said I'm putting clients on it?

I watched them for about 30 minutes pecking away, none were sunbathing or shopping

The only other thing growing on the field is a bit of volunteer barley.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Elby

[kitchrat]

 

Hmmm......but are they eating the rape, or the general rubbish that grows up alongside it..??

 

The only way to tell for sure is either to look at the rape to see if it's been chewed off or to examine the crop contents of those birds that have been shot leaving the field late afternoon to see if they are full of rape.

 

Perhaps you could enlighten us on this one Elby..??

 

Cat.

Freewheeled my truck into a gateway of a rape field yesterday. A dozen birds took off but another dozen stayed. With the bins (they were only 25 yds away) I could watch them pulling bits off the rape leaves and guzzling them down. That corner of the field also had that, lighter colour suggesting it had been attacked.

So they are starting on rape....

[Worzel-gummidge]

I wish they would hurry up and get down to Kent, I've been out a few times over 3 weeks and have seen a handful of feral's, no woodies.

There are plenty of oak and beech trees on my permissions but I don't think they are feeding on those.

And whatever the farmer is growing has shot up really fast so only rabbits are feeding on that.

 

I do have a lot of crows though, more than usual, is this the norm for the crows to move in this time of year?

 

Worz

[ditchman]

i see half a doz now and then thats all...........this time last year i could go out any day of the week to 6 or 7 flightlines and drop 20-30 birds...i havnt bothered to set up since july...........

[neil3728]

I'm in The East Riding there is nothing about at all. Got my first permission after talking to a farmer about his rape been hit hard last year.

 

I have a walk around at least once a week, so far I have not seen a single pidgeon. Its not even worth setting the hide up for.

 

Hoping if the weather gets worse they will start to come onto the rape.

[Elby]

so far I have not seen a single pidgeon.

They are more rare than normal

[blasterjudd]

Interesting subject this and going by the many replies there really isnt many birds about anywhere at all.

 

The comments about woodlands having stacks is just not true there just local.birds that havent migrated and are not seen in their hundreds either. I have quite a few woods and they all seem very quiet!

 

Come on woodies where r u?

[Monkey Nuts]

Took the 303 out today Steve with a mate and saw very little. Only shot 1!! I think they were sat up in a nearby copse. Plenty of crows about but didn't have the decoys with us today.

 

Hope all's well mate :-)

Edited November 30, 2013 by Monkey Nuts

[blasterjudd]

Hi Monkeynuts

Glad ur still having fun with the 303

Alls good this end ta except for the lack of woodies

Its gotta improve surely???

 

If u see any pls sendem to Essex hahaha

Edited November 30, 2013 by blasterjudd

[motty]

I don't know why lots of people seem to be worried by the apparent lack of pigeons. They have not disappeared off the face of the planet. The same thing happens every year when there is plenty of acorns to eat. The pigeons will be turning up at a rape field near you soon. They are starting to attack the rape in my area now.

[Lg1]

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.

It will always be like this I guess, all pigeons are dictated by food source supply, if one area is short on acorn etc then that group of birds will turn to the rape. For areas that have an abundance of acorns then more than Likely the rape will not get touched.

 

Its quite clever that pigeons feed on the food that gives them the best nutritional value, plus they also feed in order moving down the nutritional scale. A pigeon will always choose say peas's before barly or beach mast before rape were ever they are in the country.

[windywebster]

I am new to the forum.

 

What I don't understand with forum members is the emphasis on the quantity of pigeons shot, surely it is about a great day out, quality shots and keeping birds off crops not exterminating the whole population of pigeons?

 

Folk are then wondering where all the pigeons are, taking any species for granted with a belief that it will continue to regenerate no matter what are foolish.

 

I leave pigeons on the end of my gun, sitting and young birds, taking enough to feed my family and friends.

 

If everyone took this attitude there would be more about.

 

All species are under continued threat with reduction in habitat, pigeons no different.

 

Countryside management is about balance.

[camojohn]

I was on the lookout for pigeons today. I saw a few feeding on the acorns, but there were more magpies than pigeons. I counted 8 Magpies on the ground a once. I thought about the rhyme, 8 for a wish. Well you can guess what I wished for, (Plenty of pigeons)

[poontang]

 

 

 

 

I leave pigeons on the end of my gun, sitting and young birds, taking enough to feed my family and friends.

 

If everyone took this attitude there would be more about. the landowner would soon find someone else to shoot his pigeons!!

 

 

 

 

Just corrected that for you.

[Lg1]

I am new to the forum.

 

What I don't understand with forum members is the emphasis on the quantity of pigeons shot, surely it is about a great day out, quality shots and keeping birds off crops not exterminating the whole population of pigeons?

 

Folk are then wondering where all the pigeons are, taking any species for granted with a belief that it will continue to regenerate no matter what are foolish.

 

I leave pigeons on the end of my gun, sitting and young birds, taking enough to feed my family and friends.

 

If everyone took this attitude there would be more about.

 

All species are under continued threat with reduction in habitat, pigeons no different.

 

Countryside management is about balance.

Wood pigeon is the most dominant bird in the uk, all bird watchers alike report yearly growth of this species. The bird is thriving! We all ponder over we're the birds go yes, be we all know that they is an abundance close by.

 

I'm sure the farmer will not like your stance on shooting, your not protecting crops your simply doing a bit of shopping. To only get a few birds for your personal fridge some would say is a little selfish.

 

A young wood pigeon also chips in with crop damage and tastes the same so leaving them in my opinion is silly. The wood pigeon is not on the endangered list and no one on here thinks that.. We all ponder were these many thousands hide.

 

Not sure how long you'll last at this game but one things for sure, you walking away from a feild of rape when the feild is blue over with **** the farmer of no end.

 

And by the way, the only reason you get to shoot pigeon is to protect crops... Not because you fancy a pigeon salad.

[Cranfield]

Other pigeon shooters have expressed the same view as windywebster and he is entitled to it.

[Fisherman Mike]

Other pigeon shooters have expressed the same view as windywebster and he is entitled to it.

 

Agreed and lets be totally honest more than half of people who shoot wood pigeon do it for sporting reasons, crop protection doesn't enter the equation... I always find it strange when these people feel inadequate if they cant shoot at least 50 pigeons a week.

 

The last two BTO BBS have actually shown a slight decline in breeding numbers and this as I mentioned before is due to more of the sedentary population perishing in the last few cold winters than we realise.

 

However No birds equals happy Farmers !

[poontang]

Agreed and lets be totally honest more than half of people who shoot wood pigeon do it for sporting reasons, crop protection doesn't enter the equation... I always find it strange when these people feel inadequate if they cant shoot at least 50 pigeons a week.

 

 

 

I don't think anyone feels 'inadequate' if they can't shoot 50 pigeons a week.

 

I'd like to know if the 'Pigeon Controller' on here (and others) would have as much land to shoot if they just shot a few birds 'for the pot?'.

[Fisherman Mike]

I don't think anyone feels 'inadequate' if they can't shoot 50 pigeons a week.

 

I'd like to know if the 'Pigeon Controller' on here (and others) would have as much land to shoot if they just shot a few birds 'for the pot?'.

Ok so perhaps my choice of word was incorrect but you know what I mean... the majority of posts on "talk from the field" are from shooters dismayed that there are no pigeons to shoot in their area and they seem extremely frustrated by this, which illustrates my point entirely.