how is it.......

[JDog]

.....that when pigeons are feeding on rape they fly up into the trees immediately surrounding the rape field to digest their crop full but when they are feeding on other food like beech mast they make the journey back to the roosting woods?

[The Mighty Prawn]

Pure speculation but is there a chance the rape is faster to digest so it makes sense to hang around for a top up whereas beech mast is much bigger and takes longer to digest so they think sod it and go back to roost?

 

I'm just guessing though

[TriBsa]

.....that when pigeons are feeding on rape they fly up into the trees immediately surrounding the rape field to digest their crop full but when they are feeding on other food like beech mast they make the journey back to the roosting woods?

 

Less nutritional value for the bulk, forcing them to conserve energy?

[ditchman]

they do excactly that here to........think there is a lot of sense in what triBsa...says......

[The Essex Hunter]

.....that when pigeons are feeding on rape they fly up into the trees immediately surrounding the rape field to digest their crop full but when they are feeding on other food like beech mast they make the journey back to the roosting woods?

 

.....that when pigeons are feeding on rape they fly up into the trees immediately surrounding the rape field to digest their crop full but when they are feeding on other food like beech mast they make the journey back to the roosting woods?

 

Why is it the 300 birds who have been flighting into a patch for the last 3 days...then ## off this morning when I set up....

PT will be getting a phone call later....lol

 

Answer to your question JD is I don't know....

 

 

 

TEH

[fenboy]

 

Less nutritional value for the bulk, forcing them to conserve energy?

 

I agree with this theory .

[motty]

I'm not necessarily certain it's a 'rape thing'. I've seen pigeons do this on set-a-side and sugar beet at this time of year.

[pigeon controller]

I think it's a nutrition thing, the rape passes through them quickly and they have to top up three or four times a day hence they do not leave the field.

[Fisherman Mike]

Because when they feed on Rape they need to feed twice a day...when feeding on mast or acorns once a day sometimes once every two or three days if there is a bumper crop.

 

I have a ringed pigeon comes to my bird table every other day regular as clockwork...he fills his crop with rooster booster or peanuts and then flights off to a sycamore tree where he stays for two days before feeding again. There is always plenty of food on the table. He does drink regularly though sometimes 3 times a day from the bird bath or pond.