Do pigeons take feeding breaks on Rape?

[pob2]

A mate and I have been out a couple of times this month in Essex and seen good numbers of birds. I eat what I shoot so I checked all the shot bird's crops. We are relative newbies, but thought we'd spotted some patterns.

 

The birds started the day in small gangs and gradually flocked up throughout the morning. There seemed to be a lot of traffic to and from the main roost wood (which we can't shoot. ).

 

A huge flock was feeding undisturbed on a field we don't have permission on. We picked a few off who were coming from there to roost the hedge we were in, but were ignoring our pattern. Their crops were crammed with rape.

 

We got a good number committing to our pattern direct from the woods, but we noticed that these had empty crops, maybe a few flecks of rape. One or 2 did have crops full of flower buds, but still committed well.

 

Do birds fill up, then go for a quick roost and process their crop, before going out and filling up again? Or did we just shoot a few who'd had a lie-in that day?

[dusk2dawn]

A mate and I have been out a couple of times this month in Essex and seen good numbers of birds. I eat what I shoot so I checked all the shot bird's crops. We are relative newbies, but thought we'd spotted some patterns.

 

The birds started the day in small gangs and gradually flocked up throughout the morning. There seemed to be a lot of traffic to and from the main roost wood (which we can't shoot. ).

 

A huge flock was feeding undisturbed on a field we don't have permission on. We picked a few off who were coming from there to roost the hedge we were in, but were ignoring our pattern. Their crops were crammed with rape.

 

We got a good number committing to our pattern direct from the woods, but we noticed that these had empty crops, maybe a few flecks of rape. One or 2 did have crops full of flower buds, but still committed well.

 

Do birds fill up, then go for a quick roost and process their crop, before going out and filling up again? Or did we just shoot a few who'd had a lie-in that day?

 

 

 

 

The majority of pigeon will eat at first light or very soon after which is only natuaral,then head off to digest using the grit in the crop, if the crop was filled undisturbed they will take a siesta but if only half filled then they will be back sooner,hence the toing and froing throughout the day.

It is worth a recce in the area to stir them up before you set up to shoot for the day this will ensure a steady movement throughout the day.

They will make sure that the crop is stuffed before going to roost for the night.

The best sport in my opinion is to be had on the flightline between the "sitty trees" where they rest and the actual feeding area it is possible to have prolonged shooting by intercepting them without scaring off the whole flock. Hope this is of use, D2D

[AJL]

I was told that they go round in 4 hour cycles so once you work out when they started you can work the pattern. I dont know if this is right or not and equally its not much help if they dont all start at the same time!! Anyone else heard this?

[roadkill]

I was told that they go round in 4 hour cycles so once you work out when they started you can work the pattern. I dont know if this is right or not and equally its not much help if they dont all start at the same time!! Anyone else heard this?

 

 

is this true about the four hour cycle as i might have some reacon work coming up

[Paul in North Lincs.]

The rapes over 4 ft high where we are...and the pigoens locally are not touching it at all........there are thousands feeding on some set aside fields........I can only assume they are eating grass or dandelion sedds, as there's not a great deal elso on it...they have been on there for about 3 weeks solid!!!!!!

[chunk]

When they`ve eaten first thing they find somewhere to digest. Thats why sometimes they are trogging about in large fields with no obvious food source. Later on in the day they need to eat again before going to roost, where they digest again.