Guss Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 Taked to a number of farmers that lost mostly all there rape here in the South East due to lack of rain. Fields were re-done with wheat and Barley. You would therefore think that with no stable food source on hand for the up coming winter months the pigeons will move to other places in the country where rape took more successfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 I would very much doubt the whole of the South East has had issues with rape crop failures. Even if that were the case, I'm sure that all the other sources of food will keep the pigeons interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adge Cutler Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 (edited) Pigeons are just as likely to live on the fringe of towns and villages these days as in open country. There's a ready supply of foodstuffs throughout the winter provided by us humans. In my area the birds have generally been hitting beech mast apart from one field of very young rape nearby but even so there are far more around the villages and towns locally than in open countryside Only this morning I woke up early to let the dog out and there were 4 pigeons on the bird table and another 7 on the lawn underneath it. One of them was deliberately flying into one of the large seed feeders filled with sunflower hearts so as to rock it and dislodged 20 or so hearts at a time which they were then picking off the lawn. There were at least 40 more on roof tops and tops of street lights when I drove to pick up a paper and another 30 odd on the primary school playing field. Rape is of such low nutritious value, the birds will always look for and favour something better if its nearby imo. But when they do hit the rape in cold weather they will often feed continuously throughout daylight. Migrant birds do tend to favour brassicas generally because that's all that's left when they come over. 12,000 recorded locally at Painswick beacon a couple of days ago by coincidence. They will be forming smaller flocks and spreading out in the next few weeks. Edited October 30, 2016 by Adge Cutler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 A lot of rape has failed due to flea beetle. Redrilled rape has failed due to the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adge Cutler Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 A lot of rape has failed due to flea beetle. Redrilled rape has failed due to the same thing. Yes unfortunately its been so dry the sprouting rape hasn't been able to grow away from the normal beetle damage. We have had it in these parts but when most of the rape went into moist fertilised beds it has really taken off and grown away. The damage to the larger leaves is not terminal. Even so some Farmers have been precautionary spraying at night on younger crops when the beetle is most active. Need some rain. ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 (edited) Oh no we don't !!!! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow .... that concentrates their minds and locations. I have two pairs of woodies that hardly ever leave my yard and create havoc if I don't put some feed out on the trays in the morning. They're that fat they can hardly fly :-) Edited October 30, 2016 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbw1shrops Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 (edited) Yep that's right fatten them up for Christmas lol 😉 Edited October 30, 2016 by Dbw1shrops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 A lot of rape has failed due to flea beetle. Redrilled rape has failed due to the same thing. and slugs with this mild weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guss Posted October 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 Well not looking good In the South East is my interpretation...but let's see. Only so much food in the woods in regards to berries, acorns etc till it runs out. What is going to feed the 100 flock strong of pigeons when there is no Rape during the hard temps of winter time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 Well not looking good In the South East is my interpretation...but let's see. Only so much food in the woods in regards to berries, acorns etc till it runs out. What is going to feed the 100 flock strong of pigeons when there is no Rape during the hard temps of winter time. The same food that used to feed them before rape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 Plenty of food here for them. A short trip across the Irish sea and I will show them some hospitality. 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farcombehall Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 we have had a number of rape fields fail here in north east Kent due to dry weather and beetle damage, so the farmers have re-drilled with beans but we have had no pigeons around here in the last two months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adge Cutler Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 Well not looking good In the South East is my interpretation...but let's see. Only so much food in the woods in regards to berries, acorns etc till it runs out. What is going to feed the 100 flock strong of pigeons when there is no Rape during the hard temps of winter time. Nothing... They will move on. A 6 hour 200 mile flight is nothing for a wood pigeon. Birds have been rung on the coast of Southern England and shot feeding in the NE two days later. The same food that used to feed them before rape. Peanuts and Bird seed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted November 1, 2016 Report Share Posted November 1, 2016 We've had a field ploughed in and reseeded with wheat due to club root.?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 Same here, almost NO rape in my patch except for one farm which could irrigate. It looks normal and lush to me. Will they all move on or will this farm become a pigeon-magnet?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 kitchrat, on 04 Nov 2016 - 09:23 AM, said:Same here, almost NO rape in my patch except for one farm which could irrigate. It looks normal and lush to me. Will they all move on or will this farm become a pigeon-magnet?? how long is a piece of string, only way anyone more so you will know is if the birds go on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 On the east Norfolk coast we have had no problems to my knowledge with the new year rape crop, I have a large field seeded in October that is so big now you would struggle to find dead birds under the leaves, the farm has planted early as an experiment to beat the pigeon problem, but on nearby marshes they have only just seeded and the plants are about 2 inches high, just right for the pigeons once the cold weather arrives, As to where the pigeons are, I think most of them are here, Monday I took 22 on some drilled wheat but there were hundreds about, just got there late and had to pack up early, Yesterday had to drive off a few pigeons on a market garden , but they would not come close enough for the 410 hush, so moved on to another drilled wheat field where the ground and air were blue with birds, wished I had taken the 12 bore as the 410 proved totally inadequate, so another visit planned soon before they clear all the seed on top . Pigeons are total opportunists and will find food anywhere, with a massive variety of diet they can adapt to almost all conditions, rape is not their first choice but will keep them going through the worst weather , at least it concentrates them into larger flocks so we can get some decent bags, fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 Same here, almost NO rape in my patch except for one farm which could irrigate. It looks normal and lush to me. Will they all move on or will this farm become a pigeon-magnet?? Kitch, It will become a pigeon magnet, but only after the birds have mopped up all of the Beechmast, Acorns & Ivy Berries in the area, only then will they move onto the rape in any numbers. That could be as far away as Feb next year, so don't hold your breath..! In your part of the County there could be some over Winter stubbles that will attract a few birds..? Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted November 5, 2016 Report Share Posted November 5, 2016 Kitch, It will become a pigeon magnet, but only after the birds have mopped up all of the Beechmast, Acorns & Ivy Berries in the area, only then will they move onto the rape in any numbers. That could be as far away as Feb next year, so don't hold your breath..! In your part of the County there could be some over Winter stubbles that will attract a few birds..? Cat. I'm hoping Cat! Not much beechmast round here, some acorns and also, unusually, some stubbles. But no birds on them. Some on acorns, a few scattered about on growing wheat (grit? weeds// or regrowth??) but generally NO birds. Lots of fields that appear to be recent drillings but only a handfull on them. Generally NO birds. I found 1 busy field but can't shoot it -typical Cheers, Kitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 went on one of my farms yesterday, and the rape looks very well.not a pigeon in sight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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