ditchman Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 not exactly ..talk fro the field........... i get the usual wood pigeons in the garden...as do most people....but lately i have been getting a few different ones ...and the resident woodies push them about and away from their seed .... they are in colour ...the same.......the same markings EXCEPT....they dont have a white neck flash....and maybe a tad smaller......anyone have any idea what these birds are or from......................? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 Juvenile wood pigeons maybe !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 Juvenile wood pigeons maybe !! that is what i thought first off...................dosnt seem right tho' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 What colour eyes ditch? black and yellow like a woodie or black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) that is what i thought first off...................dosnt seem right tho' ... Been so mild may still be few about. Not doves is it ? Edited January 3, 2017 by fruity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 not exactly ..talk fro the field........... i get the usual wood pigeons in the garden...as do most people....but lately i have been getting a few different ones ...and the resident woodies push them about and away from their seed .... they are in colour ...the same.......the same markings EXCEPT....they dont have a white neck flash....and maybe a tad smaller......anyone have any idea what these birds are or from......................? Juvenile wood pigeons maybe !! That's it. that is what i thought first off...................dosnt seem right tho' Why not, they will breed every month of the year these days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 i will take some pics when i see them next.................definatly not doves...got dozens of them here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 Wood pigeons dont develop the neck ring until they reach breading age, as their breeding cycle will normally be three clutches of two eggs, the first laid February/March, then another two as soon as the young are fledged and again two more in the autumn , if they are from an early clutch they may well have the neck ring by August / September the same year,at the height of summer with food in good supply they achieve full adult body size and weight very quickly, but if they were late hatchers, maybe not fledged until September / October they may well not develop the neck ring until the following spring, so this time of year there are numbers of these smaller juvenile's moving around with adults and as you say getting pushed off food sources and unable to grow and develop as they would have in the summer, as long as we dont get a bad cold spell they will probably make it ok into the spring, but if it freezes over or we get some deep snow they will be the first to die off in harsh conditions, It can be a really tough start for any hatched late, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKD Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) Stock Dove 😉 Edited January 3, 2017 by JKD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesj Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 What he said ^^^ got loads round here, they come in to the decoys with the woodies. It can get a bit hard to pick you target at times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HIDENSEEK Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 What he said ^^^ got loads round here, they come in to the decoys with the woodies. It can get a bit hard to pick you target at times I'm sure Ditch knows the difference, I think he's done a bit..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesj Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 I'm sure Ditch knows the difference, I think he's done a bit..... And I'm sure he will tell us if we are wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 Ditchman,me old mocker,,I do worry some days when seeing TURTLE DOVES In my back garden that there are so few about that if the bird was not identified properly,that these beautiful birds could be put onto endangered list,, They are a beautiful Dove and just another quick glance before pulling the trigger could help see a few more about.. NO I AM NOT ANTI PIGEON SHOOTING.. Would just love to see a few more about.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 Ditchman,me old mocker,,I do worry some days when seeing TURTLE DOVES In my back garden that there are so few about that if the bird was not identified properly,that these beautiful birds could be put onto endangered list,, They are a beautiful Dove and just another quick glance before pulling the trigger could help see a few more about.. NO I AM NOT ANTI PIGEON SHOOTING.. Would just love to see a few more about.. i will try my hardest not to shoot them in future,,,,old eyes arnt so good now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) Stock doves will rarely come onto bird feeders, they will however fly with pigeons in numbers but anyone who shoots regularly will be able to tell the difference, the dove has no white markings on the wings or neck, the wings are shorter , pointed at the ends and slightly swept back, which produces a much different wing beat and flight pattern, the dove is smaller than even a fledgling pigeon and has a quite different silhouette in the air, seen from above or behind the dove has two darker blue grey stripes going diagonally on each wing, I will regularly see 20 or 30 of these doves in and out of the decoy pattern on a normal day as the areas I shoot are very near large built up areas and factory units where these doves seem to like to live, mixing with feral pigeons as well as wood pigeons. Turtle doves are indeed rare now, they get their name from : European turtle-dove, Streptopelia turtur, a member of the Columbidae, the pigeons and doves. This bird has no connection to turtles, but instead, its name was one that it bestowed upon itself: their specific name, turtur, is a Latinisation of their purring turr turr turr song. Much more brown than blue, very fine lightweight bodies and a lot smaller than even the stock doves, more like the collared dove in shape and size , as a rule I dont shoot any doves even though the collared dove is not protected due to the fact it is an invasive species, at distance and in poor light it would be easy to mistake a turtle dove for a collared dove, better safe than sorry, doves and ferals pose no threat to farm crops and I am there to keep the wood pigeons off the crops, end of. If in doubt google the birds for a good look, learn to tell the difference, we cannot afford mistakes getting into the news and causing our sport more problems. Edited January 3, 2017 by lakeside1000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil w Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 Stock doves will rarely come onto bird feeders, they will however fly with pigeons in numbers but anyone who shoots regularly will be able to tell the difference, the dove has no white markings on the wings or neck, the wings are shorter , pointed at the ends and slightly swept back, which produces a much different wing beat and flight pattern, the dove is smaller than even a fledgling pigeon and has a quite different silhouette in the air, seen from above or behind the dove has two darker blue grey stripes going diagonally on each wing, I will regularly see 20 or 30 of these doves in and out of the decoy pattern on a normal day as the areas I shoot are very near large built up areas and factory units where these doves seem to like to live, mixing with feral pigeons as well as wood pigeons. Turtle doves are indeed rare now, they get their name from : [/size] European [/size]turtle-[/size]dove, Streptopelia turtur, a member of the Columbidae, the pigeons and [/size]doves. This bird has no connection to [/size]turtles, but instead, its name was one that it bestowed upon itself: their specific name, turtur, is a Latinisation of their purring turr turr turr song.[/size] M[/size]uch more brown than blue, very fine lightweight bodies and a lot smaller than even the stock doves, more like the collared dove in shape and size , as a rule I dont shoot any doves even though the collared dove is not protected due to the fact it is an invasive species, at distance and in poor light it would be easy to mistake a turtle dove for a collared dove, better safe than sorry, doves and ferals pose no threat to farm crops and I am there to keep the wood pigeons off the crops, end of. If in doubt google the birds for a good look, learn to tell the difference, we cannot afford mistakes getting into the news and causing our sport more problems. Marvellous, post Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 not exactly ..talk fro the field........... i get the usual wood pigeons in the garden...as do most people....but lately i have been getting a few different ones ...and the resident woodies push them about and away from their seed .... they are in colour ...the same.......the same markings EXCEPT....they dont have a white neck flash....and maybe a tad smaller......anyone have any idea what these birds are or from......................? Google images "juvenile wood pigeons". Some look very much as you described them. Give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 Google images "juvenile wood pigeons". Some look very much as you described them. Give it a try. yeah ...had a look...............you and Lakeside1000 are right...that is exactly what i have got...........they must have been from a very late brood............im just really surprised.....as they look like a very mature bird without the neck markings....there are several about here altho' ive been out a few times i havnt shot any in the field............in a normal year the cold weather would have killed the late broods off....but it has been so mild this year and everybody around here spends £zillions on birds food ....which has made it easy for them......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 I would have thought you'd have known exactly what they were, Mr ditch. After all, the white wing bars will still be present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 I would have thought you'd have known exactly what they were, Mr ditch. After all, the white wing bars will still be present. motty you are right boy......the white wing bars were there ...everything else...cept the lack of flashes on the neck....not even a hint of them............ive seen and shot young birds before ...but they were much smaller.....its just these ones threw me as they were in good condition nice even mature plumage....same size....but just lacking the neck flashes.....coupled with the time of year....just really looked out of place..... we have birds about now, starting to drop into the rape..........havnt seen any in flights of migrant birds from other areas or the continent ...we have 3 regular flocks varying from 40 birds to 150-200....very very skittish....one bang and you dont see them for 3 hours...............strange ...5 years ago i would be out 3 times a week....and never come back with less than 15 or so birds...not big bags but regular all the time.....now it is just really poor and pot luck...........its a good job im always a "glass half full person"....i would have given up a long while ago........................daresay you are still filling your boots....good on you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 I would have thought you'd have known exactly what they were, Mr ditch. After all, the white wing bars will still be present. Precisely. If they have white wing bars they are woodies, if not they are ferals or some sort of dove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 Each winter I shoot a number of "Woodies", with wing bars but slightly smaller and with no neck ring. However, they are slightly darker and each feather has a tiny, light-coloured fringe right at the far end. I have always guessed that they are immigrants (am I allowed to say that or is it too non-PC??). Any ideas, or photos?? Jk That's it. Why not, they will breed every month of the year these days! Dead right, I saw them making more targets for 2017 on Jan 1st!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 Ditchman,me old mocker,,I do worry some days when seeing TURTLE DOVES In my back garden that there are so few about that if the bird was not identified properly,that these beautiful birds could be put onto endangered list,, They are a beautiful Dove and just another quick glance before pulling the trigger could help see a few more about.. NO I AM NOT ANTI PIGEON SHOOTING.. Would just love to see a few more about.. Fully agree! However, if you had seen some of the birds shot on "game" shoots where I'm beating, your blood would boil - as does mine.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 Ditchman,me old mocker,,I do worry some days when seeing TURTLE DOVES In my back garden that there are so few about that if the bird was not identified properly,that these beautiful birds could be put onto endangered list,, They are a beautiful Dove and just another quick glance before pulling the trigger could help see a few more about.. NO I AM NOT ANTI PIGEON SHOOTING.. Would just love to see a few more about.. look just to clear things up.....im not some sort of muppet....i dont go around killing stuff cause it moves...and i do know what a woodpigeon looks like....so please dont suggest to all and sundry that i spend my life thinning out protected species...for amusment...cause i dont............ what started as a query will soon turn out as a witch hunt on me so....pack it in....END OF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 Shot these two birds at roost in February a couple of years ago. I remember being quite shocked at the time, but it seems to be the norm nowadays! Lovely to eat though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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