martinj Posted March 14, 2019 Report Share Posted March 14, 2019 I'm not asking for grid references or anything, just approximations. It has been very quiet here in NE Hampshire for a week or more after several good weeks, where did they go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted March 14, 2019 Report Share Posted March 14, 2019 (edited) A few days ago there were about 2000 pigeons swirling around a wood and a 50 acre field of spring barley, put some decoys out on the field and sat and watched them from the car, not one showed any interest in the decoys, they were just landing on one part of the field for 2 or 3 minutes then lifting up, swirling around and dropping further down the field. West Midlands WR9 Edited March 14, 2019 by old'un Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted March 15, 2019 Report Share Posted March 15, 2019 Sweet Fanny Adams just north of Bristol. It has been like that all winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted March 15, 2019 Report Share Posted March 15, 2019 19 hours ago, old'un said: A few days ago there were about 2000 pigeons swirling around a wood and a 50 acre field of spring barley, put some decoys out on the field and sat and watched them from the car, not one showed any interest in the decoys, they were just landing on one part of the field for 2 or 3 minutes then lifting up, swirling around and dropping further down the field. West Midlands WR9 Same sort of swirling about round here too. They had been on rape/game covers over the winter, then the spurt of farming activity during the spring-like weather moved them onto new drillings and newly re-cultivated fields, where I guess they were picking up left over beans etc that had been buried last autumn and had been uncovered. These food sources have been cleaned up now and some have drifted back onto rape, with swirling about, whilst others are on clover??? in paddocks and grass fields. Very difficult times but still lots about. It will get worse as the buds will be coming out soon, difficult to get decoys up an ash tree!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted March 15, 2019 Report Share Posted March 15, 2019 53 minutes ago, kitchrat said: Same sort of swirling about round here too. They had been on rape/game covers over the winter, then the spurt of farming activity during the spring-like weather moved them onto new drillings and newly re-cultivated fields, where I guess they were picking up left over beans etc that had been buried last autumn and had been uncovered. These food sources have been cleaned up now and some have drifted back onto rape, with swirling about, whilst others are on clover??? in paddocks and grass fields. Very difficult times but still lots about. It will get worse as the buds will be coming out soon, difficult to get decoys up an ash tree!! Sound about the same round this way , pigeons have been in big flocks and very rarely on the same rape field for two days running , during the four weeks of roost shooting some got good numbers one week and the next week they got next to nothing . During the drilling period I think you were right in what you were saying where the pigeons might have been more interested in the previous crop rather then the new one going in. Now with some of the rape fields starting to get flowers on and in places they are well over three feet tall the pigeons are now homing in on fields that have got a lot of thin areas , this might be fine if you have only got the odd field in a good area but we have got eleven fields on the estate alone and many of the neighbouring farms have also got rape. This situation keep you on your toes but getting a decent bag is very difficult and the same old thing after a few shots they have found somewhere else , unlike some of the above posts we have got good numbers of pigeons and hopefully we can hold on to them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenholland Posted March 15, 2019 Report Share Posted March 15, 2019 I blame P C , he as shot em all , climate change , brexit, maybe once things start to warm up and the bunches start to break up we might get some shot , just got to keep at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted March 15, 2019 Report Share Posted March 15, 2019 1 hour ago, kenholland said: I blame P C , he as shot em all , climate change , brexit, maybe once things start to warm up and the bunches start to break up we might get some shot , just got to keep at it. Sorry, but I did enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunny_blaster Posted March 15, 2019 Report Share Posted March 15, 2019 This week I’ve seen loads on clover and plenty starting to get on the buds. They will soon disappear into the woods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted March 15, 2019 Report Share Posted March 15, 2019 5 minutes ago, bunny_blaster said: This week I’ve seen loads on clover and plenty starting to get on the buds. They will soon disappear into the woods Yes I've seen lots getting onto buds , so we will loose them soon. It's the most frustrating part of the year, when you see loads in the woods and they will not decoy, but we will keep trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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