Pigeons on OSR with the cold arriving

[Centrepin]

Shot one yesterday, empty crop! 

100s if not 1000s of acorns on the ground and bushes/ hedgerow full of berries.

All the birds, pigeon and corvid are in the trees in the woods nearby, where I have no permission. Decoy in occasionally, I think just to be nosey or high fly over in a loop back to the trees.

Ground is also very waterlogged and maybe just not "suitable" ?

Getting less and less birds down every time out, yet I'm being asked to make a hole in them as they are on the crops (but no where near the OSR).

[the hitman]

With less birds having been shot during the first lockdown- and the decent weather we have had this Autumn/winter so far, plus the abundance of food available to the pigeons - makes you wonder by how much the pigeon population will have increased.

Maybe 2021 will be a great year for pigeon shooting.

Hitman 

[Balotelli]

11 hours ago, the hitman said:

With less birds having been shot during the first lockdown- and the decent weather we have had this Autumn/winter so far, plus the abundance of food available to the pigeons - makes you wonder by how much the pigeon population will have increased.

Maybe 2021 will be a great year for pigeon shooting.

Hitman 

Maybe. In my opinion and I have oft said this, from May onwards, in my experience, this has been a pretty dreadful year. The previous year seemed to shoot pretty well all through the year. Now I was out of the country for the previous few years so can't compare the last two years with previous years. I would be interested in Forum members' views on whether this was a particularly bad year or the previous year a particularly good year compared to previous years. 

[Pigeon addict]

On 19/11/2020 at 00:11, Jim Neal said:

There's about 25 acres of stubble turnips drilled into a couple of meadows in the middle of the patch that I keeper.  It was drilled quite a bit later than is typical, I think.  Early on, it was getting a bit of interest from the pigeons but I haven't seen any on it for months now.  Maybe it's attractive when the leaves are young and fresh but not after it's sat a while?  Maybe they just prefer something else.

The shepherd will probably put his flock on it within the next month but if any survives during the leaner part of the winter I'll be able to tell if the pigeons are using it, I'm up there almost every day.

Thanks for your help. I suppose I’ll just keep an eye out. Like you said perhaps it’s of interest to the pigeons when the leaves are young. 

[the hitman]

15 hours ago, Balotelli said:

Maybe. In my opinion and I have oft said this, from May onwards, in my experience, this has been a pretty dreadful year. The previous year seemed to shoot pretty well all through the year. Now I was out of the country for the previous few years so can't compare the last two years with previous years. I would be interested in Forum members' views on whether this was a particularly bad year or the previous year a particularly good year compared to previous years. 

I had a decent year last year, and was fully expecting the same this year until lockdown # 1 happened.

we will have a better idea of numbers  when they choose to leave the woods and hedgerows and head out into the fields in search of winter rape.

Hitman 

[marsh man]

4 hours ago, Pigeon addict said:

Thanks for your help. I suppose I’ll just keep an eye out. Like you said perhaps it’s of interest to the pigeons when the leaves are young. 

We have got a fair bit of Fodder Radish which is grown for keeping the Sheep in food throughout the winter , at the moment we have already got Sheep feeding on the field that wired off in strips , we have grown it for a few years and haven't had any Pigeon damage in the past , this might be due with a lot of rape round the surrounding fields and mildish Winters .

Worth keeping an eye on it if you haven't got that much feedstuff for Pigeons to feed on in your area , you might even get a few when the Sheep clear the field and are moved onto another field , the field is then stripped and your decoys show up well , if a situation arise then take it as it wont last long .

[NatureBoy]

Be interesting how the changes in crops, cropping, tillage planting affects pigeons going forward. Specially if a shift away from growing rape and less pestisides.             NB

[Pigeon addict]

2 hours ago, marsh man said:

We have got a fair bit of Fodder Radish which is grown for keeping the Sheep in food throughout the winter , at the moment we have already got Sheep feeding on the field that wired off in strips , we have grown it for a few years and haven't had any Pigeon damage in the past , this might be due with a lot of rape round the surrounding fields and mildish Winters .

Worth keeping an eye on it if you haven't got that much feedstuff for Pigeons to feed on in your area , you might even get a few when the Sheep clear the field and are moved onto another field , the field is then stripped and your decoys show up well , if a situation arise then take it as it wont last long .

Yes I’m sure you’re right. Being a brassica I’m sure pigeons would go for fodder radish but with other food sources available perhaps they’ll only eat it as a last resort. Probably not the tastiest thing on their menu! Definitely worth keeping an eye on like you said. Haven’t seen any in my area, all seems to be stubble turnips so I’m guessing we’ll have a few spring drillings going in💪

[dead eye alan]

On 15/11/2020 at 16:10, dead eye alan said:

I'll see if I can get a grandchild in to help me put up a photo tomorrow.

Finally got the photos to JD And he immediately confirmed the berrys to be 2 varieties of Pyracantha, not seen the pigeons on them since last Sunday. Many thanks JD. 😍

[the hitman]

Seen pigeons on OSR locally yesterday  for the first time this winter. Most are still gorging on the hawthorn berries, of which we have an abundance.

Hitman