Wood pigeons 'flocking to towns

[paul1966]

interesting article for those struggling finding woody's

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7166536.stm

[trevor]

i think this is due to temp its always warmer in towns and rape is never far away for the winter months.

[mossy835]

if i was aloud two shoot in my garden, i could have some fun.

[scolopax]

Woodpigeon have increased massively in numbers in Hull. Back when I was an intrepid back garden air rifle hunter, during the early eighties (OMG twenty five years ago!!!), woodpigeon were a very rare occurance although in winter flocks could be seen occasionally passing high overhead. Now they are to be seen every where, with parks and gardens providing good feeding and abundant breeding habitat. There is a fantastic flighline into a heavily wooded cemetry inner city every evening which comes from the surrounding countryside. I have had some excellent days shooting fields right next to the periphery of the town when the pigeon have come flighting out from the city into the 'green belt'. The only problem has been dog walkers etc but so long as you take care some good shooting can be had.

[henry d]

Great journo TAT..............they may be seen more at bird tables, but old "scutty doo" is king and queen of the inner city by 10-1 IMHO...............it`s a change in feeding habits, end of IMHO.

[anser2]

20 years ago wood pigeons as garden birds in my neck of the woods away from major cities were almost unknown. In the 1970s wood pigeons fled at the sight of man , today thats often not the case. Today i see them everywhere and last year 2 pairs nested in my garden conifers. This could be a change in habbits to exploite a new habitat , but I wonder if in part this is due to lack of shooting pressure. When i was a lad every one who had a gun was keen to have a chance to shoot pigeons , but its not so today. I have several friends who have given up shooting them due to the cost of shells and the low price butchers will pay for the birds. The last two years hardly anyone seems to go roost shooting. I shoot a large estate of and 3 other farms. There are several large woods and a dozen coppices , but frequently I was the only person roost shooting last year and two ( and the other guy only shoots a dozen times a year ) of us cover a total of 7,000 acres for crop protection ( 5 years ago 11 people shot over the crops in same area and on roost shooting days double that would be out).

 

While there are always some days when the birds seem hyper wary , but on the whole the pigeons seem far less wary than 20 years ago . I sometimes find birds landing in the decoys while still setting them out. As I put in another post the other day I had birds comming back to the whirly on monday after their flock had already been shot at. I have enough ground not to over shoot the birds and do not usualy shoot any one field more that once a week. When I arrive there are some days when the pigeons are very reluctant to leave the fields. The other week a friend and I set up on a field covered with flashing windmills and a banger and still the pigeons poured in for 3 hours. Sometimes commiting to the decoys only to hesatate when a banger went off for a second , before resuming their flight in. I cant remember the pigeons of old ever doing that.

 

It may be just me , but I am sure the wood pigeons of today are tamer than their forefathers and this lack of fear of man has allowed them to move into our gardens.