Feeding Preferences

[Country Boy]

There is no denying that pigeons, with a little help from rabbits, have certainly made an impression on the current oilseed rape crop, everywhere.

They begin their day at a favourite feeding place closest from roost and mostly determined by the wind direction, the harsh frost of the last two mornings has seen them heavily munching rape at the first feed, swiftly moving onto ivy berries especially if disturbed on the rape.

Of course the massed bands of roost shooters are now having some input into distributing pigeons widely and thus helping with the natural breakup of the big flocks, although their efforts have little real effect on woodpigeon numbers.

As I say much of the rape is now badly eaten, but as this still dormant brassica napus comes back to life the new growth will attract even more pigeons throughout March and April, giving the decoyer an easier time with better opportunity to make a good bag.

But, get ready soon for the farmers to begin spraying on the nitrates which will definitely spoil the shooting (you won't want to be there the day they are spraying or even for several days after) because the birds will find the rape leaves have turned very bitter and so they will be seeking other food sources : early spring drillings and more ivy berries, but after a week or so and a shower or two of good old rain things will quickly neutralise and the pigeons will know this and god help some rape crops then!!!!!!!!

C.B. ;~}

[kdubya]

rape my way was getting sprayed today!

cheers KW

[anser2]

Good point Countryboy , I had never thought about the spray making the leaves unpleasant for pigeons to eat. They are spraying nitrogen over all my rape fields this week and they have all gone dead.

 

For pigeon activity that is

Edited February 12, 2008 by anser2