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Unusual Pigeon behavour


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I have just arrived back to my office, after a business trip to Lincoln.

 

Whilst driving back through the countryside, I spotted a massive flock of pigeons flying and undulating over a field of flowered OSR.

 

I pulled up and watched as the mass of birds for about 5 minutes, as they swooped and dived collectivley about a foot over the top of the field.

 

They looked almost as if they were feeding on flys in the same way that a swallow would skim and dart about.

 

I've never seen that behavour before, and never thought that pigeons would collectively feed on insects, or be agile enough to catch them on the wing if they did.

 

 

Anyone whitnessed this before, or can give an explanation

 

 

Paul in North Lincs

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I suspect they were looking for a place to land.

They often hover and fly low over ripe wheat for ages, doing the same thing.

Especially when its breezy and the tall crop moves in the wind, exposing and then covering the potential landing area.

 

When you get small groups, they find the low spots, or tractor lanes quickly and land.

 

The larger flocks seem to want to stay together and often have trouble finding a suitably sized landing area.

 

I walked our dog along the edge of a tall rape field yesterday evening and hadn't seen a pigeon.

The dog flushed a cock pheasant, that flew over the field shouting his alarm call and about 200 pigeons lifted off from all over the field.

When the rape is this long they are difficult to spot and I often fire a "scare shot" (I use a starting pistol for this purpose) when out looking, just in case the field is full up all ready.

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