Forum home› Wildlife gardening
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Pigeons.

Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
in Wildlife gardening
Last summer I watched a small group of pigeons sitting on the tips of the branches of an elm tree in my garden. They appeared to be stripping the tips of the foliage. In the last few days I have seen the same behaviour during the last week, pigeons plucking at the tips of the elm tree. I am guessing there must be aphids producing honeydew which the pigeons are enjoying, I have never noticed this behaviour before.

Posts

  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    That’s funny you should say that .I saw that behaviour on our mixed hedge out front only yesterday and said to my husband about it. We couldn’t remember them ever doing it ,or so we’ve ever noticed ,ever before ………and we have dozens of them round these parts . ( north bucks) 
  • SherwoodArrowSherwoodArrow Posts: 284
    Pigeons love the new shoots of lots of plants, I’m currently watching 2 wood pigeons on my privet hedge eating the new buds/small leaves. 
    Nottinghamshire.
    Failure is always an option.

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    I suppose the shoots are sweet and succulent.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Joyce Goldenlily said:
    I suppose the shoots are sweet and succulent.

    I wonder if the pigeons would be the same?
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    Ours all do it to the cherry tree, but it still flowers and fruits perfectly well - sometimes I watch them through binoculars and they're cleaning their beaks in the branches - probably of buds. 😄
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Pigeons love fresh young leaves … particularly prunus … and I’ve also  watched them feast on lilac and ash amongst others. The trees always grow more leaves so no real problem. It’s when they take the blossom buds that we feel a mite peeved 🙄 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Sparrows do the same to our clematis with the first new buds.  Once bud production really gets going they can't keep up and we get plenty of flowers on them too.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Also, if you let your lawn grow long enough to start flowering and set seed, the pigeons are down for a feast in no time!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • alexryzawlskiqBU-X4OFalexryzawlskiqBU-X4OF Posts: 163
    Bullfinches are notorious for eating the buds off fruit trees too. 
    Happy Gardening
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    The pigeons here do the same with the plums, cherries and gages...stripping the leaves off. But the trees do cope and do develop. Then we have the fruits....yes the other birds then come and take the fruit even though it isn't ripe. Thats nature for you. We give and share but they do take more!
Sign In or Register to comment.