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Amelanchier and pigeons

catrionad21E8Ym3ES1catrionad21E8Ym3ES1 Posts: 21
in Problem solving
Good morning,

Our gorgeous amelanchier, planted last year, is resplendent with berries but these are attracting the local big fat pigeon with has broken several of the tree’s branches. I wouldn’t mind the pigeon having the berries but I’m sad about the lovely tree. Are the branches likely to regrow?




Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited June 2023
    I know what you mean.
    I'm close to woodland and fields so there are wood pigeons everywhere all the time - especially on the roof at about 3.45am constantly cooing🤬
    They massacre the flower buds as they appear in spring then do the same at this time of year with the berries.
    I have a large amelanchier as does my neighbour - both 20+ yrs.
    They do break some branches but it doesn't appear to do any serious damage to the shrubs

    PS - I keep them away from my soft fruits by hanging old CDs from branches - it really does keep them away.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • catrionad21E8Ym3ES1catrionad21E8Ym3ES1 Posts: 21
    Thanks Pete, have thought about using something to distract them. We’re on the south coast so the sound of the pigeons cooing is drowned out by the screeching seagulls from 4am. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I have the same problem at the moment @catrionad21E8Ym3ES1 as we have loads of woodies round here too. If you prune the branches off neatly back to a joint, then yes - they'll grow more.
    It's why Amelanchiers are so often grown as multi stem shrubs rather than trees - they're very resilient and adaptable.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Pigeons wreck everything round about here . When did they become so huge? They are the size of a small chicken in my garden .
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited June 2023
    When our amelanchier was younger we got pieces big kitchen foil, scrunched them in the middle do they looked like huge bow ties and hung them in the branches … that kept the pigeons away. Now the tree is sturdier we don’t worry about it. It can cope with a few fat pigeons. 

    Wood pigeons always have been a lot bigger than town pigeons … back in the day a rural housewife could feed a family of four on one of them and some root vegetables 😉 

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





  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    bcpathome said:
    Pigeons wreck everything round about here . When did they become so huge? They are the size of a small chicken in my garden .
    Perhaps they are just following the obesity trend set by humans  ;) 
    As  @Dovefromabove says, town pigeons are quite scrawny by comparison.   
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