My brassicas are underneath upside down cut off water bottles. No way they would survive the wretched pigeons at this time of year. I suspect a thieving beak has been in my greenhouse already and trimmed the early salad leaves I have in a growbag. I have considered an air rifle and a pigeon pie recipe before now. I'm surprised they have done so much damage to the acer Pete, given that the ones round here are chav mothers who build nests with about three twigs, in unsuitable places like our guttering, and give birth to chicks who have to sit with their lower portions drenched whenever it rains. And at mating time, our garden is like the set for some avian porn film. I despair.
Glad I'm not the only one getting cross. After experimenting with various bird food/ feeders I've settled on feeding with de husked sunflower seeds. Lots of birds use the feeders and blackbirds hoover up underneath. THEN the pigeons arrived, at first they just cleared up dropped seeds now a couple have discovered if they leap up at the feeders making them swing about the seeds fall down. What has taken up almost permanent residence perching on the top of a feeder pole etc, that deters the smaller birds. The bl**dy thing is getting fatter and fatter. Arghhhh.
Be patient, apply the principal of not giving up. Spend 6 weeks watching where they land, run out at them, clap your hands and the Pavlovian principal will prevail. Nothing else works.
I've bought some of those little windmills on sticks that you get at the seaside and dotted them amongst my brassicas - they seem to be deterring the pigeons at the moment
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've got three that come in our garden, a pair and one single one who from time to time 'lives' in our garden. Yesterday in the pouring rain he was in the birdbath. He never drinks from it, preferring to drink rainwater from a flat roof. I know he's a boy because of the 'hey ladies, I'm a handsome woodpigeon, look at my feathers' dance he does that has the opposite effect on any female bird that comes in the garden.
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My brassicas are underneath upside down cut off water bottles. No way they would survive the wretched pigeons at this time of year. I suspect a thieving beak has been in my greenhouse already and trimmed the early salad leaves I have in a growbag. I have considered an air rifle and a pigeon pie recipe before now. I'm surprised they have done so much damage to the acer Pete, given that the ones round here are chav mothers who build nests with about three twigs, in unsuitable places like our guttering, and give birth to chicks who have to sit with their lower portions drenched whenever it rains. And at mating time, our garden is like the set for some avian porn film. I despair.
Glad I'm not the only one getting cross. After experimenting with various bird food/ feeders I've settled on feeding with de husked sunflower seeds. Lots of birds use the feeders and blackbirds hoover up underneath. THEN the pigeons arrived, at first they just cleared up dropped seeds now a couple have discovered if they leap up at the feeders making them swing about the seeds fall down. What has taken up almost permanent residence perching on the top of a feeder pole etc, that deters the smaller birds. The bl**dy thing is getting fatter and fatter. Arghhhh.
Hi every one,
Be patient, apply the principal of not giving up. Spend 6 weeks watching where they land, run out at them, clap your hands and the Pavlovian principal will prevail. Nothing else works.
A shotgun or air rifle works quite well.
Much better than a round of applause!
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I've bought some of those little windmills on sticks that you get at the seaside and dotted them amongst my brassicas - they seem to be deterring the pigeons at the moment
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Give it a week and they'll be nesting in them
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Not the weight of these pigeons - I'm fattening them for a pie - they finish up the hedgehogs' leftovers each morning
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The size of the buggers round here I think 1 wold do us for Xmas lunch!
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I've got three that come in our garden, a pair and one single one who from time to time 'lives' in our garden. Yesterday in the pouring rain he was in the birdbath. He never drinks from it, preferring to drink rainwater from a flat roof. I know he's a boy because of the 'hey ladies, I'm a handsome woodpigeon, look at my feathers' dance he does that has the opposite effect on any female bird that comes in the garden.