Granny tat- that's the polite term! The sparkly fluttery things are possibly the best bet- not quite so unattractive as the poly bags. Pigeons are a b****y nuisance. Doesn't help when people put bread etc. out - it just attracts the undesirable birdy element. We even had this in a rural area as the only neighbour just chucked out all their stale bread and colonies of crows and seagulls appeared.
Would it be worth feeding them bird food in a different and far away part of the garden? Trouble is they'd probably come back for 'dessert' at the tree...
I expect with the way the weather has been this year food has been in short supply too so maybe it will not be an ongoing problem.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
we do put bird food out on a feeder and the pigeons eat that too. Can't put it in a far away part of the garden because we only have a small garden anyway. Haven't tried the plastic bags - only problem with that is that it is a bit unsightly. Pigeons seem to have left the tree alone this year so haven't had to do anything to stop them this year so far.
I have only just found this trail. Started a 0.25 acre garden in a new build house in Feb after leaving 8 acres with over 100 fruit trees that we had planted. Noticed that my newly-planted victoria plum and Stella cherry had many eaten leaves with no visible insects, but then found many of the new side shoots broken off, so I assume this is pigeons (lots around). Never noticed this in previous orchard, but perhaps there was plenty of other food. Pigeons always used to eat the growing points of newly planted runner beans in the previous house but I have found that a low wall of pallet plastic wrapping film has kept them off here, so I am going to try draping some of this in the plum and cherry tree. Wish me luck!
The bird of prey birdscarers are worth trying - although we don't need them here - a pair of peregrine falcons have reared a brood of four this year, and they keep taking woodpigeons from our roof and fences, there are hardly any left
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My 80 year old mother has managed to cover her 15 foot lilac tree with several sheets tied on with rope and string. It looks crazy but keeps the birds off the tree.
The woodpigeons eat the leaves off our ash trees - when it comes to a choice between the ash trees and the veg patch, I'm perfectly happy for them to eat the ash tree leaves - they've got to eat something, poor things and come to think of it, I've eaten plenty of woodpigeons in my time
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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How about playing the Celine Dion cds....
Granny tat- that's the polite term! The sparkly fluttery things are possibly the best bet- not quite so unattractive as the poly bags. Pigeons are a b****y nuisance. Doesn't help when people put bread etc. out - it just attracts the undesirable birdy element. We even had this in a rural area as the only neighbour just chucked out all their stale bread and colonies of crows and seagulls appeared.
Would it be worth feeding them bird food in a different and far away part of the garden? Trouble is they'd probably come back for 'dessert' at the tree...
I expect with the way the weather has been this year food has been in short supply too so maybe it will not be an ongoing problem.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
we do put bird food out on a feeder and the pigeons eat that too. Can't put it in a far away part of the garden because we only have a small garden anyway. Haven't tried the plastic bags - only problem with that is that it is a bit unsightly. Pigeons seem to have left the tree alone this year so haven't had to do anything to stop them this year so far.
I have only just found this trail. Started a 0.25 acre garden in a new build house in Feb after leaving 8 acres with over 100 fruit trees that we had planted. Noticed that my newly-planted victoria plum and Stella cherry had many eaten leaves with no visible insects, but then found many of the new side shoots broken off, so I assume this is pigeons (lots around). Never noticed this in previous orchard, but perhaps there was plenty of other food. Pigeons always used to eat the growing points of newly planted runner beans in the previous house but I have found that a low wall of pallet plastic wrapping film has kept them off here, so I am going to try draping some of this in the plum and cherry tree. Wish me luck!
The bird of prey birdscarers are worth trying - although we don't need them here - a pair of peregrine falcons have reared a brood of four this year, and they keep taking woodpigeons from our roof and fences, there are hardly any left
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
If theyve had four babies, I could do with adopting a pair of falcons.
Failing that I find fast lead works.
Or http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/moroccanpigeonpie_89167
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The foxes that live in the wood next door are rather fond of dead wood pigeons.
My 80 year old mother has managed to cover her 15 foot lilac tree with several sheets tied on with rope and string. It looks crazy but keeps the birds off the tree.
Good for mum! Way to go!
The woodpigeons eat the leaves off our ash trees - when it comes to a choice between the ash trees and the veg patch, I'm perfectly happy for them to eat the ash tree leaves - they've got to eat something, poor things
and come to think of it, I've eaten plenty of woodpigeons in my time 
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.