That's a tip I would certainly try at my allotment Rustyb. Perhaps not this year, I'll see what stalks I have left but for sure next year. Thanks for posting it.
i thought feeding the pigeons would encourage more to come, but i seeem to have just the same three everyday (considering i'm in the inner city, i don't think this is two bad.) i've also got a resident magpie pair, so between them they seem to keep all the other big birds away but still leave room and food for the little ones.
mine seem to prefer bits of kibble dog food to corn, and like mccavity says, i think they're too lazy to bother looking for anything else one they're full up on easy pickings.
My commiserations Adam. Not only did incontinent pigeons build their useless nest ( eggs invariably rolled off) above our patio, they'd eat the emerging broccoli, they would also flutter up in front of me causing palpitations. Their 'love life' is also a bit much!
A lonely, and rather plaintive, male owl has set up home nearby and the pigeons have scrammed. I suggest an owl recording or an ornamental one, occasionally moved hither and thither perhaps?
Thanks Marinelilium. Perhaps that's where I went wrong – is a bird of prey like the falcon doesn't keep them away then I should try and owl. Plastic or real? Or just play them recordings of owls? I need to do something .....
My neighbour has loft's for his racing pigeons. the used to sit on my garage roof and poop all over. I've put a flag pole up with a 7ft union jack flapping about. They don't sit there now. Don't see many wild one's they might stay away because of the racing one's "cooing" all the time.
i have seen those flying birds or prey.. look like kites... attache dto house few streets away.. it is very high and and moves like a bird up and down on the breeze.. thought good idea keep pigeons and rooks away.. so went knocked on there door sunday as asked.
they siad yeah keeps them away alright.. i asked about the smaller birds i feed.. they sid it will keep all birds away... so very good does its job.
so i wont be having myself one as i feed the birds and dont want rid of them.. so will have to put up with them..
on another note thou.. we got the spikes you can stick or nail on.. for our ariel and chimmney.. they used to sit on there .. so got the smaller plastic spikes and glued them on and no bother now.. got the really long ones to stop the seagulls nesting as very noisy and they have worked.
for our kids climbing frame.. as they loved that and i got fed up with cleaning the poo off.. we brought packsof poundland meat scewers and piece of plastic hollow tubing about 6cm across drilled holes in it and bent the scewers and glued them after pushing through.. then attached to the poles at top of frame with wire ties.. had no problem since..
l personally welcome all birds in my garden, the pigeons go onto the tray feeder and take seed, the small birds from the feeders, none cause any problems. Never really got into the culture of labelling animals and birds good and bad guys, for many people its magpie,s hated and persecuted, to me English parrot. Used to be starling considered pests till they went into decline, been osprey, otters, even falcon and eagles, still poisoned, or shot, as in fact some gardeners do to cats, everyone has their own preferences to which animal bird is deemed a pest, bad guy, to be killed. We now have people and a culture en masse who cant tolerate insects, with masses on insecticide in shops cheaply bought to kill anything that moves, even in gardens. Will we ever outgrow killing things, when they dont harm or threaten us.
I think one day this country will be over run with animals of all sorts as so many people think more of animals than the rest of the human race.There comes a time when culls are neccessary but then there is an uproar and the powers that be back down. Every thing in moderation but when farmers livelyhood is threatened by bovine then the cause should be erradicated. Now we are having wild animals introduced here and watch out for troubles with that in years to come. Re Jak,
Vast majority of animals and birds are in decline, even the once common garden, species, re starlings, sparrows, hedgehogs, insects, many now endangered, some extinct, at present a big decline in bee,s, much to do with development and insecticide,s, used by people who deem them a pest, whilst people who care about animal near always care about humans also, but a bit of a cliche thrown out often, alternately many who dont care about animals and abuse them often do humans also, some practise on animals when young. Culling of animals is happening all the time, from pigeions to deer, all manner of species, and there is little retracting by goverment or farmers, but many oppose badger culling thinking it wont be affective in decreasing tb, as agreed by scientists, in that badgers travel, also much disease of livestock, and humans, is down to bad human and farmer practises in feed and housing. There are rarely non native wild animals being released wilfully, a few escapee,s who adapt and breed, but rarely in large numbers, re wallaby, parakeet, when they do become prolific re grey squirrel, mink they are routinely culled. The only animal that is overrunning this and other countries and causing mass problems re development and pollution are humans. `This country` wont be overun with animals.
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That's a tip I would certainly try at my allotment Rustyb. Perhaps not this year, I'll see what stalks I have left but for sure next year. Thanks for posting it.
i thought feeding the pigeons would encourage more to come, but i seeem to have just the same three everyday (considering i'm in the inner city, i don't think this is two bad.) i've also got a resident magpie pair, so between them they seem to keep all the other big birds away but still leave room and food for the little ones.
mine seem to prefer bits of kibble dog food to corn, and like mccavity says, i think they're too lazy to bother looking for anything else one they're full up on easy pickings.
A lonely, and rather plaintive, male owl has set up home nearby and the pigeons have scrammed. I suggest an owl recording or an ornamental one, occasionally moved hither and thither perhaps?
Thanks Marinelilium. Perhaps that's where I went wrong – is a bird of prey like the falcon doesn't keep them away then I should try and owl. Plastic or real? Or just play them recordings of owls? I need to do something .....
My neighbour has loft's for his racing pigeons. the used to sit on my garage roof and poop all over. I've put a flag pole up with a 7ft union jack flapping about. They don't sit there now. Don't see many wild one's they might stay away because of the racing one's "cooing" all the time.
i have seen those flying birds or prey.. look like kites... attache dto house few streets away.. it is very high and and moves like a bird up and down on the breeze.. thought good idea keep pigeons and rooks away.. so went knocked on there door sunday as asked.
they siad yeah keeps them away alright.. i asked about the smaller birds i feed.. they sid it will keep all birds away... so very good does its job.
so i wont be having myself one as i feed the birds and dont want rid of them.. so will have to put up with them..
on another note thou.. we got the spikes you can stick or nail on.. for our ariel and chimmney.. they used to sit on there .. so got the smaller plastic spikes and glued them on and no bother now.. got the really long ones to stop the seagulls nesting as very noisy and they have worked.
for our kids climbing frame.. as they loved that and i got fed up with cleaning the poo off.. we brought packsof poundland meat scewers and piece of plastic hollow tubing about 6cm across drilled holes in it and bent the scewers and glued them after pushing through.. then attached to the poles at top of frame with wire ties.. had no problem since..
l personally welcome all birds in my garden, the pigeons go onto the tray feeder and take seed, the small birds from the feeders, none cause any problems.
Never really got into the culture of labelling animals and birds good and bad guys, for many people its magpie,s hated and persecuted, to me English parrot. Used to be starling considered pests till they went into decline, been osprey, otters, even falcon and eagles, still poisoned, or shot, as in fact some gardeners do to cats, everyone has their own preferences to which animal bird is deemed a pest, bad guy, to be killed. We now have people and a culture en masse who cant tolerate insects, with masses on insecticide in shops cheaply bought to kill anything that moves, even in gardens. Will we ever outgrow killing things, when they dont harm or threaten us.
I think one day this country will be over run with animals of all sorts as so many people think more of animals than the rest of the human race.There comes a time when culls are neccessary but then there is an uproar and the powers that be back down. Every thing in moderation but when farmers livelyhood is threatened by bovine then the cause should be erradicated. Now we are having wild animals introduced here and watch out for troubles with that in years to come. Re Jak,
Vast majority of animals and birds are in decline, even the once common garden, species, re starlings, sparrows, hedgehogs, insects, many now endangered, some extinct, at present a big decline in bee,s, much to do with development and insecticide,s, used by people who deem them a pest, whilst people who care about animal near always care about humans also, but a bit of a cliche thrown out often, alternately many who dont care about animals and abuse them often do humans also, some practise on animals when young. Culling of animals is happening all the time, from pigeions to deer, all manner of species, and there is little retracting by goverment or farmers, but many oppose badger culling thinking it wont be affective in decreasing tb, as agreed by scientists, in that badgers travel, also much disease of livestock, and humans, is down to bad human and farmer practises in feed and housing. There are rarely non native wild animals being released wilfully, a few escapee,s who adapt and breed, but rarely in large numbers, re wallaby, parakeet, when they do become prolific re grey squirrel, mink they are routinely culled. The only animal that is overrunning this and other countries and causing mass problems re development and pollution are humans. `This country` wont be overun with animals.
Adam, you need a locally breeding pair of peregrines. Any pigeon fanciers/racing pigeon owners may beg to differ, though.
In years to come I may consider trading your pigeons for the rabbit warren next door...