Pigeons

[Crackle]

We have some great entertainment going on in the garden during the day, much better than Bargain Hunt on the telly.
I made a bird table about 7 or 8 years ago, and we have 2 pigeons who have decided to nest in the roof.
Over the last week they have built up a lovely pile of sticks for a nest, (must be a bit uncomfortable to sit on).
She is spending most of the day sitting on the nest and the male is having a hard time fending off all intruders, e.g. other pigeons and even the magpies, from the bird table where he thinks the crushed grain that Gill puts out is purely for his and his mates consumption.
Yesterday he spent 2 minutes in a struggle trying to tip another stubborn pigeon off the table, he had the intruder by the scruff of its neck pushing and shoving whilst the intruder was still trying to peck at the grain.
At night they disappear off somewhere else, so there are no eggs as yet.

That is George sitting on the roof, and Mildred came off the nest and popped her head out for a photo.
   

This is when we first noticed they had taken an interest in the bird table.
   

The start of the nest
   

The nest now
   

This is where they "do it" if you know what I mean.
   

Mike

[ppppenguin]

Spring is here, Spring is here, Life is skittles and life is beer........

[Terry]

We were plagued by pigeons in Ilford - a number of them nested in the roof of the house next door and used the guttering as a perch!

When we moved to Lincoln, I thought we'd got rid of them but, after about 3  weeks, I heard that distinctive cry which, in my mind, always sounds like 'I am that, pigeon, I am that, pigeon' so I know it followed us here!  

[ppppenguin]

.... used the guttering as a perch!

Gutta Percha!

[Gryphon]

A Londoner writes:

Rats are rats;
Squirrels are rats with good marketing;
Pigeons are rats with wings.

[Crackle]

Last night after dark I checked and she was still on the nest, the first time she has stayed there all night.

This morning though there was no sign of her and there was a white feather on the lawn and the remains of a broken egg and a few sticks on the ground.
I think the magpies must of raided in the very early hours this morning of late yesterday evening. I cant think of any other thing which could have done that.

She was back on the nest earlier, but for now he is sitting on the nest while she looks for food I guess.

I find this very interesting to watch, but I am glad the raid on the nest did not happen with me watching.
Please tell me if you are bored with this story.

Mike

[Refugee]

I would guess that the problem is a domestic cat. A magpie would have just taken the egg and flown off and left the nest.
Magpies are likely to leave one egg to attract the pigeon to lay more eggs.
An electric fence works well for keeping cats in order especially on the veg plot where they rip up seedlings.
Dummy insulators work once they have been through a training period.

[Crackle]

We have 4 cats, its a bit of a worry and I was uncertain if I wanted to allow the pigeons to nest there in full view of our rear windows. I did not want to see one of the squabs fall out into the mouth of a cat. I removed the first half dozen sticks and twigs when the nest building started, then felt guilty and decided to just let nature take its course, so put them back.

I dont think a cat could climb the post and get over the table and into the roofed bit at the top.

The 2 pigeons have been taking it in turns all day to sit on the nest, there is always one of them there, so she may have laid another egg.

Mike

[Paul_RK]

Please tell me if you are bored with this story.

Mike

It's captivating to me, and I wish the couple well. We're currently mourning the first feral pigeon to have visited us in years: for a few nights she (just a guess, and coincidentally my wife had taken to calling her Mildred) roosted either on our bedroom wndow ledge or on scaffolding currently attached to the building next door, and then for whatever reason she remained full time in our back yard, not able or caring to fly anywhere and sleeping only a foot or so off the concrete on a step stool. This continued for about a week, and, while she showed no signs of distress, we were starting to ponder trying to find a pigeon-friendly refuge - many animal sanctuaries, and the RSPCA, seem to think euthanasia the only treatment worth giving to a pigeon that's ailing or unsuited to living at large - then one morning she lay there dead.


Just a tiny amount of blood on a shoulder, no scattered feathers... years have passed since we were visited by a cat, so I'm thinking the most likely culprit either a rat at night or a wood pigeon very early in the morning. Three or four wood pigeons do appear regularly and I had been surprised one day to see one of them pecking repeatedly at poor old Mildred, after I've often watched them contentedly sharing a pile of grain even with sparrows. She's missed, and with hindsight I wish I'd set up at least a box to put her in each night (I caught her a couple of times, it wasn't hard and she seemed not at all perturbed) until we could have established why she had just stopped flying.

Paul

[Diabolical Artificer]

I have two robins nesting on top of my component jars in shed #1. It's a bit inconveinient as I need stuff occasionally in there. Once or twice I've surprised them and they've freaked out flying round the shed. So now I tell them I'm coming "It's only me, I need a rubber thingy whose name escapes me" the neighbors are used to my excentric doings.

I've also had a starling in my workshop - see pic and one robin flew in the living room the other day, luckily i heard it and ducked.

also had lot's of Queen bumblebees wandering in, getting stuck and needing rescuing. Wasps seem to be more intelligent, and can find their way out again without assistance.

We have pigeon's too that come to the bird feeder, they take seed straight out the feeder and boss the other birds about. They also land on the workshop roof with a THUD!!!, sending me six foot in the air. am sure they wear lead boots. Pigeon's are not the cutest of birds, but they still have a place in the scheme of things and are quite humorous in their ungainly way. Fair play to em.

Also had mice nesting inside this year. Don't blame them all for coming inside, the weather has been awefull as you know.

Video of bee and here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrmY6NyNM4Y

Andy.