Feral Pigeons

Hi Peter/Alan,

I don't ground or table feed I only use feeders for seed, peanuts, fat balls etc, but I've noticed the Goldfinch are chucking 5 seeds out to every one they eat. I only put fruit and mealworms on ground and the pigeons usually leave them alone. I re-introduced seed two weeks ago because the ferals are down to nine, daresay they will increase in time. Main reason I've re-started its Brambling time and hope I get some again, noticed last two weeks the Chaffinch numbers have increased to a dozen so fingers crossed.

Never had those dishes that catch seed. Got to admit the ferals are good at hoovering up the seed lol.

Noticed one of my hawthorn trees got some type of fungus on a couple of braches, too high to cut off so will take photo and go to garden centre for info.

Regards

John

I agree with Alan, John. Don’t ground or table feed. Try straight feeders with small perches and no food catch dish on the base (Pigeons will perch on it), at least the birds you want feeding will get fed, and the pigeons will clear seed that falls to ground, so preventing that from germinating in the garden.

I agree, Pigeons are a pain. Woodies have increased to plague proportions on my local Patch. They have stripped bare all the hedgerows. Little left for other species except at branch tips where the woodies are too fat to balance and feed.

Good Luck, pleasant viewing

I agree they are a total pain. I sometimes get 30+ dropping in if I ground feed so I tend to put most of my food in feeders to try to deter them. hey have built up to a large local population in the last few years.

For the best part of 25 years I've fed the birds in the garden but very sadly I wont be putting any more seed out when the current batch has finished! Why you ask well its the subject matter above! For the past two months I've been getting 20 of the damn things coming, they perch on the roof kicking up a row, when in the garden they bully the smaller birds including the Blackbirds, when they take off its a right old racket, they are an absolute pest and I HATE them!! I've had two trial periods over the last month or so and when I didn't fill the feeders they stayed away along with all the other birds bar the spuggys in front garden hammering away at the peanuts, as yet the feral pigs haven't been in front garden, all I put there is peanuts and sometimes fat balls.

Over the years I've had some cracking sightings of birds getting the seeds. But while the pigs are coming seed will not be out!

This past week I've put apples and pears out for the Blackbirds which thankfully the pigs aren't touching. Also put scraps at front.

Do other gardens get this absolute pest? Five years ago I was lucky if I saw one. I don't mind Wood Pigeons or Collared Doves. When the sprawk comes it never gets a pig, it gets the doves.

Regards

JTG