Garden full of young ones

[nightshade]

There are 4 great tit youngsters sitting out the rain under my porch.on the grapevine,bustling around the garden are 4-5 young jackdaws,and running interferrence are 6 starlings and an equal number of sparrows

[Polecat]

It hasn't been so good here......3 blackbird chicks chirruping together around the borders ( Having nested in my bmw and me not being able to drive it! ) , but the windy weather has made its toll this May, I've found more than a dozen nests on the ground with an assortment of dead chicks to eggs scattered.......hopefully they'll have another brood........
....... have great fun watching the young'uns nightshade

[Het]

its a lovely time of year, everything so busy and all the hustle and bustle. Isla, one of my Pointers went 'on point' at a holly bush up in the wood yesterday. She had found a beautiful baby woodpigeon sheltering from the rain, still quite downyand fluffy. They have such beautiful colouring...although they always seem such nit wits

[Jonny]

Originally Posted by Het

its a lovely time of year, everything so busy and all the hustle and bustle. Isla, one of my Pointers went 'on point' at a holly bush up in the wood yesterday. She had found a beautiful baby woodpigeon sheltering from the rain, still quite downyand fluffy. They have such beautiful colouring...although they always seem such nit wits

I am sorry Het, I do not believe you.............There is no such thing as baby pigeons. I have never seen one, even though there are millions of pigeons around. I think that they hatch into full adults and avoid the growing up process for some reason or other. You will be telling us that there is life on Mars next...................Jon

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Het

its a lovely time of year, everything so busy and all the hustle and bustle. Isla, one of my Pointers went 'on point' at a holly bush up in the wood yesterday. She had found a beautiful baby woodpigeon sheltering from the rain, still quite downyand fluffy. They have such beautiful colouring...although they always seem such nit wits

Have you trained your dogs to point or do they just do it?
(I'm thinking of getting a dog in the next couple of years to help me in my job)

Pigeons are actually very clever in their own way- well the domestic ones are and I suspect the woodies too. They might look all wide eyed and daft but they can count to well over 100 they can learn to peck a red paddle 45 (or whatever number) times to get grain, they can learn to peck a red paddle 5 times and a green one fifty to get grain. They can learn to peck a red paddle fifty times but to stop when a light comes on and carry on again from where they left off when the light goes out again. They can learn to peck a red paddle 25 times and a green paddle 25 times and to switch colours when a light flashes on and back again picking up where they left off. Not to mention the homing abilities, or the ability to see more greens than we can (though I suppse that's not so much being clever as having different eyes!!)
I like pigeons, I know that's not a common feeling towards them. And yes babies do exist they tend to look a bit scruffy and longer in the beak because their cere (SP?) at the top of the beak hasn't developed properly (adult pigeons have a nice fat white cere).

[Oy]

Pesky paddle pecking pigeons eh?

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Oy

Pesky paddle pecking pigeons eh?

Yeah you don't want to go too near em in a row boat it's chaos!!!
and as for table tennis - forget it!!!
hmmm yes I meant in like a lab stype situation

[nightshade]

Woodies have brought their chicks down they look as if they have been freshly scrubbed,they did not stay long something is making them very nervous and the five of them need a lot of room to take wing in a panic situation

[Het]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Have you trained your dogs to point or do they just do it?
(I'm thinking of getting a dog in the next couple of years to help me in my job)

Pigeons are actually very clever in their own way- well the domestic ones are and I suspect the woodies too. They might look all wide eyed and daft but they can count to well over 100 they can learn to peck a red paddle 45 (or whatever number) times to get grain, they can learn to peck a red paddle 5 times and a green one fifty to get grain. They can learn to peck a red paddle fifty times but to stop when a light comes on and carry on again from where they left off when the light goes out again. They can learn to peck a red paddle 25 times and a green paddle 25 times and to switch colours when a light flashes on and back again picking up where they left off. Not to mention the homing abilities, or the ability to see more greens than we can (though I suppse that's not so much being clever as having different eyes!!)
I like pigeons, I know that's not a common feeling towards them. And yes babies do exist they tend to look a bit scruffy and longer in the beak because their cere (SP?) at the top of the beak hasn't developed properly (adult pigeons have a nice fat white cere).

Gill I have two German Shorthaired Pointers, so they just naturally 'point' Isla will 'point' at anything that interests her whether its a frog or a caterpillar. They are excellent dogs to be out in the countryside with as they tend to point rather than flush so they don't frighten everything away, and in fact bring your attention to things you might normally have walked right past.

I agree with you on the pigeons, we have two pairs that nest in the big Beech next to the house, and they are lovely to watch grazing away under the trees

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Jonny

I am sorry Het, I do not believe you.............There is no such thing as baby pigeons. I have never seen one, even though there are millions of pigeons around. I think that they hatch into full adults and avoid the growing up process for some reason or other. You will be telling us that there is life on Mars next...................Jon

You have a point you don't see them often. But it may be because they are not the cutest of chick, so they keep themselves well hidden! I kept pigeons as a kid. We used to call the young ones Squabs, or Squeekers. I gave it up though after a cat got in my pigeon loft! It was a bit messy, and I cried my eyes out

[Polecat]

We have a pair of collared turtle Doves and a pair of Wood pigeons nesting in Juniper trees in the garden..... The junipers are quite dense, both the green outside and the twigs/branches undercover. The woodies are quite comical, because of their clumsyness. They try to perch on tiny thin branches which have no chance of holding their weight, which is ok enough on the outer parts of the juniper...........but when inside they often crash down thru the old twigs and emerge from the bottom of the tree, feathers ruffled.

The turtle doves are much more skillful at choosing their perches i'm glad to say.....I don't know how many times I've been relaxing outside, everything still and quiet....only to jump out my skin when a pigeon suddenly falls down through a tree cracking twigs and a lot of sudden noise.( and its the adults I'm talking about )

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Polecat

We have a pair of collared turtle Doves and a pair of Wood pigeons nesting in Juniper trees in the garden..... The junipers are quite dense, both the green outside and the twigs/branches undercover. The woodies are quite comical, because of their clumsyness. They try to perch on tiny thin branches which have no chance of holding their weight, which is ok enough on the outer parts of the juniper...........but when inside they often crash down thru the old twigs and emerge from the bottom of the tree, feathers ruffled.

The turtle doves are much more skillful at choosing their perches i'm glad to say.....I don't know how many times I've been relaxing outside, everything still and quiet....only to jump out my skin when a pigeon suddenly falls down through a tree cracking twigs and a lot of sudden noise.( and its the adults I'm talking about )

Do you mean turtle doves or collard doves? I'd soooo love to have turtle doves in my garden

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Het

Gill I have two German Shorthaired Pointers, so they just naturally 'point' Isla will 'point' at anything that interests her whether its a frog or a caterpillar. They are excellent dogs to be out in the countryside with as they tend to point rather than flush so they don't frighten everything away, and in fact bring your attention to things you might normally have walked right past.

I agree with you on the pigeons, we have two pairs that nest in the big Beech next to the house, and they are lovely to watch grazing away under the trees

Sounds perfect!! Do they suffer with the cold with their short hair?

[Het]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Sounds perfect!! Do they suffer with the cold with their short hair?

Not whilst they are out, although once they are home they turn all pathetic and climb on the raised hearth in front of the fire. The short hair is great because it means they are wipe clean

[Het]

Originally Posted by Jonny

I am sorry Het, I do not believe you.............There is no such thing as baby pigeons. I have never seen one, even though there are millions of pigeons around. I think that they hatch into full adults and avoid the growing up process for some reason or other. You will be telling us that there is life on Mars next...................Jon

Jon...next time I see one I will take a pic especially for you!!
It was also making a really curious noise, hard to describe , but almost like a drumming sound . Probably the sight of a large nosy dog and an even larger nosy human!

[Polecat]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Do you mean turtle doves or collard doves? I'd soooo love to have turtle doves in my garden

Collard Gill, I did give its full name in the first line

[nightshade]

A very interesting chap called Phil Drabble used to walk a pointer and often found things that he would otherwise have missed.One of the few dogs I would have time for quiet and well behaved

[Jonny]

Originally Posted by Het

Jon...next time I see one I will take a pic especially for you!!
It was also making a really curious noise, hard to describe , but almost like a drumming sound . Probably the sight of a large nosy dog and an even larger nosy human!

Yes please Het.............I seriously have never seen one before, but one with a drum kit ?..............Jon

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Polecat

Collard Gill, I did give its full name in the first line

Ok yes I did see that bit, but i'd just never heard them called collard turtle doves before and then when you referred to them as turtle doves afterwards I got all confused!!!

[Polecat]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Ok yes I did see that bit, but i'd just never heard them called collard turtle doves before and then when you referred to them as turtle doves afterwards I got all confused!!!

..... lol.....I can't do right. !! ....My 'bird bible' lists 'Streptopelia decaocto' as a 'Collared Turtle Dove'......and I was just trying to be proper......but saying that, I have always referred to the bird as that!!! ......cause I've had me 'bird bible' for over 30 years!!!

An amazing success story really, in as so much it was not known in the UK until the 1920's and spread from the Balkans in a very short space of time....I have wondered why for years!!!

[May]

Our garden is absolutely teeming with baby sparrows and a few dunnocks. At least we think they're baby dunnocks - they're very beautiful birds. We're sure their dunnock little 'uns as they look exactly like the adults but with more stripes and no grey belly.

[Tornado]

Glad to hear of all the success stories regarding this years young. We also have some juvenile blackbirds who flew the nest on the 1st May, it now looks like thier parents are having another "go". Robin young have been at a real low this season with only two young birds recorded for us, these were first seen on May 2nd . However the starling population are doing really here, with the first young seen on the 17th May, we now have around 20 juveniles along with at least 7 pairs (if not more) adults! Haven't recorded any dunnock young yet or any of the tit family, but they can't be far off fledging now. Just looking forward (hopefully) to seeing the Grey wagtail young, from a pair who have been regulars in our garden, the male from around November last year and the mate he attracted from about late Feb. If they do bring their young I will try to get some decent photos and see if I can post them on the site.
They will most certainly be placed at www.wildrossendale.co.uk
Good luck to all who have young in their garden
Tornado