Wood Pigeons

[mim]

As a newcomer still to this site. I am unsure if this sort of question has been asked before. Until approximately 3-4 days ago Wood Pigeons along with other birds were regular visitors to my garden. I still have all the other birds coming in for the bird tables and baths, but no Wood Pigeons. Does anyone please have any ideas as to why they have suddenly stopped coming ?

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Maybe another source of food has become available, Farmers do alot of work in the fields this time of year and no doubt the pidgeons will be making the most of the seed that has been turned over

[Dan Salter]

usually good numbers in my garden but have not been paying too much attention as been a bit busy i will check it out this weekend

[mrs fish]

They are out there eating all the elderberries and abundance of seed that there is at the moment.
There must be about 20 woodies live on the park close by to me but I have noticed there are not so many about just lately, they must be off on an elderberry hunt

[aeshna5]

I still get c.4 Woodies + 10+ Collared Doves in my garden. If you live near farmland could your birds have been shot?

[mim]

Thank you all for your replies. I live near some woods and also farmland, so either one is a possibility. Though I really hope it is just a case of richer pickings elsewhere, guess only time will tell. In the meantime shall still enjoy watching all the other types of birds feeding and bathing.

[Diane E]

Hi Mim, I had 2 wood pidgeons come to my garden just about every day in the summer. Then one day - sometime in mid September - they 'disappeared'. Not seen them since. On CJ Wilds web site it says for September:

"Woodpigeon numbers decline (in gardens) as adults takes their young birds to form feeding flocks on nearby farmland."

So, hopefully, that's where your birds have gone - for a family holiday!

[cherrybee]

Mine havent been around for a few weeks now.I had 2 regulars but no sign of them.

[Gill Catton]

wood pigeons do move short distances (11km ish)about the country determined by what crops are grown in the area, they do also, as has been stated tend to gather together in large flocks over farmland during the Autumn / winter. There is some evidence of more large scale movements in some areas but british Woodpigeons are thought to be largely sedentary rather than migratory (interestingly - unlike European ones)

[smartie]

Just to add to the census, we had three or four wood pigeons and two collared doves as daily visitors during the summer months, but since I came back from holiday at the end of September I've neither seen nor heard any of them, with the exception of one collared dove which made a brief appearance yesterday.

[jennyb]

My collared doves and wood pigeons disappeared some time ago, but just started to reappear a couple of days ago.

Jenny

[scipio]

This one has gone to the great pigeon-loft in the sky.
It hit the window with such force it was killed immediately but it left behind this "image" of its last moment. Not an easy thing to photograph.
Our new window cleaner says he gets a lot of this because of the super-clean windows he leaves us with!!
Franlkly I wish ours would go away. They sit on their favourite branches an cover whatever is underneath with c**p, particularly my car. Their numbers have increased considerably over the past 5 years and they are becoming a bit of a pest.

Scipio

[mim]

Thank you to all those that have also said that there Wood Pigeons have disappeared recently, gives me some hope that it is normal. Diane E, I like the idea that they have gone on a family holiday . Scipio if that was an attempt at humour, I did not find it funny at all It also begs the question why you are on this site if that is how you feel about Wildlife.

[cherrybee]

Originally Posted by mim

Scipio if that was an attempt at humour, I did not find it funny at all It also begs the question why you are on this site if that is how you feel about Wildlife.

Hear Hear it is a fact of life birds will leave there mark somewhere.I have crows that do it on my washing and seagulls but I also miss my woodpigeon.All the birds in my garden leave their mark.I just wash it off and redo whatever item on the washing line and I would never upload such a distasteful photo as that.It was not very funny.They have to live feed and do there thing somewhere.

[Paul mabbott]

We live on the edge of the city and seldom see wood pigeons in the summer but they fly in from the countryside during the winter. Some stop here while others go into the city centre. Today there were dozens in flight ...
I know that other people see the same thing in reverse; the pigeons feed in town during the summer but fly out to the fields daily during the winter ....

Originally Posted by jennyb

My collared doves and wood pigeons disappeared some time ago, but just started to reappear a couple of days ago. Jenny

[nightshade]

There are young woodies and their parents feeding out on the patio under the porch
along with a couple of magpies the magpies are very nervous around the woodies and the larger (female) woodie just puffs up and slightly opens her wings and they back off pdq
I see more urban woodpigeon now than ever

[Paul mabbott]

Same true in London for sure. Woodpigeons were seldom seen except on the extreme suburbs but now they appear in the city. Presumably because there is no longer any competition from the feral pigeons?

Originally Posted by nightshade

I see more urban woodpigeon now than ever

[scipio]

I'm sorry if you were offended by my picture. That was not my intent. I actually thought it rather poignant myself.
And to give the bird a decent burial I had to climb on the roof which is not fun for someone who can't stand heights.
Apologies again
Scipio

[mim]

A quick update, although all the wood pigeons have not come back, a few have including the "old boy" (must admit was very pleased to see him) , who seems to not worry about any of the other birds that come down. So thanks to all those who posted advice about where they might have gone.

[Diane E]

Glad at least some of your wood pigeons have come back, Mim.

I have still not seen 'my' two (Speckled Jim and Speckled Jemimah ) since August. There is a wire fence at the bottom of my garden separating it from a field. I do miss seeing Speckled Jim land on the wire. When any other bird landed on it, the wire did not move. When Speckled Jim landed on it, it used to sag appreciably. That used to make me smile He was a fine specimen! Hope they are ok.

So what is the story of the 'old boy'? Sounds interesting..........

[mim]

Originally Posted by Diane E

Glad at least some of your wood pigeons have come back, Mim.

I have still not seen 'my' two (Speckled Jim and Speckled Jemimah ) since August. There is a wire fence at the bottom of my garden separating it from a field. I do miss seeing Speckled Jim land on the wire. When any other bird landed on it, the wire did not move. When Speckled Jim landed on it, it used to sag appreciably. That used to make me smile He was a fine specimen! Hope they are ok.

So what is the story of the 'old boy'? Sounds interesting..........

Hi Diane, the "old boy" has been on his own for the last two years now, he did have a partner, but since last year has always appeared on his own. He just makes me laugh. On the ground feeder he gets right in the middle of it and stays there, just eating away merrily, no one else is allowed on. On the bird house he starts off on the top, then sort of flips off the roof into the house bit, and again right in the middle, with no one else allowed.

When he has finished feeding he then just waddles round the garden, which is when he looks so lonely, silly I know, but that is how he looks. Sometimes he goes in the bird baths, and yet again right in the middle. No other birds seem to phase him, magpies, collared doves, jackdaws and even when a rook comes down he takes no notice. He even ignores my black labrador as well, but then again my dog ignores birds. So that is the "old boy" Diane.

Hope yours come back soon, and that are both ok when they do, you do wonder when they are not around, especially the ones that stand out in your mind. Can I ask why they are called "Speckled Jim" and "Speckled Jemimah" ? Mim

[Diane E]

Hi Mim, Your 'old boy' sounds like a real character! I think that's one of the great things about watching birds in the garden - when you get to see them regularly for a period of time and you get to see how they interact with other birds and their likes and dislikes etc. I find it fascinating.

Does 'the old boy' actively discourage other birds from the bird table/house or is he just so big there is no room for anyone else? 'Mine' seemed very laid back indeed and I dont remember them 'bullying' any of the birds. They slowly waddled (as you say!) round the garden, often near the collared doves, foraging. They certainly seem to live life at a different pace to some of the other birds such as starlings and sparrows!

My partner used to refer to the first wood pigeon we saw as Speckled Jim - it was a carrier pigeon in a Blackadder series! When another one came I presumed it was a pair so thought of Speckled Jemimah.

[mim]

Hi Diane, I have never seen him have a go at another bird, he just seems to be there, I suppose one might say "holding court". He is a rather large wood pigeon, so that may be one of the reasons why he has it to himself.

True it is fascinating to watch them and learn their own very different characteristics. Slightly off topic I know, but there is a collared dove that is a bully. He is one that we rescued in our garden and although now ok, he seems to think he should get preferential treatment and he chases all the birds, which in itself is funny, because he is so busy chasing them he misses out on the best food.

[Barbara]

I used to have two wood pigeons visit my garden daily all through the summer, but I have not seen them in my garden for a couple of months. I often see a large flock of them flying overhead though.

[woodpigeon man]

i really like woodpigeons - they're my favourite garden bird. I have one which i also call speckled jim (i've seen blackadder too) He's really funny, and gives me lots of entertainment. Haven't worked out how to upload pics of him yet though, so help would be appreciated! :)