Apologies for gruesome pictures ...

[~T~]

Originally Posted by willowjay

I don't quite understand why my simple enquiry about a large dead bird in my back garden should have been met with ridicule. Perhaps I'm missing something.

However, thanks for the fox ideas, they are uncommon here, but I heard an ungodly yelping and calling one night last week, so perhaps they are now in this area.

many thanks

willowjay

Sorry just havin a bit of fun.

[willowjay]

Well, I left the remains of the bird where it was in order to show my husband when he came home - but it was dark, etc etc - and this morning there was very little left. Just the breastbone and a few bits of insides.

My feeling is that the neighbour's cats got lucky and one woodpigeon met its end. Personally I'm not fond of cats, as I've seen them with too many baby robins and blackbirds clamped in their jaws over the past few years, and I sincerely hope they went home, and threw up on their owner's carpet. Oh I know it's 'natural' but I prefer robins and, yes, even woodpigeons.

but that's just me.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by willowjay

Oh I know it's 'natural' but I prefer robins and, yes, even woodpigeons.

Its not natural. Its not natural to have such a large predatory population with so few limiting factors effecting it.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Its not natural. Its not natural to have such a large predatory population with so few limiting factors effecting it.

Spot on, 'Doghound' - I await responses with interest!



Jim

[Brocakat]

Originally Posted by willowjay

I don't quite understand why my simple enquiry about a large dead bird in my back garden should have been met with ridicule. Perhaps I'm missing something.


Dear willowjay,

Please don't take it personally - and I must try & bring-you-up-to-speed on 'this' one.....

Yes, you've missed out on a thread called , "Big Cat Sightings", and when you have spare half-hour, I suggest that you start reading that particular thread -
and then you will also be "in-the-know".

Dear everyone else,

Someone should have told willowjay, EXACTLY "what's-going-on" with the humour in these other mails in this thread. They might be put-off & leave for ever. That could be OUR loss, and certainly willowjays too.






However, thanks for the fox ideas, they are uncommon here, but I heard an ungodly yelping and calling one night last week, so perhaps they are now in this area.

many thanks

willowjay

My insert is above. btw the threads involved are entitled , "Big Cat" & "Big Cat sighting"

[willowjay]

Thank you - I do understand the debate (and amusement) about sightings (or not) of large felines. The cat in question is small, has a brother, and lurks in the undergrowth in our garden. I shoo them away as much as possible, but they consider our garden to be their territory, and any birds to be their lunch. I believe our pigeon corpse - from the beginning of this thread - to be the work of our neighbour's cats, though I didn't actually see the deed.

I have carefully positioned all the bird feeders in the garden to be on large tree branches, where the tits and finches, woodpeckers etc, have immediate access to the tree if an alarm is given (cat, sparrowhawk), and any ground-feeding robins, blackbirds, dunnocks who feed on the bits beneath the feeders have space around them to make their escape when the cats are around.

I must confess to disliking the cats.

And, no, I didn't intend this thread to be a pro/anti cat debate - I simply wanted opinions as to what ate our woodpigeon!

willowjay