Topic: Today

[Doris_Pinks]

Nipped up the plot today to harvest my leeks, parsnips, kale and purple sprouting to have with our roast. Well, the leeks n snips were ok but the
%)&!^*!(*^%()_+^}@>}+) pidgeons have had ALL my greens away. And to add insult to injury they sat and watched me from the oak tree!
 Wish I had a gun, we would have had purple sprouted stuffed pidgeon for dinner instead of the chicken! :'(  :'(  :'(  :'(

[rosebud]

Don`t wish Doris get a gun they are a bl**dy nuisance can you put netting on for now or something like that net curtain??.

[Mrs Ava]

Oh no DP!  S*ds aren't they!!  The pigeons seem to leave my greens alone, altho I don't take chances with my spesh greens, they are netted, I had trouble with the catterpillas, but on old Jacks plot, the fat pigeons sit on the netting to push it down so they can reach the greens through the net!  gggrrrrr.  If it isn't one pest, tis another!  I fear with these feathered enemies, netting, or shooting is the only way to go!

[Doris_Pinks]

Rosebud I think they are beyond saving, they have been stripped!
EJ, next year I shall net them, hindsight and all that, but they have never bothered with them before >:(

[Derek]

Been up the lottie today and some of the gardeners have lost root vegetables to, we think badgers...we seem to have more than our fair share.

The blighters had my sweetcorn last year so this year its all out war ...chicken wire barracades with netting over to keep those muntjack deer out too...yeah we got those as well.

Pigeons...we have the largest well fed contented birds in the UK...WHOLE FLOCKS OF THEM!

So you see the wildlife is wonderful...and well fed  ;D

Derek

[Marianne]

I love birds but it must be awful to realise that your prized veg, that you have spent hours raising, has been gobbled up by the pigeons!

I understand netting can be dangerous and often the birds get trapped and left to die or even get shot.

Maybe a cloche ?  Would that help ??  Or something like a small polytunnel ??
 :)

[Mrs Ava]

Never had probs with the birds getting hooked up on the net, as I mentioned, the pigeons on our site use netting as a comfy seat!  I do use cd's, much to the magpie and jays delight, so maybe a few of them around the netting would put smaller birds off and prevent casualties.

[Marianne]

I suppose it's worth giving them a try.

[ina]

There are those big flocks of black birds we cal kaa's in Holland, smaller than a crow. The can strip a whole patch of broad beans in an hour. Awful birds.

We just have to use nets and when I told Mr. C. about my concern about birds getting tangled, he was talking about snapping necks et., they won't feel a thing.

It happened only once that a bird got tangled in a net, I helped C. getting it loose and then ran away, saying that I didn't want to see him killing it. When I looked back I saw C. throwing the bird in the air and shouting "tell your bloody friends in the trees to f...king stay away from our beans!". The bird flew happily up to the trees and I teased C. about his big mouth hehehe.

[Marianne]

Oh what a nice ending Ina !
 ;D

[Roy Bham UK]

Nipped up the plot today to harvest my leeks, parsnips, kale and purple sprouting to have with our roast. Well, the leeks n snips were ok but the
%)&!^*!(*^%()_+^}@>}+) pidgeons have had ALL my greens away. And to add insult to injury they sat and watched me from the oak tree!
 Wish I had a gun, we would have had purple sprouted stuffed pidgeon for dinner instead of the chicken! :'(  :'(  :'(  :'(

Dottie P buy yourself a Ford Ka' and park it on the lottie you'll have no probs with pigeons then, take a peek... http://www.killsometime.com/video/video.asp?video=Ford-Sportka-Pigeon

[Marianne]

Oh Roy !!!!  That is not nice !! :o :o

[Doris_Pinks]

But a cunning ploy!!! ;D  ;D  ;D   Think netting may be a cheaper option tho!

[Roy Bham UK]

 ;D Tee hee  ;D Sorry if I offended, it's not real, honest :-[ :D ;)

[Mimi]

Just loved it Roy...   ;D  ;D  ;D Hubby still chuckling

[busy_lizzie]

DorisP, I do commiserate about your greens. Last year I lost nearly all of my cabbages to pigeons.  Didn't realise they could do so much damage.  Have got piles of netting for them this year.   :) busy_lizzie