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wood pidgeon life span
"Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... What's wrong with woodpigeons in gardens, anyway? The mess and the reduction of other wildlife. Woodpigeons don't reduce other wildlife. They don't predate on any bird, insect, amphibion or mammal. In my experience they don't cause any mess either. But they do destroy my vegetables! I don't dispute that but cabbages don't usually come under the heading of wildlife, even the most violent kind. |
wood pidgeon life span
"Mary Fisher" wrote "Sue" wrote I've threatened to get an air gun, but I'm probably too much of a softie to use it really. Well, I do like pigeon breasts ... If I do start doing Annie Oakley impressions and actually manage to hit any I'll bear that in mind. ;-) -- Sue |
wood pidgeon life span
In article , "Mary Fisher" writes: | "Alan Holmes" wrote in message | ... | | What's wrong with woodpigeons in gardens, anyway? | | The mess and the reduction of other wildlife. | | Woodpigeons don't reduce other wildlife. They don't predate on any bird, | insect, amphibion or mammal. In my experience they don't cause any mess | either. Predation is not the only way in which one vertebrate species can reduce others. As I posted, there is a speculation that the increase in either or both of them and collared doves is a factor in the reduction of sparrows. But, overall in the UK, I agree that they are probably more of a nuisance to humans than harmful to any other species. They cause some mess in my garden, but nothing to get excited about. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
wood pidgeon life span
"Sue" wrote in message reenews.net... "Mary Fisher" wrote "Sue" wrote I've threatened to get an air gun, but I'm probably too much of a softie to use it really. Well, I do like pigeon breasts ... If I do start doing Annie Oakley impressions and actually manage to hit any I'll bear that in mind. ;-) LOL! I'll take you up on that. Mary -- Sue |
wood pidgeon life span
Mary Fisher wrote:
...... magpies, I've seen them take fledgling collar doves. They can have some of the ones round here, if they want. Like rats this year |
wood pidgeon life span
"Mary Fisher" wrote in message . net... "Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... What's wrong with woodpigeons in gardens, anyway? The mess and the reduction of other wildlife. Woodpigeons don't reduce other wildlife. They don't predate on any bird, insect, amphibion or mammal. In my experience they don't cause any mess either. But they do destroy my vegetables! I don't dispute that but cabbages don't usually come under the heading of wildlife, even the most violent kind. But I do find some excrecia(SP?) in places, and it is quite possible it comes from the pigeons. Alan |
wood pidgeon life span
"Russel Sprout" wrote in message ... "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 3/8/06 10:58, in article , "DB01" wrote: "Mary Fisher" wrote in message . net... "DB01" wrote in message ... How do you discourage the magpies? We do get a couple trying to enter the ivy covered poplar that all the small birds live They're a pest and a pain, handsome though they are. The old country people used to inject an egg with poison and put it into nests the magpies were plundering - or shoot them, I'm afraid. -- Sacha A much maligned species. Not when they destroy other small birds. Alan http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/unwant...gpies/diet.asp |
wood pidgeon life span
On 5/8/06 23:42, in article , "Alan
Holmes" wrote: "Russel Sprout" wrote in message ... "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 3/8/06 10:58, in article , "DB01" wrote: "Mary Fisher" wrote in message . net... "DB01" wrote in message ... How do you discourage the magpies? We do get a couple trying to enter the ivy covered poplar that all the small birds live They're a pest and a pain, handsome though they are. The old country people used to inject an egg with poison and put it into nests the magpies were plundering - or shoot them, I'm afraid. -- Sacha A much maligned species. Not when they destroy other small birds. Alan Indeed. I've seen them do it and it's not pretty. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (email address on website) |
wood pidgeon life span
"Sacha" wrote in message ... On 5/8/06 23:42, in article , "Alan Holmes" wrote: "Russel Sprout" wrote in message ... "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 3/8/06 10:58, in article , "DB01" wrote: "Mary Fisher" wrote in message . net... "DB01" wrote in message ... How do you discourage the magpies? We do get a couple trying to enter the ivy covered poplar that all the small birds live They're a pest and a pain, handsome though they are. The old country people used to inject an egg with poison and put it into nests the magpies were plundering - or shoot them, I'm afraid. -- Sacha A much maligned species. Not when they destroy other small birds. Alan Indeed. I've seen them do it and it's not pretty. It might not be pretty, but predation is just a part of nature. |
wood pidgeon life span
"BAC" wrote in message ... "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 5/8/06 23:42, in article , "Alan Holmes" wrote: "Russel Sprout" wrote in message ... "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 3/8/06 10:58, in article , "DB01" wrote: "Mary Fisher" wrote in message . net... "DB01" wrote in message ... How do you discourage the magpies? We do get a couple trying to enter the ivy covered poplar that all the small birds live They're a pest and a pain, handsome though they are. The old country people used to inject an egg with poison and put it into nests the magpies were plundering - or shoot them, I'm afraid. -- Sacha A much maligned species. Not when they destroy other small birds. Alan Indeed. I've seen them do it and it's not pretty. It might not be pretty, but predation is just a part of nature. But when they completely destroy all the small birds, which then take many years to recover, they need to be culled, In fact, when I bought my first trap for the tree rats, the supplier offered me a trap for magpies, and gave me detailed instructions as to how to catch the damned things, he said once you had caught and killed the tree rats, you were to split them open and use them as bait for the magpies. Alan |
wood pidgeon life span
"Sacha" wrote in message ... On 6/8/06 19:15, in article , "BAC" wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 5/8/06 23:42, in article , "Alan Holmes" wrote: "Russel Sprout" wrote in message ... "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 3/8/06 10:58, in article , "DB01" wrote: "Mary Fisher" wrote in message . net... "DB01" wrote in message ... How do you discourage the magpies? We do get a couple trying to enter the ivy covered poplar that all the small birds live They're a pest and a pain, handsome though they are. The old country people used to inject an egg with poison and put it into nests the magpies were plundering - or shoot them, I'm afraid. -- Sacha A much maligned species. Not when they destroy other small birds. Alan Indeed. I've seen them do it and it's not pretty. It might not be pretty, but predation is just a part of nature. No shit, Sherlock. ;-) Alimentary, my dear Watson :-) |
wood pidgeon life span
"Alan Holmes" wrote in message ... "BAC" wrote in message ... "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 5/8/06 23:42, in article , "Alan Holmes" wrote: "Russel Sprout" wrote in message ... "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 3/8/06 10:58, in article , "DB01" wrote: "Mary Fisher" wrote in message . net... "DB01" wrote in message ... How do you discourage the magpies? We do get a couple trying to enter the ivy covered poplar that all the small birds live They're a pest and a pain, handsome though they are. The old country people used to inject an egg with poison and put it into nests the magpies were plundering - or shoot them, I'm afraid. -- Sacha A much maligned species. Not when they destroy other small birds. Alan Indeed. I've seen them do it and it's not pretty. It might not be pretty, but predation is just a part of nature. But when they completely destroy all the small birds, which then take many years to recover, they need to be culled, They don't completely destroy all the small birds, though. If you have an open mind on the subject, please read the RSPB's take on the effect of magpies on songbird populations, http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/m..._songbirds.asp From which I quote :- "To find out why songbirds are in trouble, the RSPB has undertaken intensive research on species such as the skylark and song thrush. To discover whether magpies (or sparrowhawks) could be to blame for the decline, the RSPB commissioned the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to analyse its 35 years of bird monitoring records. The study found that songbird numbers were no different in places where there were many magpies or sparrowhawks from where there are few. It found no evidence that increased numbers of magpies have caused declines in songbirds and confirms that populations of prey species are not determined by the numbers of their predators. " In fact, when I bought my first trap for the tree rats, the supplier offered me a trap for magpies, and gave me detailed instructions as to how to catch the damned things, he said once you had caught and killed the tree rats, you were to split them open and use them as bait for the magpies. A good salesman always knows how to empathise with a customer .... |
wood pidgeon life span
In article , "BAC" writes: | | [ Quoting the RSPB ] | | The study found that songbird numbers were no different in places where | there were many magpies or sparrowhawks from where there are few. It found | no evidence that increased numbers of magpies have caused declines in | songbirds and confirms that populations of prey species are not determined | by the numbers of their predators. The last clause is plain and simple drivel. There are many circumstances under which the populations of prey species ARE determined by the numbers of their predators. If we assume the previous statements, what it really shows is that, in THIS case, IF there is a SINGLE cause, this is not it. In turn, that makes it unlikely that this is a major factor. Whether or not this a factor at all cannot be determined from such a simplistic analysis. Indeed, it is equally possible that magpie and raptor predation actually increases songbird numbers as reduces them; there are several known mechanisms for that effect! Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
wood pidgeon life span
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , "BAC" writes: | | [ Quoting the RSPB ] | | The study found that songbird numbers were no different in places where | there were many magpies or sparrowhawks from where there are few. It found | no evidence that increased numbers of magpies have caused declines in | songbirds and confirms that populations of prey species are not determined | by the numbers of their predators. The last clause is plain and simple drivel. There are many circumstances under which the populations of prey species ARE determined by the numbers of their predators. If we assume the previous statements, what it really shows is that, in THIS case, IF there is a SINGLE cause, this is not it. In turn, that makes it unlikely that this is a major factor. Whether or not this a factor at all cannot be determined from such a simplistic analysis. Indeed, it is equally possible that magpie and raptor predation actually increases songbird numbers as reduces them; there are several known mechanisms for that effect! That's as may be, but the exercise reported on certainly doesn't support the blanket assertion that magpies completely destroy populations of smaller songbirds (and therefore 'need' to be culled) which Trapper Alan referred to in justification of his opinion of the species. |
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