Sacha wrote:

Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn?
We've seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it
particularly before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
grass has just been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry.
They're alone when they do it and often remain stationary for several
minutes. We haven't noticed that the collared doves do it, only the
wood pigeons, it seems.
--
I've taken the liberty of posting your enquiry to "uk.rec.birdwatching",
as one of the epxerts there might know a reason for this behaviour.

Peter

--
He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I could see
that, if not actually disgruntled he was far from being gruntled.
P.G. Wodehouse 1881 - 1975

On 01/06/2013 23:10, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-06-01 19:37:20 +0100, Roger Tonkin said:

In article ,
says...

Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn?
We've seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it
particularly before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
grass has just been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry.
They're alone when they do it and often remain stationary for several
minutes. We haven't noticed that the collared doves do it, only the
wood pigeons, it seems.

Given all the possibilities, and no positives, may be
an email to BBC Spring Watch?

I hadn't thought of that but it's a good idea. Thank you!

On 2013-06-02 07:58:44 +0100, Peter James said:

Sacha wrote:

Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn?
We've seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it
particularly before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
grass has just been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry.
They're alone when they do it and often remain stationary for several
minutes. We haven't noticed that the collared doves do it, only the
wood pigeons, it seems.
--
I've taken the liberty of posting your enquiry to "uk.rec.birdwatching",
as one of the epxerts there might know a reason for this behaviour.

Peter

Thanks, Peter and thanks to David for the springwatch address too.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2013-06-01 13:53:53 +0100, Janet said:

In article , says...

On Sat, 01 Jun 2013 09:34:34 +0100, Sacha wrote:

Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn?
We've seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it
particularly before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
grass has just been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry.
They're alone when they do it and often remain stationary for several
minutes. We haven't noticed that the collared doves do it, only the
wood pigeons, it seems.

Not lying on ants nests, by any chance, to get themselves cleaned of
parasites?

I've seen crows hens and pheasants all do the same thing, spreading
their wings and fluffing the other feathers. They will do it in dust (or
their favourite, bonfire ash) but also do it on lawns, as if sunbathing.

I'm not sure if ants on lawns play any role but certainly birdmites
exposed to light, will make a run for it into a shadier hiding place
(like the spot beneath the bird).

Janet

They're not dust-bathing or spreading their wings. They're just lying
there, neatly tucked in, as if simply having a nice quiet rest on the
lawn. They make no movement whatsoever, to the point where Ray wasn't
certain about what creature he was seeing this morning. He even considered
some frightened rabbit or hare because unlike me, he hasn't seen them do
this before. There is no ants' nest, no nothing to be seen other than dozy
pigeons. Occasionally, they get up, move about a bit and lie down again.
I've now seen this about half a dozen times and then the bird gets up and
flies off.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

If it occurs early in the morning maybe they are just "sun-bathing",- I've
seen blackbirds doing this, facing the sun taking in the warmth

Bill

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn? We've
seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it particularly
before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the grass has just
been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry. They're alone when
they do it and often remain stationary for several minutes. We haven't
noticed that the collared doves do it, only the wood pigeons, it seems.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

Have a look at:-
http://thenaturephile.com/tag/wood-pigeon/

then scroll down quite a way untill you come to a photo of a pigeon doing
just what you say. I couldn't see a reason for the behaviour though.

Bill

Sacha wrote:

Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn?
We've seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it
particularly before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
grass has just been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry.
They're alone when they do it and often remain stationary for several
minutes. We haven't noticed that the collared doves do it, only the
wood pigeons, it seems.
According to the expert on uk.rec.birdwatching some birds do sunbathe.

His answer to my question as to whether they do sunbathe was:

"Yes. A paper in British Birds in 1969 on sunbathing in birds listed
over 170 species of 48 families across the world, with a couple of dozen
species in the pigeon/dove family, including Woodpigeon."

So we can only assume that in the absence of any ants, they must have
been sunbathing.

Peter


--
He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I could see
that, if not actually disgruntled he was far from being gruntled.
P.G. Wodehouse 1881 - 1975

On 2013-06-02 16:51:07 +0100, Bill Grey said:

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn?
We've seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it
particularly before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
grass has just been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry.
They're alone when they do it and often remain stationary for several
minutes. We haven't noticed that the collared doves do it, only the
wood pigeons, it seems.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

Have a look at:-
http://thenaturephile.com/tag/wood-pigeon/

then scroll down quite a way untill you come to a photo of a pigeon
doing just what you say. I couldn't see a reason for the behaviour
though.

Bill

This sounds very similar behaviour though I couldn't see any wings
extended. Having said that, in those photos, the wings seem kind of
'dropped' not fully extended, so perhaps we wouldn't have seen that
from our bedroom window and at a distance. The sun wasn't particularly
warm when they were doing this and in fact the last we saw was partly
in the shade of a tree. But it may be that they are warming up after
cold nights. Lately, the nights have been pretty warm and we haven't
observed any pigeons doing this! Thanks, Bill.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 2013-06-02 20:16:55 +0100, Peter James said:

Sacha wrote:

Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn?
We've seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it
particularly before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
grass has just been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry.
They're alone when they do it and often remain stationary for several
minutes. We haven't noticed that the collared doves do it, only the
wood pigeons, it seems.
According to the expert on uk.rec.birdwatching some birds do sunbathe.

His answer to my question as to whether they do sunbathe was:

"Yes. A paper in British Birds in 1969 on sunbathing in birds listed
over 170 species of 48 families across the world, with a couple of dozen
species in the pigeon/dove family, including Woodpigeon."

So we can only assume that in the absence of any ants, they must have
been sunbathing.

Peter

Sounds very much like it. It's so strange we haven't seen it before though!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 03/06/2013 15:00, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-06-02 20:16:55 +0100, Peter James said:

Sacha wrote:

Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn?
We've seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it
particularly before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
grass has just been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry.
They're alone when they do it and often remain stationary for several
minutes. We haven't noticed that the collared doves do it, only the
wood pigeons, it seems.
According to the expert on uk.rec.birdwatching some birds do sunbathe.

His answer to my question as to whether they do sunbathe was:

"Yes. A paper in British Birds in 1969 on sunbathing in birds listed
over 170 species of 48 families across the world, with a couple of dozen
species in the pigeon/dove family, including Woodpigeon."

So we can only assume that in the absence of any ants, they must have
been sunbathing.

Peter

Sounds very much like it. It's so strange we haven't seen it before though!

Don't you think that after a time on a nest of just twigs, a chance to
lie down on some nice soft grass would be good?

On 2013-06-03 15:52:28 +0100, David Hill said:

On 03/06/2013 15:00, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-06-02 20:16:55 +0100, Peter James said:

Sacha wrote:

Does anyone know why wood pigeons lie down in the grass on our lawn?
We've seen several of them do it but can't say we've noticed it
particularly before this year. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
grass has just been cut or not, nor whether it's rained or is dry.
They're alone when they do it and often remain stationary for several
minutes. We haven't noticed that the collared doves do it, only the
wood pigeons, it seems.
According to the expert on uk.rec.birdwatching some birds do sunbathe.

His answer to my question as to whether they do sunbathe was:

"Yes. A paper in British Birds in 1969 on sunbathing in birds listed
over 170 species of 48 families across the world, with a couple of dozen
species in the pigeon/dove family, including Woodpigeon."

So we can only assume that in the absence of any ants, they must have
been sunbathing.

Peter

Sounds very much like it. It's so strange we haven't seen it before though!

Don't you think that after a time on a nest of just twigs, a chance to
lie down on some nice soft grass would be good?

;-)) Must be particularly hard twigs this year then!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk