I'm sure I have mentioned before that my garden is the size of a postage stamp - thank God! - and that most of it is taken up by a patio - well, I'm not daft! - but I don't want you all thinking that I am unappreciative of nature at work. As part of my programme for extending my green credentials I feed the birds. It's true, unfortunately, that I have quite possibly the most boring-snoring set of birds anywhere consisting as it does of blackbirds, chaffinches, collar doves and - dammit - the biggest, fattest, most waddly set of 'flying pigs' anywhere, aka, wood pidgeons. I wage a never-ending war against the latter because they are forcing up the bird seed bill in excess of our household food bill! To be fair, I do have occasional visits from robins and tits but basically it is 'blackies', 'chaffies' and 'luvvie-dovies'.
Sitting in my semi-conservatory on constant guard duty against incoming pidgeons I have become a sort of latter-day Charles Darwin when he spent all that time holidaying working on the Galapagos Islands watching his finches. Studying the behavior of 'my' birds it is now quite clear that they are entirely driven by the four Fs. They are, in no order of priority: Fighting, Fucking, Fleeing and Feeding. So not too different from us humans, really! I'm wondering whether my very astute and learn-ed observations would gain me entry into the Royal Society and, with a bit of luck, a holiday in the Galapagos Islands.
Oh, take that as a 'no', shall I?
You are a veritable latter day Charles Darwin Duffers. Off to the Galapagos for you to study what the tortoise taught us.
Posted by: AussieD | Sunday, 08 March 2015 at 09:26
Thanks, AussieD, I can expect your cheque in the post fairly soon then!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 08 March 2015 at 09:56
Yup. Redeemable in person at any reputable bank in Uzbekistan
Posted by: AussieD | Monday, 09 March 2015 at 01:05
TBH, you've just described the behaviour of many humans.....
You need to put out Niger seed and the dried mealworms in feeders that have something to catch the contents. Wood pigeons cannot feed from the feeders, so they waddle about, pecking up the stuff the other birds throw out.
Also, you can risk scaring them off, as the other birds will come back, but the wood pigeons tend to become more wary. If all else fails, well, my grandmother used to pay a boy to get her a brace as he walked over his father's fields, protecting the new seedlings. Perhaps we could introduce that system here.....
Posted by: Mayfly | Monday, 09 March 2015 at 08:44
I tried Niger seed but it gets everywhere so I stick to sunflower hearts. I have a table feeder with some wire round it to keep the 'pigs' out and let the others in. However, the 'chaffies' do like to feed on the ground so I have to put some down and then stand guard to see off the interlopers! I'm going to try a fat-ball of some sort to see if I can increase the number of tits.
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 09 March 2015 at 17:53
Ah unusual, all my mum's chaffies sit in the bushies, fly in at opportune moments and then fly back to the bush. mind you, it may have something to do with the number of cats that lurk around, These chaffies are the survivors!
Posted by: Mayfly | Tuesday, 10 March 2015 at 08:38