Feral pigeons

[Cyril Haearn]

Overhead in the park

- ooh look granny, a mouse!

- no love, that was a rat

[old_windbag]

Hmmmm..... seems to me, I'd do better to leave the starting of threads in Tea Shop to those* who are well versed in the art of launching a rip-roaring debate. And as for avoiding politics....

I'll merely say, attributing 'outrage' and 'shock' to Yours truly might be putting it a wee bit strong....

Thats me told off, heavens to murgatroyd .

But when I see later comments like below I realise that clearly some are most definitely not playing with a full deck .

One question most birds sing a song? do pigeons? cant say I have ever heard them mutter a single note:maybe if they did then they wouldnt be so hated?

next on the list I hope - send all the foxes packing and the grey squirrels
then the tourists then the labour supporters

[ambodach]

Strange Old Windbag. I guess I live a few hundred miles north of yourself. The Collared Doves seem to have largely vanished from my part of Argyll. We do have a few of some variety of pigeon but certainly not woodpigeon. Some sort of hybrid due to interbreeding a bit like the crow family where there are all sorts of mixtures.

[old_windbag]

The Collared Doves seem to have largely vanished from my part of Argyll.

I had to bury a decapitated, half eaten one yesterday, the result of a domestic cat kill. Cats actually do form part of the predator system here, most definitely where small mammals are concerned. But I have several other collared doves regularly visiting as well as nesting during the year. They actually are a new species to the UK having taken hold post war.

[661-Pete]

Here in Sussex we've also noticed the virtual disappearance of collared doves - though we see plenty in France. Have they developed a taste for warmer climes, I wonder? Of course - being an introduced species - their disappearance might be welcomed by some. But they're relatively harmless - although as a competing species, they have been held responsible for the near extinction in Britain of the native turtle dove .