General Chat

With us 4 or 5 pigeons peck at the grass, 1 or 2 sit on the fence and fly at any others that dare to come in, a magpie has picked up some bread hubby put out and put it between the fence and the shed then covered it with leafs.

It's not sheltered here at all as no trees so whatever the direction the wind is in it whips straight through. I guess they peck the grass for worms etc. Someone told me not to feed them every day otherwise they will rely on you for food and lose their ability to forage for themselves.

I just find it quite amazing they are all in sync with each other exactly their positions etc

It probably is a siesta.

Perhaps with their backs to the prevailing south-west winds???
Is that area sheltered from the wind?

You say you feed them every couple of days.
What do they do on the days you don't feed them?

Until recently, I have never taken an interest really in any pigeons. They come and go and that's it.
But I have noticed something very weird about the 24 that frequent my garden most of the day. I throw out the wild bird seed every couple of days and they"hoover"it up so quickly.
Then about lunchtime something rather comical happens.

They all move to the lower part of the lawn, fluff up their feathers and settle down as if they are having a siesta :-D None of them move for about 20 minutes and they all face north together??? It's almost like a daily ritual and I have never seen this before.
Even if the starlings and sparrows come, they dont move.

Has anyone ever seen this in their own garden or a park and why do they always face north never in any direction?

Answers on a postcard please

Florence in the hebrides :-D :-D