Small children chasing pigeons in the park - harmless or mean?

When I was a child, my Grandfather used to shoot wood pigeons for the pot.
We were always advised to look out for any pellets that might have been missed when eating them.

I think ours are wood pigeons, looking at pictures of the two.
👩‍🍳

No, they are shot, on shoots. It is not only grouse and pheasants that are shot for sport and consumption.

Personally I prefer my pigeon breasts well cooked, but, in seson I do buy them and cook them slowly in a rich red wine sauce. Whole pigeins I stuff and cook in a similar fashion.

Growing up in the countryside means you often see 'nature red in tooth and claw'. Our GS has seen pigeons and pheasants being plucked and prepared for the pot, likewise rabbits. He's been known to collect skulls and other bones he finds while out for a walk with his papa and the dog. At one time we had a 'skull tree' in the garden.
The first time my own children met one of our Labrador puppies (who had been bred by a gamekeeper), he took us into a barn to meet the pups, only to see several deer hanging from the rafters.

Did any of you play tig as a child ? Chasing your friends ?
I hated it , I couldn’t run so I ended up as “ it “every time
But the pigeons just flutter up and return

Wood pigeons Allira as opposed to feral, shot I expect.
The apex of our roof is above our bedroom, it’s either pigeons or magpies having an early morning catch-up, at the same time they multi task and leave a deposit right outside the patio door. Bleary eyed bin visits are discouraged from the slippery mess until it’s been sluiced down.

I never understood where the pigeons came from on Masterchef (which they cooked pink!).
Are they specially bred or culled from Trafalgar Square and other places?

Only on Gransnet could we have eight pages on pigeons’ rights!

😂

But agree, much more interesting than politics ( a subject which seems to dominates this site 😑 )

Yes but it’s better than politics.😁

Only on Gransnet could we have eight pages on pigeons’ rights!

M0nica
I’m not sure if your chasing qualifies or not.

Initially, the wrong doing that caused all the furore, was carried out by a child who was unlikely to know chasing after pigeons could be called unkind.

On the other hand you, along with many posters including me, carried out a deliberate action to scare away the birds to protect your well-being.

It’s difficult . . .
But I’m sure someone soon will be along to support or decry your action.

Yes, they sit outside our bedroom window too. Keep a jug of water handy, Monica. The water doesn't need to connect, just the action is enough to send them off to annoy another neighbour at 5 am.

Our current bedroom has french windows with those balcony bars very close to the window to stop you falling out. The window was open last night.

This morning a large pigeon with a deep gravelly voice was perched on the balcony railing sometime around 5.00am carrying on a loud conversation with a friend about a mile away.

I got out of bed and chased it way. Does this qualify me for all the pejorative descriptions given to children who chase pigeons?

It was horrible but fascinating.
Nature, red in tooth and claw!

Allira

One pigeon which slam ed into the kitchen window was being chased by the sparrowhawk. As it lay stunned, the sparrowhawk flew down, picked it up and took it on to the lawn where it pulled out its feathers then ate the rest.

I’ve still got a video clip of that happening in our garden. We didn’t see all the eating of course because when we rushed outside to defend the pigeon, the hawk simply picked it up and flew off.

One pigeon which slam ed into the kitchen window was being chased by the sparrowhawk. As it lay stunned, the sparrowhawk flew down, picked it up and took it on to the lawn where it pulled out its feathers then ate the rest.

It's been reading this thread.
And thought "this is Pigeon Street, how dare she drive down here. I'll scare her away".

Ps was it ok? Sometimes they slam into our windows, leaving a perfect imprint but seem to survive.

It certainly startled me!
Thankfully I was able to brake quite sharply so was able to avoid a collision and it flew off, more lucky than it deserved.

I had a redwing years ago that slammed into the patio door and left a very detailed imprint.
It ricocheted back and lay motionless on the patio. I thought it was dead, then it disappeared so I presume it was merely stunned, had come round and flown away.

MayBee70

Allira

Mollygo

Allira

Oh dear, I startled a pigeon today by shutting the car door. He was having a lovely time attempting to pull up one of my plants, too.

Shocking behaviour! 😱
Although opinions will differ about whether that refers to you or the pigeon.

I threw some crusts on to the lawn at lunch-time in the direction of a pigeon. A seagull flew in, nabbed them, and the poor pigeon flew away.

A seagull killed a baby blackbird whose mother I’d just put an apple out for.It swooped down, picked it up and dropped it from a height. I was so upset and blamed myself. Poor thing is buried in the garden with a little headstone . I do like watching the pecking order in the garden with the rooks, seagulls and magpies.

I was walking to work one day (city centre) and a seagull swooped onto a smaller bird, snapped its neck and dropped it a couple of feet from me. It was very upsetting (and worse for the small bird!). The seagull just flew off. I could understand it it had eaten the bird, but it was violence for violence's sake.

Mollygo

V3ra

Well I had to brake to avoid the pigeon that flew directly towards me out of nowhere hitting my car windscreen this morning.
I did wonder if it was a deliberate attempt on the pigeon's part 🧐

Hope you’re OK. That pigeon obviously need a good talking to. How old was it?

It's been reading this thread.
And thought "this is Pigeon Street, how dare she drive down here. I'll scare her away".

Ps was it ok? Sometimes they slam into our windows, leaving a perfect imprint but seem to survive. I think they're trying to get away from the sparrowhawk, more scary than any two year old!

Our pecking order starts with Magpies, who scare off the pigeons, the blackbirds, the starlings and other birds. The tits don't seem to be bothered because they don’t feed on the grass.
The seagulls only land if I put out large chunks of bread etc.

Allira

Mollygo

Allira

Oh dear, I startled a pigeon today by shutting the car door. He was having a lovely time attempting to pull up one of my plants, too.

Shocking behaviour! 😱
Although opinions will differ about whether that refers to you or the pigeon.

I threw some crusts on to the lawn at lunch-time in the direction of a pigeon. A seagull flew in, nabbed them, and the poor pigeon flew away.

A seagull killed a baby blackbird whose mother I’d just put an apple out for.It swooped down, picked it up and dropped it from a height. I was so upset and blamed myself. Poor thing is buried in the garden with a little headstone . I do like watching the pecking order in the garden with the rooks, seagulls and magpies.

Hope you’re OK. That pigeon obviously need a good talking to. How old was it?

Mollygo old enough to be out on its own.
Big, and looked straight at me through the windscreen as it veered up and away 👀

Allira
I don’t know how old that seagull was, but it should be careful. Pigeons remember faces, or so I’ve heard.

Mollygo

Allira

Oh dear, I startled a pigeon today by shutting the car door. He was having a lovely time attempting to pull up one of my plants, too.

Shocking behaviour! 😱
Although opinions will differ about whether that refers to you or the pigeon.

I threw some crusts on to the lawn at lunch-time in the direction of a pigeon. A seagull flew in, nabbed them, and the poor pigeon flew away.

V3ra

Well I had to brake to avoid the pigeon that flew directly towards me out of nowhere hitting my car windscreen this morning.
I did wonder if it was a deliberate attempt on the pigeon's part 🧐

Hope you’re OK. That pigeon obviously need a good talking to. How old was it?