to hate pigeons

[LovesLaboursLoss]

They are making my life a misery!

I live semi-rural, and pigeons are taking over. Their coo-ing is waking me every day from 5am or earlier. It's oud, constant and coming from all directions.

Hence up almost 2 hours earlier today than normal. (We are retired and get up around 7am usually.)

They are on my roof, garage roof, neighbours roofs, nesting in the big shrubs in my garden, sitting on my garden fences all day, and crapping all over my flower beds, patio and garden seats.

They have decimated a honeysuckle in the garden, eating it, and even after I covered it with netting, they still sit there pecking whatever they can.

I hate the bloody things.

I’m with you! I hate them too…so blooming noisy!

Do you have the spike things on your roof / garage roof on the bits they perch on? Most houses here have that and it’s a very good deterrent, otherwise your house ends up covered in pigeon poo.

Maybe you would too if you were losing 2 hours sleep day after day!

It's no different to road noise, dogs barking, cats screeching...

How is that ridiculous?

I loathe them.

@Undecided111 No, but that wouldn't help as they sit on all the houses around ours and right along the road.

I'm not the only one complaining.

I live in a rural village and our Facebook page is full of other people complaining about the mess they are making. The pigeon population has increased hugely since they were 'protected' by law. But in London there are areas where there is a £200 fine for feeding them.

They are a genuine nuisance.

It’s the weird raspy,wheezy way they fly. And they waddle when their crops are full. I think pigeons look a bit ‘thick’ IYKWIM.

if it weren't pigeons, it might be other birds. We have problems with magpies who cause an absolute racket when they get on the conservatory and their squawking is insane if they spot a cat. I've also seen a seagull walking around my street with the decapitated body of a pigeon in its beak. Then it dumped the body in the road outside my house.

Pigeons are horrible though. I used to live in the city centre and remember leaving my flat one morning to find one pecking away at a pile of sick outside my doorstep.

Maybe it's just birds in general.

You cant hate pigeons for being pigeons. Live in a town and you have to put up with people. Live rural and you have to put up with nature.

Birds can't exactly be a surprise surely?

And I say this as someone who not only has several pigeons visitors. I live near a popular dog walking venue so always hearing dogs barking. And at night theres the foxes barking or hedgehogs shagginh etc

The waY we are destroying every green space these days, I actually dread the day I hear nothing. It means we have destroyed and killed everything.

I hate them too, noisy bastards. I have to wear earplugs to avoid being awake by 4.30, it's not just the cooing it's the constant wing flapping! We don't even live rurally, they're just flapping on the bloody fence and roof.

I love pigeons, they've become my favourite bird. I used to live by the sea and i felt the way you do about pigeons towards seagulls, their constant screaming at dawn in summer drove me batty.

I now live in an area with a wide mix of birds. I have witnessed alot of birds attacking, sometimes successfully killing, other birds. But never pigeons, dear old pigeons just bumble along, make their gentle warble, i adore them and the peace they bring me.

But as i said above, based on my seagull experience i totally get you.

Forgot to add, the dawn chorus where i am is made up of so many different birds that there no single target!

I'm actually a pigeon fan. I love their crazy flapping and the way they wobble along trying to impress potential mates 😆I often wake my husband up with my wood pigeon imitation in the morning lol.

On the downside, they do produce a huge amount of poo which is a pain when trying to find somewhere to sit in the garden or having to wipe down my kid's slide. But just part of life I suppose!

We have magpies too. They are a fucking nuisance. However I think seagulls are the worst.

YANBU.

I hate them too. I hate the way the way they lurk in the shopping precinct and peck round your feet when you're having a coffee outside.

But I was very badly bird phobic until I had CBT, and I still can't bear the flappy fuckers when they get too close, so I think it may be a legacy from that.

They’re lovely. I got up and exercised early this morning and then sat outside with a drink. 2 pigeons came and joined me, one stayed quite far away on a grass area but the other ended up getting closer to me until he settled on the arm of our garden furniture about a metre away from me. He/she just sat there occasionally looking over at me and cooing. 😂 We did take an injured one to our vet not long ago so I’m telling myself it’s the same one. 😉

I often wake my husband up with my wood pigeon imitation in the morning lol.

😂😂😂 I hope he appreciates your efforts.

4am all the birds and pigeons start here

Silicone ear plugs are your friend- try them. If you don't want to wear them all night, you could pop them in when the noise starts and get your extra 2 hours.

Assume you're talking wood pigeons not those godawful flying rats you get in cities?

We are very rural and it's the same here. The numbers are definitely increasing.

At least woodies taste good, though. 😂

I love them <3. They're monogamous and mate for life. If you look up pigeons and what they achieved during war time it's amazing. The way they find their way to places is phenomenal. I find the noise coo coo really soothing. My little friends.

Aw I love pigeons! My 10 year old son who has autism is obsessed with them. I love watching them do their little mating dance!

But yes I can understand that if they’re waking you up every day you might not like them as much! Can you buy a fake hawk / owl to put in your garden to scare them off?

Love pigeons too, their call is very soothing not like the mynah birds but I still like them for their attitude. (I don't live in the UK).

I also find their cooing very soothing but live in a very rural area and we really try and nurture the bird life.Crows are the only birds who are a slight irritant but their cleverness always wins me over even when they wreck the bird feeders yet again.
Be careful of spreading your dislike of them to your children, they need to appreciate wildlife.