Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 25th March, 2023)

Just imagine if Pigs could fly.

We have the same sight near us. There must be a pigeon loft near by and about 4-30pm they are let out. Its a nice sight watching them in formation in the sky

I know I'm not going to be popular with this subject, but pigeons are a pest, they ruining buildings and footpaths with their droppings. We should not encourage them to stay by feeding them. They have been known to be called flying rats. (Hope we're still friends, but that's my opinion).

Market Street in Hindley is full of stray pigeons, but have a right to live.

All wild birds are protected by Law 1981, even if they are pest. In some cases, ie railway stations, shopping centres, they can be removed by pest control. With all wild birds, food is the attraction. So stop feeding them.

It looks like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"! I love the windows and panelling on the buildings, not to mention the ornate chimneys. We have some lovely buildings in Wigan but we tend to just look at them at eye-level as we look at goods in the shop windows.

With pay load precision no doubt on those beneath. Or can they do what comes naturally whilst still in flight?!!! ‘All for one and one for all’ - marvellous….

Tally Ho red leader.Love them or hate them they are one of natures survivors.Nice shot Dennis

Why oh why are they called flying rats,they look nothing like rats..plus nobody gave them that name when they flew hundreds of miles during the war with important information ..personally I think they're beautiful ..so there !!!.

They are called flying rats because they are simply scavengers. These are stray birds, the war time pigeons were carriers and cared for. A big difference Maureen.

Calm down Maureen, you wouldn't like droppings all over your car and house would you.
These are different pigeons to homing and war time pigeons.

Proudly from high tail feathers
We who drop dung forever
On the folk who keep us fed ,
We shall splatter their heads !

We who have made our species
Experts in aiming faeces ,
Roam the freedom of the skies
We shall seek out dropped pies !

We know that our precision aim
Is part of our town's fame ,
And so our glory still lives on
While pigeons fly !

Sandra and Sue..please don't tell me to calm down when you're both the haters here and not moi...how can anybody hate an animal so much..it just beats me...and Sue have you never heard of a bucket of water ..the dirtiest animal on this planet is MAN.

Ive know plenty of mucky women in my time Mrs Momac

I agree with you there Maureen…the rubbish dropped on the ground by humans drives me mad. Actually it’s the fault of people feeding the pigeons that causes the problem. At the end of the day the blessed rain washes the mess away. I don’t mind the odd pigeon at all it’s when there’s clusters of them that charge within inches of my face in the middle of the town centre. At the same time they clean any food dropped on the ground by people who don’t give a damn. These pigeons are probably the descendants of the pigeons kept by by men in pigeon cotes in latter days and cared for. Then they had to free them to go and live in the flats. My dad bred birds it was a sad day when he had to let the finches go.

The dirtiest the better.

Don't hate them, just saying what they are like which is like flying rats.

We don't have many pigeons here, but the starlings have been putting on magnificent shows in the past few weeks - swooping and sweeping across the sky like a blanket folding and unfolding - I believe they're called a murmuration. Breathtaking.

Rats are far worse than pigeons. They DO carry disease and if cornered they would attack. I wouldn’t want a bite off a rat. A pigeon you can shoo away …. It was rats that played a huge part in bringing the plague into this country centuries ago.

Pat,when I see the starlings putting their display on it never fails to bring a lump to my throat...it's a beautiful sight.

Veronica..some years ago we had white doves..but they kept breeding non stop so my Son took them to
Harry Whalleys,we lived in Warrington Lane at the time,and a neighbour told me that they were pulling Chapel Lane bridge down and that would mean rats...so I got a cat,twelve months later I was pegging my washing out and I heard her before I saw her..she flew on my shoulder then looked up and down for the cote which by that time was gone,the my cat came out and the dove then flew away...they can get under your skin can't they?.

The original name for pigeons was Rock Doves, they roosted and nested on the ledges of rock faces and to them our buildings are just that ideal places to roost and nest on, so you can't blame them for being natural. Folks initially began keeping rock doves as a source of cheap fresh protein and then breeding them as homers and racing pigeons.

Sue, there isn't any difference at all from feral pigeons to the homing or war time pigeons, if you caught and took a feral pigeon away somewhere and let it go, it would then return back to where you had caught it. They are all related to those pigeons once bred for food or as homers and racers that reverted back to being wild.

Even though some folks call others they deem dull as pigeon brained, a pigeon has a lot more brains and sense than any human - we wouldn't last any time out there.

Pat Mc, I agree the Starlings are amazing to see, Starlings and Sparrows too were once common around Wigan, you're lucky to see either now.

When people say Flying Rats, they are speaking Metroforicaly, because pigeons are as bad.

Veronica, in the job I once had I cornered quite a few rats and they never attacked - but they hadn't a chance to do so anyway before being whacked, though a few did escape, also I've seen a rat run up the stick that a colleague tried to whack it, but missed, it then ran up their arm and over their shoulder to escape, they can be surprisingly quick. I too wouldn't like a rat to bite me and break the skin, not with all the bacteria on their teeth.

I have a rat in my large garden that I can nearly hand feed , more like a pet . I put food in front of his ( ?) hole and sit watching him eat it . Rats scoot ! Mine doesn’t . He has realised I won’t harm him . Think about it .
Quite delightful little chap .
In the evening I feed a family of foxes with organic chicken , again ours is one of mutual respect . These are wild animals and I respect that . They are not pets .
I have bird boxes and feeders everywhere .
What a fool I hear you say , but the joy they have brought me is immeasurable !
I do not have a plague of rats or am I overwhelmed by foxes .
I recognise they are wild and just help them on their way . They have never brought to me the slightest harm at any time , only delight and recognition we on both on the same space at this time . Each to their own is a value I will always respect .

As mentioned above wild birds are protected by law rats aren’t. Each to his own but I would hate to cross paths with rats. Rats are vermin …

Marky, I could not live a contented life without animals..they make the world go round for me,and hate to see them suffer..some years ago we had a trip to Chorley,on the way to the market I noticed a woman looking down at something..it was a pigeon that was just dying..she was watching it die smiling,she looked up to say "That's one less) I honestly could have thumped her..she just had a black heart.

Maureen that's because they are starlings. Not pigeons.

Sandra..Think I've got your message.etc etc. etc.

Feral pigeons are just birds. As much as your cute friendly Robin. Anything else is what WE have done to them.

It isn't illegal to shoot pigeons, under certain circumstances.

Cyril a big difference between racing pigeons and stray pigeons.

They aren’t strays Alan they are wild birds just like any other wild birds.
If people don’t want them coming in their gardens just don’t put bird food out. They soon go away. I used to get them on my roof playing football with moss which would fall on the path. They soon go away if there’s no food for them.

I kept a few pigeons when I was a lad and they are without doubt beautiful birds,different and with an amazing variety of plumage.We used to call feral pigeons scaggs.It’s a pity they get such a bad reputation but they can be a pest.How many of us have not enjoyed feeding them when we were kids?

Pigeons are peaceful they don’t screech like Seagulls - that swoop down and snatch food out of folk’s hands. Pigeons don’t do that - they would go back into the wild if food on the ground wasn’t available.
Never saw them in the town centre until seats were put in the Market Place outside Greggs and other bakeries. They are clever they know people drop food and it’s rich picking for them. I have seen the poor things with their feet crushed and with only one leg to hop on. They are survivors….

I don't agree with you Veronica. I put bird food out in my garden for our garden birds which incedently are going down in numbers, not for pigeons what ever breed they are. People with cats should also put bells round the animals collar to warn birds from being killed.
We all must look after our garden birds.

Farmers hate pigeons, with good reason.

The bird flu has seen a lot of birds off sadly. I found a couple of dead birds on my garden path a bit since. They weren’t injured or anything just rolling about in the wind. I stopped putting bird food out because of the pigeons. It’s done the trick the pigeons have flown. But I feel guilty about the little birds. My next door neighbour puts food out though. I must admit there’s not as many birds about lately.

Feeding garden birds is important especially Winter time, pigeons are far too heavy to eat from feeders. Do not throw food on the ground or ie top of the shed.

I do use bird feeders Malc but the birds shake them and the food goes on the ground. The pigeons wait for them doing it. I bang on the window but it doesn’t make any difference. I will start putting the feed in them again. Sometimes it’s just left so that’s not good for them either. It’s wasteful. Mind you my neighbour next door puts plenty out and they go there. The little devils!