Monday 8 April 2013

Pansies pecked by pesky pigeons...

If you have these ...



And you want these ...


You may just have to accept that you will end up with these ...



I have about a dozen fantail doves and I really love them. They add a whole new dimension to the garden and I love watching them living their lives -  courting, nesting (they make rubbish nests !) and raising their babies.  

My doves are very sociable and often have parties and sleep-overs with others in the neighbourhood, so we can have up to about twenty loafing about in the garden, looking for things to interest them. Sadly, it appears that they have become far too interested in the new leaves of my pansies and primroses, growing in the pots at the back door. Over the last couple of months, these poor plants have failed to thrive or grow, and then, eventually, have turned up their toes and died. I have even been looking for signs of pests in the pots, thinking that slugs or snails were responsible for the demise of the plants. It was my husband who finally pointed out the true culprits were the innocent looking doves in the dovecote, who have been snacking on all that tasty young growth!








2 comments:

  1. Doves! You want to try badgers incredibly destructive and my Mum had pheasants visiting her garden which were also a menace. So much for wildlife gardening!!
    Think you might have to put some fine wire mesh over your pots to give them a chance

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  2. Hi Helen, thankyou for your comments . After reading your current post about badgers, my doves don't seem quite so demonic ! They also add to the aesthetics of the garden and for 99% of the time they are a real pleasure. We also have pheasants, a little troop of about half a dozen, who successfully raised 2 broods last year... in my geraniums ! Wildlife in the garden is amazing but it doesn't always complement the hard task of nurturing our plants !

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