I have nothing against Bandtails really Ruth. It's just that when they come
in large numbers, they can become a bit of a nuisance at the tube feeders.
They are such big birds it is difficult for them to manage to perch and hang
onto the feeder, but they do manage and when they are there no other bird
has a chance. They consume the entire contents before they leave. They are
beautiful birds. Up until about a year ago we would see them occasionally
up high in the Fir trees, where they belong, flying from one tree to
another, maybe one or two at a time. That's where they are supposed to hang
out and those are more normal numbers.

There are a lot of Fir trees where we live and we have always been able to
see the Bandtails up high in the trees since we moved here in 1973. We have
a bird bath and fountain in the back yard and they would come down to the
water. Then they found out more recently that we had the sunflower seed
available and that's when the trouble started. At first, it was only one or
two at a time. Then there would be four or five ( a family with juveniles).
But now, we have the big flocks. I don't know where they are coming from.
Perhaps they are migrating. I am sure they are not a local population. I
sure hope not. That would amount to a population explosion.

Ed Lamb in Bellevue, WA
edsplace2 at comcast.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ruth Sullivan" <godwit at worldnet.att.net>
To: <edsplace2 at comcast.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 6:56 PM
Subject: Re: Help with pigeons


> Hello Ed & Tweeters.
> I wonder what is wrong that you having Band-tailed Pigeon's?We live here
in
> Fircrest and I have Band-tailed Pigeon coming and feed either on my tub
> feeders or on the seed what the finches dropping to the ground..I am very
> happy that I still have ten birds left from thirty or so.Some areas have
> non at all since there been sharply declining Did i read you message
wrong?
> One family here in Fircrest got a $1000 fine for feeding Crows Rock
Pigeon's
> and Starlings with some ducks .She put some unwanted feed on the ground
what
> created a hazard for her neighbors