10:13am Friday 23rd July 2010
THE pigeons that plague our town are rural creatures, correctly named ‘wood pigeons’. They survive best in the towns because of the availability of easily acquired food and secure nesting and roosting places.
In built-up areas, they breed for ten months of the year and produce several broods whereas, in the country, because of the colder nesting conditions and limited availability of food in the winter, their breeding period is six months producing only two or three pairs of chicks. In agricultural areas they cause serious damage to green crops with flocks destroying a field of cabbage within days. As a consequence they are classed as pests and destroyed by shooting. Their natural predator in the country is the sparrowhawk, hence their survival rate is much greater in a town environment.
Their droppings, which carry diseases, are difficult to remove from buildings and vehicles, and will damage paintwork if left for a few days.
Buildings have to be protected at considerable expense with deterrent devices which prevent the birds from roosting on flat surfaces.
There are several locations within High Wycombe where ledges have not been protected and their droppings lie thick on the pavements below. Frogmoor, where the pavements and seats are covered in pigeon droppings, could almost be declared a health hazard area. They have no place in the town and need to be eradicated by any legal means. The ignorant and anti-social people who feed them need to be brought to account by the application of the littering laws.
Mr Arnie Parr, Pretoria Road, High Wycombe.
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