ON station platforms up and down the country, male feral pigeons are performing carefully choreographed dances in front of unimpressed females. In the countryside, portly wood pigeons, in morning-suit grey, are puffing out their chests and sweeping their tail feathers like mini matadors. The bubbling coos that accompany their repertoire are often considered the soundtrack of summer, but many pigeons will breed six times a year and the common ‘woody’ (Columba palumbus) has been recorded as breeding in every calendar month of the year. Among the five species of pigeons that may be seen in the country, the wood pigeon, collared dove and stock dove are the most common. The wild rock dove, from which all feral and domestic pigeons are descended, is mostly confined to north-west Scotland and the migrant turtle dove is now the fastest declining species in the UK.
The Columbidae family, which once included the extinct dodo, extends to more than 300 species, found on every continent apart from Antarctica. Their fondness for settling in cities in large numbers has inspired love and loathing in equal measure, but there is no scientific difference between the white doves of peace and ‘rats with wings’—it’s only that a smaller, daintier bird is often described as a dove.
Denne historien er fra March 08, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 08, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
