Deterring pigeons and collared doves!

Question

Have been having problems this year with the noise of large numbers of pigeons and collared doves from 4.30 am right through the day, which is driving my husband mad! Have taken away some bird feeders, mainly tables to try and encourage them to move somewhere else, but I want to keep the squirrel feeders as everyone uses them. Any suggestions as to how I may be able to keep them quiet until a slightly later hour. Much as I like to see them, it is not the nicest bird song, especially when they are right outside the bedroom window.

LRB · Accepted Answer

When you feed birds in your garden, you'll attract a cross-section of all the birds in the area. It can be very difficult to deter one or more species, without deterring others. However, it can be relatively easy to deter larger birds and still keep the smaller ones. 
 Food is the answer, or rather, preventing them from getting at it - pigeons and doves are very good at scavnging and eating food that is on any flat surface, with easy access. If your table has a roof, you could try hanging lengths of string from the roof, down to the platform at 5-10cm intervals all the way round. The birds don't like it when it touches their wings as they try to gain access. 
 
 Therefore, you should also only offer food in hanging feeders - The main problem with hanging feeders comes when seeds fall to the floor when they are shaken around by the smaller birds feeding. You need to either catch the falling seeds in a bucket or similar (placing some wire mesh over the top to allow seeds to fall in, but preventing pigeons), and disposing of them before the pigeons are able to reach them. Another alternative could be a ground protector cage beneath the feeders - http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/p/BirdAccessories/Ground_protectors.htm - this will allow the seeds to drop on the floor but prevents larger birds from reaching them. 
 
 If they have no access to food, they'll soon move to somewhere that they can get some - this won't work, obviously, if your neighbours don't take the same precautions....... 
 
 Unfortunately, i don't think there's anything that can make them keep quiet in the morning, that's their busiest and most important part of the day!