The Big Garden Bird Disappearing Act

buttons said:
I think the increase in magpies has decimated some birds like blackbirds and thrushes, they steal there eggs and chicks from the nests which are open for magpies to find and ravage.
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We have no magpies where I work. The single pair of Goshawks we have ensure that incoming Magpies last at best 48 hours.(y)
 
DBK said:
Predator control is a controversial subject. The RSPB do it on some of their reserves but keep very quiet about it!
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Except when they culled my favourite duck which they broadcast proudly:mad:...No one who has seen a male Ruddy Duck showing off to his harem can fail to love him...except for the RSPB, of which I am a life fellow. I lost it with that organisation when they culled every Ruddy in UK. I nearly binned my membership but prefer fighting from the inside. Now the RSPB appears to have truly lost it's way playing God and politics, sadly.
 
Why did they feel the need to cull these particular ducks.
 
As much as I love wild birds, it shames me a bit to say after last year when I saw four Magpies go into a holly tree just outside of the kitchen..

And come out with three Blackbird Chicks..... parents were going mad...

Over the next few days I baited the ground under the tree, and sure enough each morning they came back..

Till I dispatched them... (Shot them)... :(

 
buttons said:
Why did they feel the need to cull these particular ducks.
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They are over-sexed and over here, as they say. A non-native import from the USA which has been interbreeding with the European white-headed duck. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/08/ruddy-ducks-cull-invasive-species

The problem is a bit like the issue where grey and red squirrel populations meet, such as in the Lake District. Do you cull the greys or do they have an equal right to life?

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Perhaps all you bird experts can explain to me why magpies & cats get on so well ? Twice I have seen them here sitting together as though having a chat. First time half a dozen Magpie's & 4 cats all in the road together. Second time 2 cats & 3 Magpie's on a bank. At least I had the wife as a witness as I was starting to doubt the first sighting being some 13 years ago. Then the other day, although it didn't register at the time as the dog was barking at one of next doors cats on the barn roof & their was a Magpie standing less than a foot away.
 
buttons said:
Why did they feel the need to cull these particular ducks.
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First buttons a short vid from the States where they originated...obviously as there are no more here:cry:. Peter Scott introduced them to the WWT at Slimbridge in the fifties. The Ruddy is, as you can see a bit of a boy with the ladies:D In the sixties a few pairs escaped...they bred, prolifically and soon could be seen all over UK. In Spain there is a distant relative to the Ruddy, the White Headed Duck. The Spaniards complained when a couple of Ruddy males migrated south to Spain and took up with some white headed females.....the White Headed males are........ errr a bit wimpy, iyswim and the Ruddy became Numero Uno, the big cahoona etc etc for the ladies of Spain. The Spaniards culled their immigrants and then 'suggested' that as this was not an endemic species within Europe it should be 'exterminated'....it was. I will never forgive the RSPB for this particular bit of playing God..ever:mad:
 
DBK said:
They are over-sexed and over here, as they say. A non-native import from the USA which has been interbreeding with the European white-headed duck. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/08/ruddy-ducks-cull-invasive-species

The problem is a bit like the issue where grey and red squirrel populations meet, such as in the Lake District. Do you cull the greys or do they have an equal right to life?
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Bugger I should have read on before I posted shouldn't I......apols DBK:unsure:
 
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I have seen a Ruddy duck, but not for a few years, thought I had seen the result of some kids mucking about and painting a ducks beak bright blue, a weird sight

There are rumours we still have a couple on a local nature reserve
 
The other thing about the RSPB that members and prospective members should know. I made a fairly large bequest to that organisation in my will and was happy that the RSPB would use the money to ensure that Birds and habitat would be protected. When I found out that a decent bequest of land to the RSPB was being sold for building I was stunned. The generous elderly Lady had bequeathed the Land with no letter of wishes or specifics as to land use as she really believed it would be used for wildlife. It was perfect habitat in lowland Cheshire for migrating geese and ducks. There were species on it that the RSPB protects elsewhere......they sold it to developers with the inevitable results. My bequest has now been transferred to the Brecknock Wildlife Trust with a letter of wishes.(y)

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DavidG58 said:
I have seen a Ruddy duck, but not for a few years, thought I had seen the result of some kids mucking about and painting a ducks beak bright blue, a weird sight

There are rumours we still have a couple on a local nature reserve
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If you were to tell me the name of that reserve David I would travel.....it's not an RSPB reserve?
 
gus-lopez said:
Perhaps all you bird experts can explain to me why magpies & cats get on so well ? Twice I have seen them here sitting together as though having a chat. First time half a dozen Magpie's & 4 cats all in the road together. Second time 2 cats & 3 Magpie's on a bank. At least I had the wife as a witness as I was starting to doubt the first sighting being some 13 years ago. Then the other day, although it didn't register at the time as the dog was barking at one of next doors cats on the barn roof & their was a Magpie standing less than a foot away.
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Wouldn't call myself an expert Gus, bird nut yes but not an expert by any means. Have never seen that particular behaviour, would love to though.....cats and magpies are both 'different' though aren't they? Tolerance of other species is seen all over, but as I said I would love to see that(y)
 
gus-lopez said:
Perhaps all you bird experts can explain to me why magpies & cats get on so well ? Twice I have seen them here sitting together as though having a chat. First time half a dozen Magpie's & 4 cats all in the road together. Second time 2 cats & 3 Magpie's on a bank. At least I had the wife as a witness as I was starting to doubt the first sighting being some 13 years ago. Then the other day, although it didn't register at the time as the dog was barking at one of next doors cats on the barn roof & their was a Magpie standing less than a foot away.
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We had a tame magpie when I was a nipper. My brother shinned up the tree and stole the chick from the nest and we then hand reared it.

The bird was very entertaining and would deliberately bait a group of crows which lived locally. If they were sitting on the fence it would settle on one end of the line then fly over to the other end of the group and then back again. It would chase them through trees as well being in turn chased then doing the chasing itself.

My suspicion would be a magpie recognises in a cat a fellow bird-eating predator! :)
 
Neckender said:
We could do with a Magpie cull around here.

John,
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The magpie is the Goshawks target of choice John. Thing is they need a large expanse of undisturbed Forestry to nest successfully. Gamekeepers on backward Estates poison and shoot them. Were our keepers to do that the Boss would sack them out of hand so our pair thrive and we have no magpies. To see the female (a big girl and much bigger than her mate) coming down a Forestry ride is breathtaking. When they've dealt with the magpies they do take Game birds but my Boss is a broadminded and tolerant young man so there's no conflict. If only the other major landowners in the country were as 'up to date/tolerant' the countryside would be a better place.
 
Tootles said:
A lot of controversy about this in our area. Since the local authority cutbacks, no sewer baiting is taking place, hence a visible increase in the numbers of rats. Feeding birds increases rat sightings, and so people are cutting back on bird food, and feeding.
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Yes, there has been an increase in the rat population. Our local council has asked that bird food is removed overnight, but rats have been seen during the day on bird tables as well.

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Bertie Bassett said:
At the risk of becoming boring, and if it is my apologies, but this is why Magpies just don't stand a chance. The female Goshawk in the film is Buzzard size(y)
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Should have clarified, the birds eye view on that is of a bird with a v v small Go Pro on her back courtesy of BBC Wildlife. Brilliant(y)
 
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Typical isn't it, now the BGB is over we had a couple of redwing this morning sharing the garden with a thrush & a young blackbird (taken through the window)
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CWH said:
Typical isn't it, now the BGB is over we had a couple of redwing this morning sharing the garden with a thrush & a young blackbird
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Our garden has been buzzing with birds again the last two days now we have done the count.
I'm sure they sit in the bushes sniggering. :LOL:

Richard.

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Clarky said:
Our garden has been buzzing with birds again the last two days now we have done the count.
I'm sure they sit in the bushes sniggering. :LOL:

Richard.
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Always the way the feathered little sods!:D
 
This forum is amazing.......a thread of 5 pages and 87 posts and not one mention of a motorhome.

Not bad for a motorhome forum. (y):):)

Richard.
 

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