NatureBoy
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Posts posted by NatureBoy
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25 minutes ago, David BASC said:
Those who attack BASC or other orgs for that matter on open forums are not helping to protect and promote shooting. Think about it - those who oppose shooting will be delighted to see some of the posts on here by those having a go at the pro shooting Orgs like BASC. Put your thoughts and resources into supporting your chosen organisations
Well said David! But i think a lot of people are frustrated because they haven't heard anything since the GL! And that a small new crowd funded protectionist lobbying group like Wj (a celeb and keyboard conservationists) can wield such power with the help of a small legal team and are even being listened to when it's part of there and others bigger agenda! NB
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Charlie Jacoby done another good interesting interview on fieldsports channel. This time with Jay Tiernan head of ALF. Talking about sabbing, pheasants, game farms and badger cull.
Avery will be at and is looking forward to the game fair next week!
Packham, Avery and Tingay or "Laurel n Hardy and there cleaning lady" as Robin Page (CRT) called them will be at Hen Harrier Day 2019 at Carsington Water, Big Lane, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1SE. Sunday 11th August, 12-5pm. They say bring the family and a picnic. Pheasant wrap/rap anyone!! , , , , Dare say CP can't pull out of this one cos of supposed threats!? As it there gig and there call to arms/fundraiser!!
Maybe more of us should start a conversation and help educate folk about our way of life! What we do and who' is doing real conservation that they can see,
Check out some of what is being done in my part of Suffolk for Turtle Doves and conservation on a farm/shoot in latest. issue 2 of GWCT Working Conservationists publication. NB
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15 minutes ago, ShootingEgg said:
People have compared the two images, and looking at it yes, one in trap. Is very white under the wing, the one he is holding is very grey. Is it the same bird, only he knows the real answer. Is this a massive publicity properganda, yes.. But that said the trap if set should not of been set in a way for the HH to have become caught, poor trap management perhaps. And of this does happen and they find it, more fool the person setting traps.
Very convenient they find bird in trap and trap on nest! Nest and trap don't look right to me. Blood spatters on trap to? Why they sit on story so long? Why aren't police holding traps and bird as evidence and they allowed to use and handle them.? Bit like the crows on his gate, letter and the "woodcock" he was sent last time round. After him making a windup vid using it that was put on ebay and sold! . . . . With how good thermal imaging these days why would anyone take the risks or bother using traps if they were up to no good on an open moor? NB
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20 hours ago, Mickeydredd said:
The only reason for trying to operate and keep such a bird alive would be for it to spend its days in some kind of "raptor sanctuary". If there was a conservation angle to be achieved i.e. if there was already a HH in captivity of the opposite sex then if the species is as rare as claimed (in the UK) then a breeding programme could be attempted.
The falconry community have been involved in many conservation programmes in the past, our knowledge of captive breeding really puts us at the forefront in this sphere with raptors, but we don't really like to see deformed raptors end up having a miserable life in the aforementioned sanctuary facilities.
Personally, I would have put it down.
Cheers Mickeydredd. Thought they may of got someone to take it on or use for publicity. And like you say it not like they endangered! As i understand it they have never breed in big numbers in this country. Some saying that bird he holding up is a different bird and trap a set up? Safety on! NB
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Nice fish! Otters have had a lot of the whoppers! Again! Very few folk realise how much Angling clubs and anglers do for conservation! NB
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Question for the falconers/birdmen on here? We have seen this week the well timed publicity seeking video/pictures of Packham and co with the injured then very publicly displayed dead hen harrier! Portraying how much they care and how tragic they said it was! Given the position of the leg break (just above the foot) on what appeared to be a still strong adult male with no other injury. Would you have put it down or removed the foot and given it a chance to recover and rehab?? See plenty of one footed/legged birds doing ok! In captivity and in the wild! Including birds of prey. Seemed after all that effort to "save it" and out poring they were quick to kill such a "rare iconic bird"!? NB
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On 14/07/2019 at 20:44, twenty said:
The buzzards seem to use a different nest every year, there are probably 4 or 5 sites they use, all in the same wood, but they seem to change every year, assuming they are the same pair.
Grasshopper warbler caught and rung in the mist netting last week.
Interesting you say that. Around my part of Suffolk they use the same sites year after year unless they are moved on. More reports of quail sightings/calling. 2 along the lark valley. Another local. Most i have heard of for years. Local Suffolk farm/shoot with lot of turtle doves featured in latest/issue 2 of GWCT Working Conservationists publication. I expect some members will know of it or shot there. Deserve some recognition! Real conservationists proving what can be done on a shoot by creating the right habitat and active pest control. Vocal yokels working for wildlife! NB
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15 hours ago, mrpip said:
Would be nice to know if Countryfile presenter Adam Henson has a shoot or shooting for pest control on his land, doubt very much if they would do a piece on that if he does.
He and his son shoot. He presented the Purdey awards for game and conservation 2017. His farm on an SSSI. Does a lot for rare breeds and conservation himself. NB
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On 11/07/2019 at 08:43, twenty said:
I do agree with ringing, as you do, the mist nets that are set by the BTO at one of my local reserves seems to be a good way of going about it, obviously this method does not allow for nestlings to be rung, but the different species that are netted over a few hours is unbelievable, these birds, being mostly mature are rung, weighed, measured and sexed within a minute or two by a very professional team, and are on their way as quickly as possible.
Glut of Jackdaw locally at the moment, even in my garden it is not usual to see 8-10 whenever I top up the feeders, put grain down or throw out scraps, got a blackbird pair on their second brood at the moment, they are only a few days from fledging, hoping that the supplementary feeding will keep the corvids from interfering with the songbirds, had a collared dove visit the other day, have not seen one in the garden for a good time, loads of Goldfinch and their young visiting at the moment and a lot of House Sparrow.
My son had his first delivery of poults in yesterday, he was hoping that a buzzard brood in one of the pen areas would have fledged by now but unfortunately they have not, he has laid out some squirrels to try to alleviate any major problems, but accepts that his birds will become a training area, but that's life isn't it.
Generally only one fella ringing on farms my way. Weekly tho. There handling skills and knowledge amazing! Several swift and house martin chicks. ringed from the nests in boxs so far. Swallow numbers well down and locally. I did ask if them catching/ringing them at roost in the maze cover last Autumn may of affected them? They recon not. Was there on the crows again yesterday. Mainly jackdaws again. 20+ in mixed bag of 37. Not many pigeons about. When picking up I did find a chiffchaff that they had rung, it was struggling but didn't appear injured when i examined it. Hope it recover not many about! 2 crows were on a fresh dead young tawny owl on another farm. . . Jackdaws been hammering the garden birds locally my way to. Saw a pair hunting/killing young whitethroats in rape other day. Seen a lot more whitethroats in the rape in recent years. I wonder if they are foraging or nesting in it?? If they are a lot get destroyed with harvest being so close. . . I am the other way and just use hanging feeders now. I think they target nests and fledglings more when it dry as a way of getting fluids to there young. No where near as many song birds coming to feeders as plenty of food in fields and hedges now. Loads of collard doves my way. Real pest! Compete with turtle doves to! For nest sites and push them off feeders. One of the best years for nests in/around my garden so far! (less cats and squirrels about)! In box's had blue tit, great tit, robin (bumble bees nested in 2 others). In ivy ,creepers, trees and shrubs had green, (male ringed) gold and chaffinches ( goldfinches on second brood, both parents have rings) wood pigeons x2, and dunnocks. On porch and sheds. wren, pied wagtail and blackbirds x2. Partridges nest got cleared out early by rooks(some folk still think they don't do nests) crows, jackdaws, woodpeckers had others.Kestrel and sparrow hawk often about. Sparrows, yellow hammers, cole tit, long tailed tit, whitethroat, blackcap, flycatcher, goldcrest, song thrush, starling and others visit.
Hope the buzzards like easy squirrel grub more! Perhaps they will hunt away more with more activity around pen. Is it the first year they have nested there? I would be tempted to poke it out once they are out of nest to try and move them on or use again. NB
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16 hours ago, Wooder said:
Caught this beautiful Rudd today, note the hand made float
Cracking rudd! Nice waggler! Loaded? Going by light shotting. Do you make them? We used to use banded antenna/insert wag like that years ago for crusian carp fishing. Fella in the midlands used to make them for us. Found small shoal of very special rudd in local pool on farm earlier this year after finding huge fish dieing in margins. took it home and weighed it. Went 2.14lb sporn bound and a true rudd! At least a couple of them look bigger. been surface feeding them but not tried for them yet. NB
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Interesting interview on fieldsports channel with Charley Jacoby and Mark Avery this week! Avery going to be on Countryfile Sunday talking about WJ. NB
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On 06/07/2019 at 18:13, twenty said:
That mental health plea is a sucker punch to the current set of Judges and magistrates, they are so out of touch with reality.
I have always thought that ringing, and the sundry information that is taken (weight, primary feather length, sexing,) takes far to long, ok, most breeds would probably not abandon their young at the ringing age, but I once saw a full clutch of goshawks lowered to the ground individually in a sack, each were rung, weighed, measured and sexed, this seemed to take ages to me and surely risked disaster
I have thought that myself about ringing and time taken stress, mortality's etc! Especially during the hard months, breeding season and like you say red list fledglings. Almost weekly on one farm! Over 30k birds. Have got record numbers of some red listers tho. 100+ yellow hammers alone on some days. One ringed 8yr ago was had by a cat less than 3 mile away last month. Oldest ever! There knowledge of species, age and sexing is amazing! 2hrs+ for RSPB fellas to put sat tag on breeding male turtle dove maybe to long?? I was at that farm at weekend shooting corvids. Lot of jackdaws still! 15+ in mixed bag of 35. Turtle doves calling and loads of young songbirds about. Plenty of hares and good numbers of leveretts. Watching the young kestrels trying to catch voles on fresh cut was comical! I was amazed how quickly sticklebacks turn up in what was dry stream. Saw first hummingbird hawk moth of the year in my garden yesterday. NB
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WJ got 35k costs off NE for there first 35k fund raiser challenge on the GL as NE conceded. They not going away! With more to come and with only 200 attending the Countryside Rally maybe it's time we all upped our game! NB
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9 hours ago, twenty said:
The trouble is, as usual, there is no deterrent to the people who carry out these crimes, you said that the police were called, but we all know how that scenario pans out, especially if the perpetrators are "not local" as it were.
Reminds me of that egg collector who seems to get arrested on a regular basis, he always seems to have clutches from Peregrine, Cetti's, Nightingale etc etc.
He gets fined a couple of thousand, and given a suspended sentence.....................I bet he won't do that again
Yeah same old! Left my details but never heard a thing! That Norfolk fella 2nd offence 5000 plus eggs. Apparently mental health probs OCD!
Farmer/keeper locally not keen on RSPB tagging any more turtle doves on farm. Didn't like how they were fitted and took far to long on a rare active breeding bird. Apparently they got license to tag 10 this year. I wonder how many will make it out of country and if data will be published! NB
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1 hour ago, twenty said:
Did you see recently that SEVEN clutches of little tern eggs were taken overnight from a volunteer guarded site in Norfolk.
Footprints led to every nest when the losses were investigated,
These birds had travelled 3000 miles from West Africa to breed here...................What sort of person/s would take seven clutches of this endangered/protected species........desperate !
Yes i did! Mates gal used to volunteer. They got caravan up there! 20 plus eggs. From a well known but very vulnerable site. Dam shame! Getting late for them to try again and with peak holiday season coming up! Wonder if it was targeted for black market as they say? If it 1 or a number of folk as they found tracks? Further my way down the Suffolk coast a few years back on similar remote SSSI fenced and electric fenced signage but unguarded site a group of east Europeans turned up sparked up BBQ near by. They lined out and actively searched the fenced off area for nests in front of folk! I fink they were gona eat them. When challenged by a group of enraged oldies it was " no English! No understand". It got heated and the police were called! Never heard the outcome tho. Site and fence were trashed! There were numbers of little, common tern and ringed plover nesting there. Those areas now are so vulnerable! not just from the sea. But increasing people numbers and disturbance. I have seen dogs and kids on those sites. Despite electric fencing and signage. Signs of foxes and hedgehogs to. Do they get gov funding for fencing off/monitoring these sites?? Love to see it work but a lot of expense and effort for little result from what i have seen! As well as the above, nests and fencing often get washed out by big tides. . . . . .One of our lot got a pic of a black tern and a white winged black tern in the same shot locally at Livermere. I didn't know of or realise both such common visitors here now. NB
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9 hours ago, twenty said:
A Glossy Ibis today at Coombe Hill Meadows, Gloucestershire....................normally a bird of Southern Europe, Africa and Asia, although a regular visitor to Britain and Ireland.
Attempted to breed in Lincolnshire in 2014.
There was one at minsmere/dingle marshes for quite some time about 2 year ago. Really stood out in our waterscape. Especially on a dull day. Black tern was a 1st for me the other day. Never realised there was so many about! Common tern feeding on local farm pond. Has done for last 4 years. NB
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Exactly!!!! But it made headline national news! NB
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This story that they say took place nearly 2 weeks ago makes the national BBC news!? Only evidence is a poor picture of a raptor with what looks like a broken wing!? And them saying one of there birds is missing!? Would you look at that picture and declare! Yes! It's a shot gun wound! It's definitely been shot! I WOULD NOT!!! And as shooters/pest controllers we handle more birds than most! May have even been a dog attack! I have found birds of prey over the years with similar injuries and rescued them. When i have taken them to falconers/ rescue centres they have never instantly assumed gunshot wound! It a common injury in raptors! Especially in owls! Most recon hunting injury or attack from other raptors or crows in the case of owls! Some live and can be patched up and released. Had tawny owl myself for several years with similar injury! It was quite a character! BOP Centre had it to breed from when i moved house. Reserve also sat on this story for a long time! I wonder why?? I wonder if they intervened on the nest with young and the one remaining parent? As they recon chicks unlikely to survive. Makes ya wonder if trying to build bridges with these folk is worth it!! NB
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2 turned up in Suffolk. Maybe it just one of them years! It the same with corncrakes making big journeys. Along with the recent discovery at bat migrations to and from Europe. NB
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RSPB sat tagged one of the many adult turtle doves about locally this year on farm/shoot last week. I hope it makes it off the farm alive with working tag!😉
Some of the others they tagged in Norfolk in previous years didn't make it or were had by sparrow hawks not long after being tagged. But they will not tell you that! On track for best year yet for them in numbers they can't ignore now! Well fledged youngsters about and calling males still. So hopefully 2nd broods. Last year was good to! This is from us controlling the growing number of corvids when we can in the Spring! Orgs and folk doubting us that rooks are egg thieves still tho and big threat to turtle dove success! They and jackdaws clearing out the less well hidden collard dove nests and working margins on cut grass. Kestrels and barn owls doing real well to. Tho one lot down to one parent. Good vole year and if weather hold they should make it! as near to fledging. Plenty of habitat for them! Saw buzzard attack and disable a male marsh harrier with prey at Minsmere/Dunwich 3 weeks ago. Crows mobbed it off and probably finished off the harrier. Glad that birders were there to witness it to. NB
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Reported on the BBC news a dog walker saw it flapping about on edge of marsh. It wasn't even recovered or examined! No evidence it was shot at all! more convenient lies and publicity to suit there agenda! The 3 of them from WJ will be attending and talking at Hen Harrier Day 19. NB
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All very convenient! Yet again and same time of year! Harriers, eagles, exposed traps, grouse moors, dodgy evidence! But no prosecutions! Maximum supposed conservationist celeb exposure! Just like the crows on the gate, death threats and dodgy knobs in the post! When it suits them for publicity! Then nothing!!! All very convenient alleged crimes to suit there bigger agenda! Class war, politics, envy, money and infighting once again put ahead of real conservation!!! Maybe we should all turn up to hen harrier day 19 an have our say! NB
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Ol boi's called em waterhens in Suffolk. Known to attack and drown ducklings. Play dead and hide under water. Eggs taste nice but they don't taste so good. NB
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3 hours ago, Old farrier said:
That’ll help obviously you’re the first one to volunteer 😂
a few of my clients are police officers in a rural area
iv asked them about this and they weren’t even aware of the general license let alone the changes
there biggest concern was safety and noise complaints
Same there OF! I asked rural officers serving and retired and got the same answers! FLO had not heard of GL or Natural England before it came up! All like a bit of pigeon and game tho. NB
Legal challenge to releasing game birds - Merged Threads
in General Shooting Matters
Posted
Avery gloated on his blog a while back that as NE conceded on the GL challenge they had to give them 35k costs which was added to there fighting fund? NB