guzzicat Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 Just watched mister smug blame the demise of Adders on +++++++ PHEASANTS ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 Just watched mister smug blame the demise of Adders on +++++++ PHEASANTS ! He should be happy we shoot a few then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 His reasoning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewluke Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 also mentioned on Autumn Watch was that a third of Bewicks Swans had been shot at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 The bit that boiled my **** was when they were talking about the edible doormouse. Apparently it's an invasive species that is seriously damaging some native bird populations and bats too. But it's "too late to get rid of them" and we should "just hope that they don't spread".... Seriously? What planet is this moron on? If we all thought like him, everything would be screwed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 The bit that boiled my **** was when they were talking about the edible doormouse. Apparently it's an invasive species that is seriously damaging some native bird populations and bats too. But it's "too late to get rid of them" and we should "just hope that they don't spread".... Seriously? What planet is this moron on? If we all thought like him, everything would be screwed. Over hear in France the edible dormouse is regarded as a nuisance species and can be controlled. This summer I got loads of calls from customers complaining about the noise that they make running through the roof voids. And as you say, they raid bird boxes and take young bats. A rat trap usually sorts them, but I am wary about when I can trap and when not to. No good trapping the parents and leaving a nest full of young to die and cause a huge stink in some inaccessible place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 also mentioned on Autumn Watch was that a third of Bewicks Swans had been shot at Has anyone challenged his source of evidence for this claim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebarrels Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 He's at best an annoying ****,BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzicat Posted October 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 A third of Bewicks shot "At" did he ask them ? I knew he was away with the fairies, but now he i stalking to the birds .He would fit in great at Findhorn.The gods forfend.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 I didn't watch it tonight. But there's literally NO scientific evidence to back up what he's catting about with adders and pheasants. Scientists (not Packhams) have been trying to find out what effect the wide-scale abundance of pheasants has on native species and the answer is that nothing's been proved. As to the Bewick's, did he mean shot at in the UK, or along their epic migration routes? The problem might be in Europe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 I have never seen an edible dormouse before or perhaps I have and took them for squirrels as I never thought that mice could be that size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 I see he's into Gardening Magazines now telling us all how to garden for wildlife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_seagrave Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 Over hear in France the edible dormouse is regarded as a nuisance species and can be controlled. This summer I got loads of calls from customers complaining about the noise that they make running through the roof voids. And as you say, they raid bird boxes and take young bats. A rat trap usually sorts them, but I am wary about when I can trap and when not to. No good trapping the parents and leaving a nest full of young to die and cause a huge stink in some inaccessible place. Have you ever eaten one? LS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 Talk about invasive species? I see he's into Gardening Magazines now telling us all how to garden for wildlife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 Pheasants an introduced non native shooters quarry species....detrimental to Adders, native reptile! I think I see where this is heading? Having all but failed on the ridiculous attack on grouse shooting this appears to be another front Packham is opening up for the protectionists to attack shooting!...........I wonder when that other zealot, Avery will join the fray? Packham appears to be getting more vociferously anti shooting by the day! Hopefully it'll all end in tears?......primarily his! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 So what do pheasants or the shooters do to adders exactly?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 So what do pheasants or the shooters do to adders exactly?? Perhaps you could ask Packham? But don't expect an honest, factual science based answer...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 Perhaps you could ask Packham? But don't expect an honest, factual science based answer...... Unsure id want him to have my contact details to be honest.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 Just listening to the program in background at work, so the doormice, why are they just checking the boxes and putting them back if they are causing so much damage.. Surely they should have similar status to grey squirrel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 (edited) looked at vipers at college the general opinion was The decline of adders is due to fragmented habitat resulting in isolated pockets of in-bred animals susceptible to predation from a range of creatures, to a lesser extent including pheasants, (google "The vulnerable viper" shooting times) Edited October 26, 2016 by islandgun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adge Cutler Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 Has anyone challenged his source of evidence for this claim? To be blunt its widely available on the global net if anyone wishes to search for it. Packham is in fact quite wrong The WWF, AEWA, & the CMS have been researching and testing Bewick Swans for 40 years and over 50% of birds tested contain lead shot not 30%. Its illegal to hunt the bird on its migration route but it still happens as it does with hundreds of other migratory species. The proportion of ingested shot is unknown however. Regional reptile studies specifically of Adders have determined that young adders regularly fall prey to various species of birds particularly Galliformes which have a propensity to scratch clear feeding areas and are extremely omnivorous. I once saw a big cock pheasant consume a 12 ins slow worm on the garden lawn. New born adders are particularly vulnerable because they hatch in September. Saying that a Adder would not think twice about wiping out a clutch of Pheasant or Partridge eggs in one sitting and I've seen this as well. Edible Dormice should be eradicated and I believe they can be trapped legally under licence by land and woodland owners if they so wish. I don't want to get into another Packham spat, but I think some of us are a bit paranoid to be honest. Most bird orientated naturalists know that Pheasants will eat small Adders whether they are reared birds or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B25Modelman Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 (edited) A third of Bewicks shot "At" did he ask them ? I knew he was away with the fairies, but now he i stalking to the birds .He would fit in great at Findhorn.The gods forfend.. He did not say it. And they said the smooth snake kills many Adders. Edited October 26, 2016 by B25Modelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 (edited) Just listening to the program in background at work, so the doormice, why are they just checking the boxes and putting them back if they are causing so much damage.. Surely they should have similar status to grey squirrel? They are not putting boxes up for the alien dormouse are they? I know N.E. used to run a box scheme on some stalking I had down in Somerset for our native tiny dormouse. Are you confusing the two? They are legal to hunt in Slovenia. I have a friend out there who has a superb hat made from their skins. Edited October 26, 2016 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winnie&bezza Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 it's about time the bbc sent him off on a lone trip into Africa filming a documentary about lions with just a camera and an open topped vehicle with a low tank of diesel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 26, 2016 Report Share Posted October 26, 2016 The issue should be with the BBC which gives Packham a platform to peddle some absolute trash. However he is correct in that pheasants will eat adders and that swans migrating from Russia will have been shot at at some stage of their journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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