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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. M

    no skylarks this year

    Have high densities of skylarks on the farm. Key is late mowing. I manage farm for corncrake (I'm in a corncrake agri-environmental scheme). Mowing takes place in Mid-September. I have an open sward on farm (low N application), so provides good habitat for nesting skylarks. Annual mowing...
  2. M

    River Warbler question?

    Thanks lads!
  3. M

    River Warbler question?

    Planning trip to Bialowiesza, poland. Would 10/06/2018 to 23/06/2018 be too late for "singing" river warbler?
  4. M

    Top 5 of 2017

    1. Corncrake (most likely juvenile from 2nd brood) from my nettles on October 3rd. 2. Twite 15 birds in my kale crop. 3. breeding pair chough in my nest box, sadly failed. 4. goshawk (barbate Spain). 5. Northern Bald Ibis (Barbate Spain).
  5. M

    A survey reported in Countryfile tonight shows that the badger cull is working

    TB tested cattle in republic of Ireland for 14 years. After culling of badgers bTB would generally decrease. bTB often returns though as badger populations return and you get a lot of mixing of different populations of badgers.
  6. M

    Escaped Lynx killed - UK

    The lynx that was shot was not a wild animal though. It was a captive lynx, which would not have had a fear of people. It would have been habituated to people feeding it. Not saying it should have been shot, however!
  7. M

    What kind of foods are you feeding your backyard birds during this autumn season?

    Sowed 0.2 acres of kale/tritikale/mustard. In it's second year so now kale is gone to seed. Mostly linnets but twite as well.
  8. M

    Garden / Yard List 2017

    A few nettle to draw corncrake in. A bit of kale to draw the twite in.
  9. M

    Garden / Yard List 2017

    No official list. Main birds: Two calling corncrake and heard a hen crex calling her chicks. Grasshopper warbler. Drumming snipe over fen. Chough bred, but nest failed. 15 twite in my kale crop now.
  10. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    Great plans in ideal world, but are Estate owners likely to donate their lands for such projects. I know of only one person who uses all their personal land for conservation
  11. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    Would be great to get some more of (vast) subsidies diverted to effective results based agri-environmental schemes.
  12. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    Mountain hares are culled because they can transmit louping ill (via tick vector) to Red grouse. Grouse can't be reared like Pheasant so unfortunately cannot release them on August 11th. IMO Shooting estates should have a minimum number of Hen Harriers on their estates (calculated by independent...
  13. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    UK holds 17-25% of world's population of curlew. It is crucial that they are protected and if that means driven grouse moors then I could live with that (with stringent licensing etc).
  14. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    Ban grouse moors and with resultant lack of management (which is broadly favourable for breeding waders) curlew numbers will plummet even further. Agreed intensive agriculture a huge problem for curlew.
  15. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    Curlew need vast landscale management, unlike stone curlew. In Ireland (no driven Grouse moors) curlew are near extinction (<120 pairs. My vision would be for badly needed reform of grouse moors. Vicarious liability of estate owners. Licensing of grouse moors with stipulations such as a minimum...
  16. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    What going to happen with all the driven grouse moors? Planted with exotic conifers? Overgrazed by sheep? Are RSPB going to buy out the moors? Fragmentation of upland moors/heaths/bogs by forestry, more intensive management of farmland and the abandonment of some lands, leading to encroachment...
  17. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    Drainage of areas moors would definitively affect breedind waders.
  18. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    Some moors I believe are taking out grassy parts which tend support greater numbers of meadows pipit. Decrease meadow pipit and decreases prey species available for Hen Harrier. It makes the moor less attractive for Harriers.
  19. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    Breeding success of curlew/lapwings/golden plover is an unintended consequence of moor management. If grouse shooting is banned these species will decline. Look at what happened to grouse moors in Wales, when shooting of grouse ceased. There were big declines in waders.
  20. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    Breeding waders like red-listed curlew breed in significant numbers on grouse moors. If driven grouse moors are banned I would fear for the existence of curlew in Great Britain.
  21. M

    new petition re driven grouse shooting

    If driven grouse shooting is banned, what is going to happen to the estates. Planted with conifers, sheep grazing?
  22. M

    What's your favorite bird?

    Corncrake. One signing his little heart out in the Iris patch on the farm at the moment:smoke:
  23. M

    Is RSPB our premier bird conservation organization any longer

    In Ireland we had a roughly 22% decline in Hen harrier numbers in the last 4 years. No grouse moors. Intensive afforestation of upland areas main reason for decline. Due to CAP agreements huge areas of scrub have been removed in last 2 years, prime harrier habitat. Widespread destruction of bogs...
  24. M

    A better Spring this year-so far at least!

    Apparently good rains in Sahel region. Better survival rate for migrants coming back.
  25. M

    Arcachon, West of Bordeaux

    Many thanks Eugene. Any good pelagic trips in Arcachon area? I will have a car for 5 days.
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