[Pie Face]

My local patch will be getting a visit from the nice people of DEFRA on Friday. Any thoughts on how I could make sure their visit is as fruitless as possible?

[walwyn]

What have you got against biodiversity?

[cheshirebirder]

It's a tricky one, Highway man. As Walwyn says, there's a good reason for the cull. I guess , if you feel really strongly about losing your local ruddies, you could try driving them off somehow the day before the cull ,but doesn't that just move the problem ?
We have to accept that some creatures ( especially introduced ones ) have to be controlled.

[Pie Face]

It's the manner in which they are controlled that I have a problem with. Most wildfowl Canada Geese etc. can be controlled by coating the eggs in parrafin.

[walwyn]

Isn't the problem not so much the numbers, but that they have picked up the habits of club 18-30 lot, and bugger off to Spain for a good time.

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by cheshirebirder

...but doesn't that just move the problem ?

Assuming we accept as gospel that they are a problem.

It could be argued that the vast sums of money being spent on this exercise could be more effectively into wetland protection in Spain, thereby furthering the increase in White-headed Ducks, which I believe are actually doing okay (climbing from 22 birds in 1977 to 2500 now) despite the deemed risk from the occasional wandering Ruddy Ducks, which by-and-large seem to prefer residing on grubby reservoirs in the English Midlands rather than taking their holidays in sunny Spain.

[Gill Osborne]

Borrow somebody's dog and let it chase sticks into the lake so the ducks will scarper
I never report my Ruddy sightings now as I feel the cull has gone far enough. There are hardly any ruddies around up here nowadays.

[dantheman]

Originally Posted by Highway Man

My local patch will be getting a visit from the nice people of DEFRA on Friday. Any thoughts on how I could make sure their visit is as fruitless as possible?

You could just be generally present and check that no female smew etc get 'controlled' as well. . . how did you find out about it anyway? Do they advertise such things?? (General answer may be better than specific . . . All those unemployed hunt sabbers need something worthwhile to do now . . )

[Barred Wobbler]

Good luck to DEFRA on this one.

I don't care if I never see another ruddy duck in Britain, even if they do look cute.

[Pie Face]

Originally Posted by dantheman

You could just be generally present and check that no female smew etc get 'controlled' as well. . . how did you find out about it anyway? Do they advertise such things?? (General answer may be better than specific . . . All those unemployed hunt sabbers need something worthwhile to do now . . )

Work have just bought me a nice new Hi Viz coat, might have a wander around in it Friday morning. Can't reveal the source of my information but it's not normally in the public domain.

[Pie Face]

Originally Posted by Barred Wobbler

Good luck to DEFRA on this one.

I don't care if I never see another ruddy duck in Britain, even if they do look cute.

I have a similar opinion on Scot's!!

[Jos Stratford]

Originally Posted by dantheman

You could just be generally present and check that no female smew etc get 'controlled' as well. . .

Agree, should you wish it to be fruitless, be there with a camera and check they they don't balls up - record how much disturbance of other species, if any 'wrong' species were shot and how many Ruddies were missed, ie how effective it is anyhow. Publicise anything not done to the letter of what they are permitted.

[Barred Wobbler]

Originally Posted by Highway Man

I have a similar opinion on Scot's!!

Can't say they've ever bothered me too much. I don't come across them much these days.

[SUPPRESSOR]

Originally Posted by Highway Man

Work have just bought me a nice new Hi Viz coat, might have a wander around in it Friday morning. Can't reveal the source of my information but it's not normally in the public domain.

Hope you are successful I love 'em.
fiddler.

[John Sherratt]

Just to say, good luck with your efforts Highwayman.

[jurek]

What the point? People made mess by putting the duck in the wrong place, then more mess by letting it breed and breed. Time to gulp and let them be killed as swiftly and humanely as possible.

If you flush them, they fly to another water, and be shot there. Or make shooting more difficult, so bigger chance that one or another duck will not be shot cleanly.

[birdboybowley]

Nice bird-friendly lot here - Ruddies from here moving to Spain - no proof whatsoever - ask Tom Gullick who actually brought White-heads into Spain to help the population grow. Any ruddies that turn up are taken care of within a couple of days. Just out of interest what effect do ruddies here have on native species..??

[ColonelBlimp]

Even not knowing the specifics, from past events I can safely say that introducing a non-native species is a really bad idea and an even worse idea is ignoring it when it has happened.

For evidence, consider the fate of the little chappy on my avatar!

[James_Owen]

Gotta say, requires some balls to take it upon yourself to disrupt an official action taken to preserve biodivesity, to assume you know better than the scientific opinion being acted upon there.
Still, if you're really so certain it's the wrong thing to be doing perhaps your time would be better spent writing to Defra, your MP, etc, asking for reviews on the policy, rather than exercising in a spot early morning nimbyism.

[Pie Face]

Think I made the point earlier that I am not against the idea of reducing Ruddy numbers, but why use a method where birds are left to die slowly, maimed or other species mistakenly killed. Yes writing to an MP might do something, but seeing as I was only tipped off a couple of days ago I doubt very much that anyone would have the time to bother even if they did care.

As for dispersing them elsewhere to be shot, that's hardly likely as these sites are targeted known Ruddy Duck sites, which incidentally the birds will return too.

Out of curiosity what affect will this species have on the British biodiversity?

[ikw101]

A camera, long lens and a high visibilty vest with press or media on the back is a surprisingly effective deterrent. For a more long term solution this has to the favourite.

[Floyd Barnes]

Why do we deem it necessary to do the spaniards dirty work?
IF the odd drake ruddy makes it to spain, and is in the vicinity of white headed ducks.
let them shoot it if they want. To cull large numbers here, on the off chance that the odd one may hybridize seems somewhat over the top.
FB

[Floyd Barnes]

Good luck H-M take a pie or two!

[Pie Face]

Well we've done our best and was down there at 5.30am making lots of noise. The DEFRA task force 6 Jeeps and 6 boats arrived at 7:30. Unfortunately the Ruddy Ducks weren't flushed by our efforts and at least 20 are currently on the Reserve.

Unfortunately school (walk) beckons but going back down at 8.30 with long lens. Hopefully at least salvage a gallery of shame from all this!

[Quercus]

Originally Posted by Highway Man

I have a similar opinion on Scot's!!

Racism isn't funny!