Ruddy Duck Cull (3 Viewers)

[ColonelBlimp]

Little Owls are whole different kettles of fish (especially apparently being around inbetween the ice ages) ...but yes, introducing them was a foolish idea if they were not recently native.

 

[Jos Stratford]

As Barred Wobbler says.....

Colonel, post 39, you've messed up your quotes.

Somehow you quoting a sentence that I never said and does not reflect my view, please amend.

 

[Jos Stratford]

it remains inconceivable for me to believe that you believe the RSPB mysteriously want to support the eradication of Ruddy Duck so much they'd ignore what the qualified scientific opinion tells them on the matter. One morning the RSPB got out of bed and decided it didn't like ruddies anymore, something like that, I mean is that what we're really supposed to be imagining here?

I think you will find I never suggested anything along these lines.

I am sure th RSPB knows what it is doing and there is scientific grounds to support the cull, I do not deny this. Whilst I have nothing but support for the RSPB, it does not mean I have to 100% agree on every last position they take. In my opinion, as I stated in earlier messages, I believe the vast sums being spent on the attempted Ruddy Duck eradication could better be spent in other fields of conservation, including direct White-headed Duck conservation.

 

[Jos Stratford]

How can an introduced species "cause no harm" within its current range in Britain? Even if it isn't obviously invasive they are still taking resources from native birds.

Are they? Which species is being adversely affected in Britain?

 

[Quercus]

Are they? Which species is being adversely affected in Britain?

...Mandarin Ducks?

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Sorry Jos I got you and TeamSaint the wrong way around-I've only just worked out how to put the red bits on top of quotes!

I'll PM a mod to sort it out.

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Are they? Which species is being adversely affected in Britain?

Ruddy Ducks are eating food and using nesting sites that could otherwise be utilised at least in part by native birds, this is just common sense. However, in answer to what species in particular are affected, the effect would be localised, and therefore hard to find in statistics disguised among other effects-but still extant.

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Also, in response to specifics I'd like to post an earlier remark in another thread by Ian Peters:

The ruddy duck is an aggressive breeding bird in the UK and they tend to take over in many places. At the moment, ruddy ducks are not in contact with any of our more sensitive species but it should be noted that they have already reached Scotland. They have the same nesting requirements as garganey (<150 breeding pairs in eastern England), Slavonian grebes and black-necked grebes (both <100 breeding pairs). It would be unlikely for ruddies to totally eliminate breeding for these species but they could out-compete for nest sites and reduce tihe breeding population to a crititcally low level.

 

[John Cantelo]

Some posts seem to suggest, wrongly, that the cull is an RSPB initiative rather than governmental action. As for the cull itself, there's no doubt that the Ruddy Duck had been increasing at an alarming (or pleasing, depending on you point of view) rate in the UK. This increase in the UK has been mirrored by a similar increase in records abroad (inc. Spain). I'm not sure, but I think records from Spain have dropped since the cull was initiated. It is not unreasonable to suppose that these two factors are linked. Had the UK population continued to expand at previous rates then the number needed culling in Spain (and elsewhere on the continent) may well have stripped the capacity of the authorities to do so effectively. Besides, they could reasonably argue that, since we caused the mess, we have more of an obligation to sort it out than they do. I'm sure they're also miffed that, after spending time and money on WHD, they have to deal with this problem anyway. This, I think, is the logic of the case,

John

 

[jurek]

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.

Coating eggs with parafin was tried and found impossible, because, as one can guess, finding nests is very difficult. However, time and money spend on checking politically correct methods was sufficent that those opposing of the cull called it too expensive. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

All details behind the cull was "done to death" on several threads of this forum. I assume that most of opponents are simply teasing.

I see these natural and shy creatures were too stupid to fly away when flushed. So, you did your stuff and can safely assume ruddy ducks have a death wish.

I will reverse argument of Jos. Why not better spend time and energy on something non-controversal instead of opposing the cull? What about putting nest box or breeding platform for waterbirds...

 

[Birding Rover]

DEFRA have requested permision to cull at my patch in Notts.
What most are against here is that they want to shoot on SSSI and nature reserves. After waiting years to get the site protection it look like all the "natives" will have to suffer all the disterbence.

 

[James_Owen]

I think you will find I never suggested anything along these lines.

I am sure th RSPB knows what it is doing and there is scientific grounds to support the cull, I do not deny this. Whilst I have nothing but support for the RSPB, it does not mean I have to 100% agree on every last position they take. In my opinion, as I stated in earlier messages, I believe the vast sums being spent on the attempted Ruddy Duck eradication could better be spent in other fields of conservation, including direct White-headed Duck conservation.

Same argument though isn't it? The RSPB with all its expertise (better than yours or mine surely?) must believe the cull is a cost effective measure, otherwise they wouldn't grudgingly support the action (as somebody said - it's not an RSPB initiative of course). We're all entitled to our opinions though.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Same argument though isn't it?

Not really.

As pointed out, it isn't an RSPB action and not their funds being used for the eradication scheme. If it were their valuable resources being used, I wonder to what degree they too would question the priorities. For the record though, I appreciate the RSPB do know what they are talking about and you will not find me criticising them, merely in this case expressing a different opinion.

 

[Nick Tanner]

Here's a thing, instead of DEFRA attempting genocide on European ruddies, why don't they just eradicate Homo Sapiens from the planet, then Oxyura leucocephala and O. jamaicensis can go on to be Oxyura whatever and no other species would be the wiser, nor would it care

Nick

 

[Quercus]

Here's a thing, instead of DEFRA attempting genocide on European ruddies, why don't they just eradicate Homo Sapiens from the planet, then Oxyura leucocephala and O. jamaicensis can go on to be Oxyura whatever and no other species would be the wiser, nor would it care

Nick

<< Speechless>>

I think we should move on before getting bogged down with this suggestion!

 

[Steve Dunn]

Same argument though isn't it? The RSPB with all its expertise (better than yours or mine surely?) must believe the cull is a cost effective measure, otherwise they wouldn't grudgingly support the action (as somebody said - it's not an RSPB initiative of course). We're all entitled to our opinions though.

James
Out of pure curiousity, if you were approached by the guys from defra OR the guys you work(?) for - RSPB - and asked to disclose the location of known Ruddy sites in Notts, would you spill your guts and tell them?
I truely hope not!

Steve

 

[John Cantelo]

Here's a thing, instead of DEFRA attempting genocide on European ruddies, why don't they just eradicate Homo Sapiens from the planet, then Oxyura leucocephala and O. jamaicensis can go on to be Oxyura whatever and no other species would be the wiser, nor would it care

Nick

Am I to assume that you're putting yourself forward as the first volunteer for your proposed cull? Furthermore, I confess to being somewhat offended, given the events of the past century in Europe (and beyond), to see the term 'genocide' used so casually in this context,

John

 

[Nick Tanner]

I certainly did not mean to demean the atrocious acts man has visited upon members of his own species, and I am truly sorry if I have caused offence, but it seems to reinforce my comment, not weaken it

Nick

 

[John Cantelo]

I certainly did not mean to demean the atrocious acts man has visited upon members of his own species, and I am truly sorry if I have caused offence, but it seems to reinforce my comment, not weaken it

Nick

Thanks, Nick. Thirty odd years of teaching history perhaps makes a bit hypersensitive on the issue!

John

 

[Nick Tanner]

thanks for that John, I remember birding in Planeron in northern Spain a few years ago and visiting a place called Belchite, the site of an atrocity in the Spanish Civil War, it made me cry, normal people doing everyday things, caught up in something that probably destroyed what faith they might have had in the compassion of their fellow men, the page in my birding notebook is blank from that day but my memories of it certainly are not

Nick