Neil Hagley
Well-known member
Reports suggest that DEFRA will be shooting any Ruddy Duck found at EBR in the next week or so.
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Ruddy Duck to be shot at EBR (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Neil Hagley
- Start date
Neil Hagley
Well-known member
The deed was apparently done this morning. Not only did all the Ruddy Duck disappear (no surprise there) but so did the White-fronts and Pink-feet just in time for my lunchtime visit to see them. Slav & BN Grebes managed to avoid the guns and were still present though.
Neil Hagley
Well-known member
I was too subtle, sorry. Ruddy Ducks dead, wild geese scared witless and gone.
Adam W
Well-known member
Ah thought so my mistake.
Cheshire Birder
Well-known member
Lucky they managed to avoid being shot. They have not been so lucky at other sites where some shooters seem to have difficulty seperating Ruddy Ducks from other species.
CB
Man that's bad news, shit why am I surprised!
Cheers, A thoroughly pissed off L3 birder.
Adam W
Well-known member
Are the people working for DEFRA to shoot Ruddy Ducks 'shooters' as such or just DEFRA officials?
Either way i find it hard to believe that grebes would be mistakenly shot as Ruddy Ducks.
Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....
Dont quite understand why Ruddy ducks are shot. Cross breeding with a close relative is pretty normal in the wild isnt it? (if that is the reason).
Seems like mans ego taking over too me.... the "Cant tick it if it isnt pure b*llocks"
I guess this may get me shot off the forum now.... however it isnt to my liking whatever the reason
Dave
Seems like mans ego taking over too me.... the "Cant tick it if it isnt pure b*llocks"
I guess this may get me shot off the forum now.... however it isnt to my liking whatever the reason
Dave
Neil Hagley
Well-known member
it probably went something like this http://uk400clubrarebirdalert.blogspot.com/2009/12/pitsford-reservoir-ruddy-duck-cull.html
Hi Dave,
Nor mine. Mans ego, unfortunately, is part of the "Human condition" which makes many good things, almost impossable to achieve.
Cheers, Neil.
Pie Face
Well-known member
I haven't seen any other photos of DeFRA in action and believe me I got absolutely no pleasure from taking them
DeFra in action!!
DeFra in action!!
Neil Hagley
Well-known member
Thanks, I for one think it's right that we know what 'culling' actually involves. They look just like the Harlequin and King Eider hunter killers from Alaska (I won't include the link but if anyone needs to see just Goggle it). They were no doubt wetting themselves with excitement, all that camouflage too, if there was anymore testosterone flowing even the trout would have fled if they had wings.
Natural England has an iron grip on EBR when it comes to such gentle things as hedge trimming etc. so much so that there are parts of the reservoir it is now impossible to see properly. Tall hedges come in handy though when there's duck to kill in broad daylight. 'Sensitive ecosystem' (Natural England speak), what a farce.
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Adam W
Well-known member
Well if you dont like shooting then you're not going to like whats shown in those links and thats fair enough but there's nothing actually being done wrong,its just duck shooters shooting Ducks or perhaps more acurrately in this case just doing the job they were there to do.
I, along with others, have my opinions on the shooting of birds and most certainly do not want, or see the point of, to get into a prolonged debate on this forum. Suffice to say that I cannot relate a love of birds to shooting them in any way or form. Many members of this forum disagree with this cull, there will be those that don't. That is my opinion, you have yours and I respect that. I won't change my mind and you won't change yours, whatever is debated or posted on here.
Phil
Phil
Adam W
Well-known member
Couldnt agree more, there's no point starting another lengthy debate on this subject i just wanted to point out that nothing was actually being done wrong it is just the case that some people dont happen to like it which i totally respect aswell.
Neil-T
Moorlands Macro: Close up and personal....with bug
The project was to ERADICATE the ruddy duck, not cull. There is a difference. Personally I dont like the project and think it should be stopped. It was all political in the first place anyway. And there is NO evidence of British Ruddy ducks migrating to breed with White headed ducks.
