Can Goshawks be used to control Grey squirrels? (1 Viewer)

[Shadow-watcher]

I’m unclear why the gray squirrels in your woods need to be controlled at all. Are they more damaging to the local ecology than the red squirrels which they replace? Or are your woods a place where red squirrels were absent or uncommon before the advent of the gray squirrel?

And as others have said, no bird of prey can do the job for you, shooting (or trapping or poisoning) being your only options.

Fugl Im coming to realise this point is very valid. Ive been under the impression for a long time, and so have many others that GS are a real problem for songbirds. But my research since starting this thread is turning up a very different reality. The wood land in question has priority species clearly not effected by GS according to the study. I will be having serious discussions with the advisors on whether the control of GS is really warranted.

To the rest of you thankyou all for your input. It would be nice to think we could somehow naturally encourage predation of grey squirrels by attracting existing BoP to the woods, but the reality is that if it were valid it would have already happened naturally. We have local goshawks and buzzards.

Im not prepared to use trained birds, for the reasons many of you have explained. My entire philosophy on land managment is working with the an ecosystems biodiversity to support its natural continuation. Im hoping I retain that approach and the reality doesnt turn me into a 'Songbird Survival' trustee! I doubt that though. I think that maybe we need to accept the GS are an intergrated part of that ecology and stop trying to fight them. I encourage you all to read the PDF previously attached and perhaps rethink your stance on GS as I am beginning to.

MJB- I was under the impression that the Red/Grey problem was generally considered manageable by habitat, as Reds prefer coniferous woodland apposed the Greys love of broad-leaf diciduous. I read somewhere that the general consenus in conservation biology was changing in it approach to protecting Reds with this info in mind (no idea where i saw that though).

I may start a blog on this project, with loads of pictures which i will link BF up to somehow.
Thanks to all

 

[biggsy]

Not on Anglesey, they are wiping out the grey to protect the red, to date £440.000 has been spent on it.

 

[The Hairy Highlander]

Shadow-watcher, you should try an get the sevices of a certain Owl 'murdering' footballer, he'd do a right proper job!! :t:
(sorry, I couldn't resist)

 

[Twite]

Conservation calls for hard decisions to be taken. To let you conscience dictate your conservation policy is nothing short of selfish. Do the right thing, however distasteful you may find it.

If you want to know more about the effects of grey on red squirrels read this pdf http://www.coford.ie/media/coford/content/about-press/The%20Irish%20Squirrel%20Survey%202007.pdf

 

[Shadow-watcher]

Conservation calls for hard decisions to be taken. To let you conscience dictate your conservation policy is nothing short of selfish. Do the right thing, however distasteful you may find it.

If you want to know more about the effects of grey on red squirrels read this pdf http://www.coford.ie/media/coford/content/about-press/The%20Irish%20Squirrel%20Survey%202007.pdf

Funny little troll, its nice to know your thinking about my balls though :-O :-O I'd read your PDF if it worked

 

[Shadow-watcher]

Shadow-watcher, you should try an get the sevices of a certain Owl 'murdering' footballer, he'd do a right proper job!! :t:
(sorry, I couldn't resist)

hahaha :t:

 

[Twite]

No not a troll, and well you know it, but it's the standard reaction to unwelcome criticism. The fact is that Grey Squirrels are bad news for nesting birds, trees and Red Squirrels.

The pdf works. I've tested the link. It is 52 pages and takes time to load. It really is worth a look.

 

[dud1z]

Trap them and kill them, best method of keeping the population down, Simple as that really.

 

[The Hairy Highlander]

Trap them and kill them.......

And throw them in the pot, I hear they taste a bit like chicken! B

 

[Shadow-watcher]

And throw them in the pot, I hear they taste a bit like chicken! B

The numerous ones ive dealt with before (despite my small balls) I did eat, and they do taste very good.

Twite- I cant get it to work, just says file is damaged and could not be repaired. I would very much like to read it though, and do insist my balls are quite substantial!

 

[etudiant]

Is the Gray Squirrel not the ideal prey species for the Pine Marten?
Given the decision to protect the Marten, there will be a country wide expansion of this superb predator.
Martens are excellent nest robbers and will impact bird populations much more significantly than squirrels.
So the question is whether the abundance of squirrels as prey animals will boost Marten densities enough to further damage the bird population or whether Martens will focus primarily on the more substantial squirrel resource.

 

[Twite]

The numerous ones ive dealt with before I did eat, and they do taste very good.

Twite- I cant get it to work, just says file is damaged and could not be repaired. I would very much like to read it though, and do insist my balls are quite substantial!

I'm impressed :-O

Google Irish Squirrel Survey 2007 it'll bring you to the pdf.

I understand your attitude towards killing, and the world would be a much better place if more people shared your concerns. But sometimes hard choices have to be made. Try not to let your conscience prevent you from doing what deep down you probably believe is the right thing. Good luck.

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

The Irish squirrel survey 2007 pdf is best obtained from near the bottom of this webpage; the earlier link crashed my browser, though right-clicking and choosing 'Save as' worked fine.

Regards,

Andy.

 

[Shadow-watcher]

I'm impressed :-O

Google Irish Squirrel Survey 2007 it'll bring you to the pdf.

I understand your attitude towards killing, and the world would be a much better place if more people shared your....

Ill find it thank you. Its not the act, I have done it before, its whether it is necessary. Im finding conflicting veiws on this issue.

The Journal of Ornithology study summerizes that GS dont have a 'national' impact on songbird numbers. But there could be a local additional effect on priority species limited to only a few areas. This means that GS could well be having a serious effect in the woodland in question, if they are a marked threat to those species I will control them (begrudgingly).

You have to listen to the most up to date science, and make informed desicions on it even if to your gut it seems wrong. Additionally any management plan needs to be specific, and if predator control is a possiblilty you need to doubly careful of the source of such advice, seeing as the motives behind it can be political (psychotic even).

I appreciate your point, hard decisions do have to be made. Although i should point out I am happy to hunt squirrels for food, they are in massive abundance, and everything is used. I could make a nice hat for someone if they wanted one.

 

[oceancol]

Not quite the words I'd have used, but along the same lines! Not prepared to bite the bullet and control the pests yourself then get someone or something to do it for you. You obviously need to delegate the vermin control!
Tough decisions can sometimes need tough action.
Perhaps your forest management skills aren't really up to all that's required?

 

[Cartman]

Up yours Cartman.

wow what a comeback, are you 5 years old

 

[Shadow-watcher]

Not quite the words I'd have used, but along the same lines! Not prepared to bite the bullet and control the pests yourself then get someone or something to do it for you. You obviously need to delegate the vermin control!
Tough decisions can sometimes need tough action.
Perhaps your forest management skills aren't really up to all that's required?

Errr.... ???

 

[Twite]

wow what a comeback, are you 5 years old

|=\|

 

[dantheman]

What's going on with BF at the moment??

Squabbles breaking out everywhere, a sense of reasoning, maturity and tolerance seems to have left the room, language going downhill, posts getting personal, (even pms being misunderstood ... ), arguments and bickering on any number of topics ...

Lack of birds? The sun is shining outside and spring is springing ... crumbs, people ...

 

[Shadow-watcher]

What's going on with BF at the moment??

Squabbles breaking out everywhere, a sense of reasoning, maturity and tolerance seems to have left the room, language going downhill, posts getting personal, (even pms being misunderstood ... ), arguments and bickering on any number of topics ...

Lack of birds? The sun is shining outside and spring is springing ... crumbs, people ...

I agree. Im being very gracious, its a godly virtue you know. Then again I'm awesome and pure of heart and so have nothing to fear from these people. I appreciate those who have stood up for me, but by reacting you only proliferate it. Bests just ignore them :t: