Declining Song birds..Farming practises (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Rowlands]

Oh I don't think you would. And why the snide tone to your statement? I don't know, first Andy, now you... presuming you know what I do, and what others do. Naughty. You should try to find better rhetoric for your argument.

But, hold on a minute, you do say "we armchair critics" - are you including yourself in that group? Hmm.

Now, come on! There's never been a debate without tempers being frayed and "armchair critics" airing off. After all, we're not automatons. Interestingly, "suricate", of those who have written in, one very interesting aspect is to look at who hide behind a persona and who are more open.

Food for thought.

In case you hadn't read the reference correctly, Scampo, I too used the word WE, intending to implicate myself in the comment as well as 'unnamed' others. My comment was not intended as a personal attack. I know full well that many people that contribute to this forum work hard in the field with landowners, farmers, Foresty Commission, local government departments et al, to try to help our wildlife and countryside. There may be others who have their own selfish agenda, I don't know and can only guess.

Andy.

 

[Jane Turner]

In case you hadn't read the reference correctly, Scampo, I too used the word WE, intending to implicate myself in the comment as well as 'unnamed' others. My comment was not intended as a personal attack. I know full well that many people that contribute to this forum work hard in the field with landowners, farmers, Foresty Commission, local government departments et al, to try to help our wildlife and countryside. There may be others who have their own selfish agenda, I don't know and can only guess.

Andy.

What really confuses me is that the original "armchair" comment was made by Suricate....what is going on here?

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

What really confuses me is that the original "armchair" comment was made by Suricate....what is going on here?

I don't know, first Andy, now you... presuming you know what I do, and what others do. Naughty. You should try to find better rhetoric for your argument.

My bold.

Referring to posts 32 & 34.

Andy.

 

[Jane Turner]

Thanks.. I was getting confused there. Posts 32 and 234 feel like weeks ago

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

Thanks.. I was getting confused there. Posts 32 and 234 feel like weeks ago

Same here! I'd ignored the first 'dig' but.....

Cheers,

Andy.

 

[Anthony Morton]

QUOTE=Jane Turner - I'e startd a thread dedicated to the discussion or non discusion of Pigeons. Its in Rufled Feathers so Anthony, you will have to join that group if you want to post, assuming that you haven't done so already.


Most kind but my word, the old spelling has really gone to pot today, hasn't it?

FESTINA LENTE - as my old Latin master used to say!

Antoninus Maximus

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Hi Anthony

Quote:"If the population of the prey species does control the population of the predator as you suggest, then why haven't the number of Sparrowhawks declined along with, and at the same rate as, the passerines? Could it be because they have diversified and are now predating much more on racing pigeons, which is what I am suggesting? In other words, the racing pigeon has replaced at least part of the Sparrowhawks diet. "

If racing pigeons were that important in the sparrowhawks diet, then the best thing to do were to make keeping of racing pigeons illegal. Then sparrowhawks were depleted of their food supply and most of the population of sparrowhawks would die ooff, letting the songbirds increase again--easy solution to the problem-make pigeon keeping illegal, because racing pigeons lead to songbird decline!!!

Jörn

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Sorry, but I just couldn´t resist.

Seriously, I can not imagine that sparrowhawks in the UK should be so different from those on the continent. From the literature I take that pigeons here are less than 1% in the sparrowhawks diet; allthough there are (rarely) single females that can specialize on pigeons (I know only one such case)-can give you more data tomorrow-if interested

 

[Ranger James]

QUOTE=Jane Turner - I'e startd a thread dedicated to the discussion or non discusion of Pigeons. Its in Rufled Feathers so Anthony, you will have to join that group if you want to post, assuming that you haven't done so already.


Most kind but my word, the old spelling has really gone to pot today, hasn't it?

FESTINA LENTE - as my old Latin master used to say!

Antoninus Maximus

Pompous old fool - as many people here are now saying.

 

[sparrowbirder]

Anthony,sounds like you are one of those self same anoraks I referred to in my previous post, oh well,each to their own I suppose, I dont really class pigeons as birds,they are just there,seemingly "in the way" all the time,even on seawatches they fly past pretending to be something else, I personally just dont think they should be encouraged more than they are, but as JT says "thats a different thread"

 

[Jasonbirder]

Quite how this thread has mutated back to Sparrowhawks from Farming practices I don`t know...

From the literature I take that pigeons here are less than 1% in the sparrowhawks diet

There is of course no link between populations of Wood Pigeons, Feral Pigeons and Collared Doves and the numbers of Sparrowhawks - they represent a tiny % of Sparrowhawk kills and numbers of all 3 species of are rising - Feral Pigeons are a pest species in many Town areas, Collared Doves are now one of the most frequent visitors to gardens and Wood Pigeons are one of the few farmland species whose fortunes are waxing....

However Pigeon fanciers obviously have a financial & emotional investment in their birds so even if one or two are taken they get the raving hump and look for a scapegoat...the numbers taken are really a drop in the proverbial ocean but "eeh bye gum `ur Seth oop north wit birds in t`loft" wants to see it as a wider problem because it is a problem...to him.

Unfortunately though if a you have something tasty roaming free its occasionally going to get eaten - its not the fault of the Sparrowhawk, anymore than it would be a foxes fault for taking my daughters Guinee Pig if I left it out on the lawn overnight rather than putting it back in its hutch - keeping them caged is no answer I know - the whole point of racing pigeons is to let them fly around....for Pigeon Fanciers its a problem without a solution - Occasionally they will suffer from taken birds - deal with it, if they take matters into their own hands then they are breaking the law and will be dealt with appropriately!

The strength of their argument can easily be seen by the fact that of all the people on this forum from different backgrounds and interests there are only 2 and no more who have vainly tried to argue for the removal of Sparrowhawks protected status....everyone else, with access to the same and better evidence and statistics has rubbished their arguments and the same policy is followed by every single conservation organisation.

 

[Jane Turner]

Does anyone have views or facts about the size that pockets of sensitively maintained farmland have to be before they become useful... I have a concern that isolated pockets of good habitat in a desert of sterile monoculture will not be that effective.

*Attempts to steer thread back on course*

The pigeon thread is currently discussion recipes I believe.

 

[Ranger James]

Does anyone have views or facts about the size that pockets of sensitively maintained farmland have to be before they become useful... I have a concern that isolated pockets of good habitat in a desert of sterile monoculture will not be that effective.

Is there anything on the FWAG website?
I'm off, see you tomorrow.
James

 

[Edward woodwood]

Dear Antoninus Maximus or is that Biggus Gittus
check your own spelling

differemce = difference
necessay = necessary
prostitite = prostitute

Never mind, I bet you were ver' ver' drunk!

Now don't say I'm never consructive

Don't know what old Sigmund would make of bring male prostitutes into it.....

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

Does anyone have views or facts about the size that pockets of sensitively maintained farmland have to be before they become useful... I have a concern that isolated pockets of good habitat in a desert of sterile monoculture will not be that effective.

*Attempts to steer thread back on course*

Does anyone have any data on the long - term effect of common weedkillers on soil structure and content?

Andy.

 

[pduxon]

QUOTE=Jane Turner - I'e startd a thread dedicated to the discussion or non discusion of Pigeons. Its in Rufled Feathers so Anthony, you will have to join that group if you want to post, assuming that you haven't done so already.


Most kind but my word, the old spelling has really gone to pot today, hasn't it?

FESTINA LENTE - as my old Latin master used to say!

Antoninus Maximus

almost as poor as your use of quotes

 

[Anthony Morton]

QUOTE=Ranger James - Pompous old fool

ET TU BRUTE?

- as many people here are now saying.

Really, when? Can you please name even one person who has used this expression in an earlier posting to yours? And if you can't, I suppose an apology would be too much to ask!

Well done, Ranger James - another vaulable contribution!

Anthony

 

[Anthony Morton]

QUOTE=Ranger James

What woudl you sugegst?

-------------------------------------------------------------

And you have the brass neck to criticise my spelling?

Let him who is without sin cast the first stone!

Anthony

 

[scampo]

Same here! I'd ignored the first 'dig' but.....

Cheers,

Andy.

Well done!! Well, done indeed. I like that. 10/10.

B

 

[Brendan T]

Give it a rest Anthony Morton.
I think its pretty obvious you're from Songbird survival. Don't know what you thought you'd achieve by coming on here but nobody's bought into it. One of your earlier postings on Sparrowhawks thread you talked about having had a look at the SBS site and it wow it converted you with its logic.. give me a break I bet your from Songbird Survival aiming to use this site to convert some by claiming concern over songbird numbers.

Interesting fact......a founder member of Songbird Survival is called Anthony, is from Buckinghamshire and has a very similiar writing style and argument to the Anthony here. Coincidence??