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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jos Stratford" data-source="post: 1709683" data-attributes="member: 12449">Does it indicate over what area, ie is this relatively local or across a country?In my opinion, the above quoted numbers are totally meaningless - without giving the period (and area) this could be anywhere from very minor levels of predation to very major. Without any indication of the period, and more importantly whether if is affecting populations, quoting all these numbers and 'dramatic' levels of predation seems more a sensationist attempt to persuade others of the dastardly deeds of Eagle Owls than anything serious. In the same vein, were I to be opposed to Marsh Harriers, for example, I'm sure we could find some nice numbers on predation, for example, that would equally seem to suggest that they are a problem for local bird populations - Corncrake, Bittern, wader chicks for starters. I even saw a female eat all the young in a Fieldfare nest this last spring.</blockquote>