I really enjoyed the bittern booming in view. Now I want to photograph it....
John
I watched an Adder doing just that to a Whitethroat nest at Minsmere a couple of years ago. The adult birds were calling frantically. Amazing footage tonight.Adder predating Goldfinch.... wildlife watching really doesn't get much better than this!
John
Did you notice the badger on the scrape didn't appear to take everything? I know the sequence was probably edited, but from the footage shown it only took chicks or some of the eggs from each nest rather than everything it could find.
22 nests cleaned out in 19 minutes, I think it said. Plus the multiple nests it predated on the other occasion. No doubt it will be back so long as birds are nesting. Let's be frank, if it was a fox which was repeatedly getting onto the scrape islands like that then the RSPB would have a marksman on the case. Badgers aren't rare (about 300,000 of them), and they are increasing. Avocet is relatively rare (1500 pairs) and Black-headed Gull is more common (130,000 pairs) but is Amber-listed.
Considering that fences and water haven't stopped it, should occasional Badger control be on the table?
The problem with controlling predators is then it becomes a bit of a zoo. Avocets are an increasing species in this country - how much help do they need? There are so many different ways to look at this issue. At least some of the Gulls were going to give it one last go.