Farm land birds still bumping along at the bottom

Latest Articles

Farm land birds still bumping along at the bottom
Page Previous 1, 2, 3

Downsizer Forum Index -> Conservation and Environment

Author

Message

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16384

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 15 7:50 am Post subject:

The Habitats Directive is not very comprehensive. It means that where there is a risk or certain animals being present, nothing can be done to damage their habitat or put them at risk. I have heard of instances where a Natural England rep has said coppicing has to stop because there are bats in a tree, which would not be affected. It was pointed out to him that the bats are there because the coppice was cut so there were lots of insects available for them. A bureaucratic tick box rather than common sense.

Having said that, I don't think we can expect support from the government on anything that doesn't give short term profit, and even less from anything that will cost money.

Falstaff

Joined: 27 May 2009
Posts: 1014

Posted: Wed Dec 09, 15 2:06 am Post subject:

Quote:

The 19 species on the farmland bird index are: Grey Partridge, Kestrel, Lapwing, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Turtle Dove, Jackdaw, Rook, Skylark, Starling, Yellow Wagtail, Whitethroat, Linnet, Greenfinch, Goldfinch. Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow.

Falstaff

Joined: 27 May 2009
Posts: 1014

Posted: Wed Dec 09, 15 2:34 am Post subject:

Species Not included -

Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jay, Grey Squirrel, "Domestic" Cat, Mink, Heron, Buzzard, Red Kite, Sparrow Hawk, Cormorant, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Goshawk.

It has been mooted that many of the declining species are a) Insectivorous, b) ground nesters

It should also be noted that some of the others are c) migratory or d) reliant on holes in trees for nest sites.

The depletion in insect life is very valid IMHO - this has (or should have been linked ) to the flailing of hedgerows and the "Neatness fetish" which destroys nettles and long grass in verges - precisely at the time when some species (Grey Partidge for instance) need to be nesting in that environmet. [Grey partridge chicks are also insectivorous in their early lives ! ]

However - Some noticeable omissions - Cuckoos for instance are less easy to explain - except for the lack of their (insectivorous) hosts !

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44034
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Dec 09, 15 11:09 am Post subject:

between the three places where i have some input 16 out of those 19 are doing ok.

organisations such as english nature should be made to realise that a one size fits all tick box sheet is not the best way to manage landscapes

a glaring example is the not before/not after a calender date to do or not do something.
not before or not after something has set seed/fledged etc etc might be a much better way to time activity.

the idiots that think do nothing will preserve a habitat have really missed the point that the habitat in question only exists because folk have done something to create and maintain it(marine environments less so but some are a result of human activities)

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Dec 09, 15 11:50 am Post subject:

Falstaff wrote:

However - Some noticeable omissions - Cuckoos for instance are less easy to explain - except for the lack of their (insectivorous) hosts !

I don't know much about cuckoo wintering habitats.
I know ten or fifteen years back swallows populations took a dive (deliberate pun) because of drought conditions in the Sahel.
They at least appear to be buoyant again.

This BTO study seems to think similar, but early days.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16384

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 15 7:25 am Post subject:
That's an interesting report Tavascarow. I knew cuckoos wintered in Africa, but not so far south. Question is whether they are a tropical bird that breeds in temperate climates, or a bird of temperate regions that visits the tropics, or just plain misguided.

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Conservation and Environment	All times are GMT Page Previous 1, 2, 3
Page 3 of 3

View Latest Posts