Fewer Small Birds About this Winter?

[Welderloon]

I noticed far fewer small birds throughout the whole year, dawn chorus is usually deafening up here, trees took a hammering with storms this last couple of winters, however the crows & pigeons were wiped out by the bug so assuming that has also affected the smaller bird numbers, we were over run with raptors but there is also far less, unsure if this is disease related or a food supply issue

 

[Vader]

I noticed far fewer small birds throughout the whole year, dawn chorus is usually deafening up here, trees took a hammering with storms this last couple of winters, however the crows & pigeons were wiped out by the bug so assuming that has also affected the smaller bird numbers, we were over run with raptors but there is also far less, unsure if this is disease related or a food supply issue

Similar here.
Wondered if lor of the birds of prey were taking birds sick with bird flu and then caught it them selves?

 

[Clive]

numbers and diversity up here this year again - thermal surveys and ringing

 

[Y Fan Wen]

We have loads of small birds, which I put down to keeping on top of all the Corvids, Magpies in particular.

Life will be harder for farmers after magpies removed from Welsh general licence, says BASC

Magpies will be removed from the general licence in Wales from 1 January 2024, with a specific licence required to control them legally.

basc.org.uk

 

[BrianV]

Life will be harder for farmers after magpies removed from Welsh general licence, says BASC

Magpies will be removed from the general licence in Wales from 1 January 2024, with a specific licence required to control them legally.

basc.org.uk

Stupid politicians haven't got a clue!

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Life will be harder for farmers after magpies removed from Welsh general licence, says BASC

Magpies will be removed from the general licence in Wales from 1 January 2024, with a specific licence required to control them legally.

basc.org.uk

How do numbers of magpies affect farmers?

 

[BrianV]

How do numbers of magpies affect farmers?

Around here they are first on the scene pecking out the eyes of any ewe that gets on it's back, same with new born lambs & they play hell with small birds eggs.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Around here they are first on the scene pecking out the eyes of any ewe that gets on it's back, same with new born lambs & they play hell with small birds eggs.

Never known Magpies peck the eyes out of Ewes.

First on the scene for that are Ravens, followed by Crows and Black Backed Gulls, although them and the Ravens will go through the side of the stomach fairly quickly.

I would love to get a Welsh politician to come out for a day in the real countryside.
I have always felt that Wales was a rural area, all these Bunny Huggers can't come out of Cardiff surely?
How come so few farmers and naturalists have failed to get into politics to educate these people?

 

[CPF]

No one ever mentions the grey squirrels eating eggs.

 

[ollie989898]

No one ever mentions the grey squirrels eating eggs.

Several birds and animals are happy to take eggs or newly-hatched birds in a nest no worries. Corvids, squirrels, wood peckers, jays etc.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

Never known Magpies peck the eyes out of Ewes.

First on the scene for that are Ravens, followed by Crows and Black Backed Gulls, although them and the Ravens will go through the side of the stomach fairly quickly.

I would love to get a Welsh politician to come out for a day in the real countryside.
I have always felt that Wales was a rural area, all these Bunny Huggers can't come out of Cardiff surely?
How come so few farmers and naturalists have failed to get into politics to educate these people?

It does seem to be a regional thing. Magpies and carrion crows are always first on the scene if a ewe finds itself in difficulty. Never seen ravens or gulls taking any interest.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

No one ever mentions the grey squirrels eating eggs.

To be fair, they aren't protected and it's a criminal offence to release one into the wild if captured.

 

[Bury the Trash]

 

[Wood field]

Just saying to the boss lady , there seems to be more little birds about than I’ve noticed before. Could well be regional, I did do my part this morning saving a wren from the bloody cat , not sure how things will be come spring as there’s loads of magpies, crows and squirrels about

 

[chaos]

Normally have alot of sparrows around the farm yard,very few at Christmas time.
But they have all returned with the cold weather!

 

[CPF]

We’ve notice a lot more small birds on the bird feeds in the last couple of days now. And all the feeds was empty in a day and half.

 

[Jonp]

Got about 50 sparrows that perch in the hedge next to the shed every morning waiting for me to fill the feeder. Robins and occasional blackbirds eat what the sparrows drop on the floor and I have blue tits visiting too. Seems there are loads of small birds around here, often see small flocks wheeling around the fields and my woods are quite busy if you take the time stand and watch.
Resident sparrow hawk is not going hungry.

 

[Av Gorritt]

I have two VERY territorial blackbirds in my yard but I go for the big stuff too - a breeding trio of peafowl that don't belong to me but spend most of their life here picking about in the yard . They don't cause me any nuisance so I just leave them be . but not so my flat dwelling , car loving neighbour . he hates the mortal sight of them , and is out with a super soaker and a big stick if they even look like going near his car . I had a really nice group of partridge a short while back , but my son assured me that they were emigrees from the shoot up the valley and would go back when the noise died down . And so it proved - they've gone now . A few feral pigeons and far too many jackdaws , but the estate gamekeeper puts a shot or so up them , and they move away until he's gone . I very rarely see a sparrow and we used to have flocks of them a time back , and I haven't seen a thrush in ages . There were always curlew up on the moor at breeding time , and we used to get quite big flocks of fieldfare , but I don't get out at all now so I don't know about them .

 

[thorpe]

fecking sparrow hawk , we have bu99er all , did have a black cap in the cordaline this afternoon, seem to remember making the same post last year darn't shoot the bl00dy sparrow hawk round here, but that's what it need's!

 

[Jonp]

They don't hang around do they, the one that travels the hedge line behind my shed is very fast and very agile, if I tried shooting it I'd end up with holes in my shed or my sheep or the horses over the hedge.