come and have a look at the birds i see from my windows any time you like, and what birds do i see? black crows, woodpidgeons and magpies, with some very very few exceptions, now im no expert but i can talk about the area ive lived all my life for over 50 years, and yes i remember in the 1970s shooting house sparows off the roof you hardly see any more? but i would argue that say back in the 1960s- 1970s in my area their was a lot lot more shooting and general pest control of birds and foxes etc than now, what i can say that has most definatly changed is population and general urbanisation growth, with a much more traffic growth, ie through my village i would say traffic in only 10 years has doubled? please excuse spelling and grammer but i had to say something because i just saw chris packham on good morning tv and would have liked to see someone have a serious debate with him?
look at the birds through my window chris packham
- Thread starter bluebell
- Start date
lazy farmer
Member
- Location
- som/dor border
So agriculture hasn’t changed in the last 50 yrs
- Location
- South Wales UK
Their numbers have increased dramatically.
Seagulls also.
Seagulls also.
of course agriculture has changed in 50 years but so has the main cause of everything like dare i say the global warming debate and that is population growth and the demands that population growth has on the environment, i cnat comment about the area you may live but i know the change that population growth is happening on the place were i call home?
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
You don’t need to apologise for grammar or indeed anything else.
It’s a valid observation and one that deserves an airing.
Apparently the BASC were invited but PACKHAM wasn't having that .
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Yes and no. If you want the case to be heard or read by those beyond this forum, you need to be eloquent, coherent and literate. Have a look at the average newspaper and note the standard that needs to be achieved.
Your observations are, I’m sure, valid, but unless they are presented properly they will not be taken seriously by the media or the public.
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Be that as it may, and I’m not disagreeing, the important bit is get your point across.
Worry about details later.
As I understand it, Mr Packham has some sort of condition and nothing stops him having his say.
Worry about details later.
As I understand it, Mr Packham has some sort of condition and nothing stops him having his say.
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
I suspect he has editors to tidy things up for him.
Get your point across - absolutely. All that bluebell needs to do is write properly, write often and find a media outlet that they can work with. It’s a hard slog, and I suspect that Chris has worked very hard to earn his platform.
Same as the 10 yr old Swedish girl ... asparagus syndrome
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Did he think it was a mirror?
A1an
Member
Hats off to him, his response was almost funnySomeone sent him a save the Woodcock sign .
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
I noticed a couple sparrows here two or three years ago. So I put up some nest boxes. I keep oats for the horses in an open 45 gallon drum in an open shed and the sparrows held themselves. Now I have dozens of the little beggars! Not a problem yet, but I may have to put a lid on that barrel. I wonder if that's legal?
- Location
- Exeter, Devon
That’s too big according to my wife. She reckons he’s just a little pr*ck!
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Alan Titchmarsh I salute you
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
To follow on from my post above (nest boxes and free food leading to an increase in sparrows), I now get feed in bags, so the open topped bin for oats is no more. Result? The sparrows have departed.
I'd suggest the reason many populations of birds have declined is because farming etc. is a lot cleaner. Fewer weeds, less spilt grain at harvet, cleaner harvesting, etc. If you want butterflies, you have to tolerate a few weeds. Not saying it is good or bad, just stating the facts as I see them and as viewed over 70+ years.
My uncle had Poles working for him over 60 years ago. The worker's wife would go around the harvest fields after harvesting, collecting gleanings (uncut corn) for her hens. I'm guessing she would have a thin time of it these days. And so do the birds. When I lived in the hills, my neighbours fed cattle outside on unthreshed sheaves of oats taken from an outside stack. In the winter with snow cover, the stacks would be black with red grouse and black game and hill partridges would be scavenging grain where the cattle were fed and broken the snow cover. Then they put the cattle inside, used a combine harvester, and all straw and grain was stored under cover. The red and black grouse and hill partridges disappeared and they wondered why.
I'd suggest the reason many populations of birds have declined is because farming etc. is a lot cleaner. Fewer weeds, less spilt grain at harvet, cleaner harvesting, etc. If you want butterflies, you have to tolerate a few weeds. Not saying it is good or bad, just stating the facts as I see them and as viewed over 70+ years.
My uncle had Poles working for him over 60 years ago. The worker's wife would go around the harvest fields after harvesting, collecting gleanings (uncut corn) for her hens. I'm guessing she would have a thin time of it these days. And so do the birds. When I lived in the hills, my neighbours fed cattle outside on unthreshed sheaves of oats taken from an outside stack. In the winter with snow cover, the stacks would be black with red grouse and black game and hill partridges would be scavenging grain where the cattle were fed and broken the snow cover. Then they put the cattle inside, used a combine harvester, and all straw and grain was stored under cover. The red and black grouse and hill partridges disappeared and they wondered why.
- Tags
- harvesting maize oilseed rape slug slugs