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Jenks wrote:

Dougan wrote:

Jenks wrote:Purely coincidence but I spotted this in the D/Mail.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... arden.html

I have to say that I kill every grey squirrel that I can. I have seen the damage they can do to nesting garden birds. We used to have lots of Song Thrushes in our garden now we have none. We have lots of snails (Song Thrush food) the problem is the neighbours have lots of bird feeders hanging in their garden attracting Grey Squirrels. I know what I prefer to see and hear in the garden.

Jenks

Yes I'm sure you have no problem at all playing God in you little log-stacked empire...

...you seem to take the side of provocation in nearly every thread you comment on...and I have to say, that I find you a bit of a t*at at times.

Dougan..

Well, I certainly rattled your chain. The fact is the Grey squirrel is a verminous pest and they do take song bird eggs and chicks. Funny how you as an 'environmental scientist' find it convenient to ignore that, because they amuse you! I had a Blackbird nest close to my greenhouse door this summer it had four very small chicks in it. I took great pleasure watching the adult birds taking in food. I looked in one morning all the chicks were gone. they were far too young to have fledged. It was no coincidence that the grey Squirrels used the hedge as a rat run to get to my neighbours bird feeders. On the subject of rats.I wonder would you find it equally amusing watching the rats darting out from under their shed to feed off the crumbs from the bird table .

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't approve of this, but it is great fun.

http://www.shootingtimes.co.uk/features ... rrels.html


Jenks.

As you wouldn't know a fact from your arse hole; lets clear a few things up...

Firstly - What has me being an environmental scientist (and I'm not one yet) got to do with it? - I decided to study it because I'm fascinated by the biological and chemical processes in nature - I doubt very much whether I would get involved with conservation or such professionally (I'd probably be too biased), and am more interested in working in the water management/pollution control side of things.

As for my attitude to animals; I have always been this way, and made my mind up long ago that I would never kill an animal unless I want to eat it, or it wants to eat me - I believe in live and let live, and would rather go to great lengths (large areas of my lawn are currently covered in netting to stop the foxes digging) than harm an animal....Now it's my choice if that's how I want to live...but if you look back at previous topics, I have always accepted that farmers and landowner need to use controls, and I have also not argued with some conservation measures...so don't suggest that I am a hypocrite.

Now as for what goes on in our back gardens - as I said, they are no longer 'natural' habitats...Humans have totally changed things...obviously physically, with our properties and fenced-off gardens, but also with our pets, waste and feeding - some animals win and some lose; and some of the winners really thrive, for example in the autumn we had 3 pairs of blackbirds in the garden...they tolerate each other because there is plenty of food, but it would not be like that in their natural habitat - Also, are you aware (probably not) that sparrows are well known for killing blackbird fledglings, and the cute little robin can be a murderous little villain too...in fact (remember 'fact'), many birds and mammals will kill both their own species and others when there is competition for habitat and food...and this is actually more common in their natural habitats - As for my back garden; the cats sometimes kill a squirrel, the foxes eat the pigeons, the squirrels eat birds eggs etc.....and that, as I said before, is just the way it is; and I don't feel it's my place to step in and decide which species lives and which dies.

On to feeding - don't believe any crap about squirrels putting of the birds...I feed the lot from a single peanut feeder...the woodpeckers get the first shout (no one messes with them), then the squirrels, then jays and magpies, and the blue tits and other small birds sit patiently until the feeder is free and they get a feed too....

...yes feeders can attract rats; but if you have more than a couple then there's probably something else as well encouraging them - we've had a couple, which doesn't right bother me, but the last one I saw (more than a year ago) was being tossed about by two foxes, who were just playing their part in the 'backgarden jungle'...

And finally - Yes you've 'rattled my chain'...I'm all for playing devils advocate, wind-ups and banter, but you were being deliberately (and you know it) provocative, and not in a good way...and then, again you post a link to a squirrel 'leisure day' shoot....which is just snide.

It appears Jenks has got quite a bit of flak as anyone does when it seems one sticks his neck out by uttering mainly sensible ideas. Fact is around here which is urban with lots of gardens hedges and trees and bordering a large Parkland at one time long ago 60 ish years about there were lots and lots of hedgehogs now none -absolutely 'zilch'. Foxes have always been seen about the estate from as long ago as 40 ish years and then badgers over 30 years. I don't think the extinction can be blamed on fox's alone. I still feel that unless the badgers are diseased they should not be killed. On the other hand badgers can and will do immense damage to precious valuable lawns and flower beds etc and can even undermine buildings. In this case one would think that these destructive animals should suffer the consequences. It should be easily possible to get them moved but this at present is not the case.
As regards the grey squige they are a bloody nuisance and far more destructive than a load of folks realize. A grey squidie was seen to bite a rabbit by the eye socket 'in earnest' so I would be very careful Dougan if you chance to put your fingers near your 'little grey friends' they might well mistake them for chipalatas & bite em off. When I was aware of the rabbit being attacked by a grey I thought what indeed are they capable of killing and then eating ? ( some of the do-gooders say greys don't kill reds)
I don't like this statement sometimes bandied about re 'acting as God' because the very act of feeding anything is bypassing the natural theme is it not. In any case surely it's all about management to obtain a balance of the system of nature as best we can even if this means killing of those species that are too numerous and are upsetting this 'balance of nature'.

Well said Badger ! :goodjob:

GlenLivet wrote: In any case surely it's all about management to obtain a balance of the system of nature as best we can even if this means killing of those species that are too numerous and are upsetting this 'balance of nature'.

Hmm, we think that justifies declaring an 'open season' on oomans for 'pest control'...

GlenLivet wrote:It appears Jenks has got quite a bit of flak as anyone does when it seems one sticks his neck out by uttering mainly sensible ideas. Fact is around here which is urban with lots of gardens hedges and trees and bordering a large Parkland at one time long ago 60 ish years about there were lots and lots of hedgehogs now none -absolutely 'zilch'. Foxes have always been seen about the estate from as long ago as 40 ish years and then badgers over 30 years. I don't think the extinction can be blamed on fox's alone. I still feel that unless the badgers are diseased they should not be killed. On the other hand badgers can and will do immense damage to precious valuable lawns and flower beds etc and can even undermine buildings. In this case one would think that these destructive animals should suffer the consequences. It should be easily possible to get them moved but this at present is not the case.
As regards the grey squige they are a bloody nuisance and far more destructive than a load of folks realize. A grey squidie was seen to bite a rabbit by the eye socket 'in earnest' so I would be very careful Dougan if you chance to put your fingers near your 'little grey friends' they might well mistake them for chipalatas & bite em off. When I was aware of the rabbit being attacked by a grey I thought what indeed are they capable of killing and then eating ? ( some of the do-gooders say greys don't kill reds)
I don't like this statement sometimes bandied about re 'acting as God' because the very act of feeding anything is bypassing the natural theme is it not. In any case surely it's all about management to obtain a balance of the system of nature as best we can even if this means killing of those species that are too numerous and are upsetting this 'balance of nature'.

Hi there,

I can't say I disagree with most of what you say - however if you read what I've already posted about 'urban environments'; I don't believe that they are 'natural' anymore, so the 'balance of nature' will never be found again - you're right that feeding animals is generally a bad practice (particularly with foxes), but as I already said the current populations (especially birds) now rely on it....

Greys will kill reds if there is competition for habitat and food, and the poor reds are pretty defenseless against grays...

...however I'm not defenseless against grays, and have been bitten by far worse critters.

Anyway, good to see someone new joining in the debates

Just an observation. This week I have spotted two Badgers dead on the side of the road within a few miles of home. My wife said that whilst driving from Winchester to Fareham (rural route 25 ish miles) she spotted Three dead Badgers. Seems they may have started culling themselves.

Jenks

Jenks wrote:Just an observation. This week I have spotted two Badgers dead on the side of the road within a few miles of home. My wife said that whilst driving from Winchester to Fareham (rural route 25 ish miles) she spotted Three dead Badgers. Seems they may have started culling themselves.

Jenks

Or they had some help...

Jenks wrote:Just an observation. This week I have spotted two Badgers dead on the side of the road within a few miles of home. My wife said that whilst driving from Winchester to Fareham (rural route 25 ish miles) she spotted Three dead Badgers. Seems they may have started culling themselves.

Jenks

this is common and it's usually our caravan dwelling community dumping them after badger baiting to make it look like RTA's so i'm told?

Deep underground in Sett Central, Darth Badger looks at the targeting screen and aligns some cross hairs on a pikey caravan park.

"Release the asteroids..."

meles meles wrote:Deep underground in Sett Central, Darth Badger looks at the targeting screen and aligns some cross hairs on a pikey caravan park.

"Release the asteroids..."

You have my blessing.