Anyone find the pheasant numbers down

Paullimerick

How's the going lads.
I know there will be fellas with big numbers of the said birds. But I know from my own and the person I go shooting with that the numbers just don't seem to be there this year

richiedel123

Paullimerick wrote: »

How's the going lads.
I know there will be fellas with big numbers of the said birds. But I know from my own and the person I go shooting with that the numbers just don't seem to be there this year

Never seen such a decline in birds in my area. Near non existant. Even released birds weren't surviving. Been a disaster of a year for wild birds.what area u in. I'm midlands and it is same story wit most lads i talk to

gunny123

Talking to a friend who is in a club, and he's been out for days without seeing a bird. Reckons its never been so bad.

Paullimerick

I am in County limerick and we got a big area and released a lot of birds. And from my lay be the second weekend onwards it's been hard going. Even taught the dogs were missing them but then they rise one and you change your mind.

dodderangler

I'm only back from a bit of foxin and I seen 6 pheasants. Never seen so many in my area before.

Tommyaya4

Brilliant season we had 4 again yesterday seen 9 more cocks and 11 hens we have 25 between me and my shooting buddy we had the mixed bag comp in the club yesterday and the countryside is full of wildlife mild winter and a lot of work by a few lads

richiedel123

Tommyaya4 wrote: »

Brilliant season we had 4 again yesterday seen 9 more cocks and 11 hens we have 25 between me and my shooting buddy we had the mixed bag comp in the club yesterday and the countryside is full of wildlife mild winter and a lot of work by a few lads

What part of the country are u in?

Tommyaya4

richiedel123 wrote: »

What part of the country are u in?

South tipp lad but we put a Hugh amount of effort into rearing pens buying in a few cover crops and vermin control even tag birds to see what returns are it's a all year round job in the hope of a good 3 months

Tommyaya4

No shortage

Paullimerick

Fair play. Out Today and absolutely nothing. Had red setter who is young but setting out in morning. No set. Springers and cockers after and only for snipe we would be empty

blackpearl

Buzzards killing cluches of wild birds have see them taking full grown hen pheasants that is the problem its as plain as the nose on your face.wait for it the pretend shooters from the bird watching forums will be along shortly to say that its bull,Buzzards everywhere at the moment time for the gunclubs to lobby the nargc to push the goverement for a countrywide cull.

joe man utd

Have seen a load of pheasants here in limerick.. go out every weekend.. seeing on average 5 more Cocks everyday and for the past few weeks 2 or 3 woodcock and the streams and rivers have teel and mallard where we have never seen them.. between my uncle father and myself we have 28 cockpheasants, 7 woodcock and 42 duck.. we have also trapped 35 or more mink in the past year.

Paullimerick

Good numbers joe. Can I ask what part of the county you in.

dodderangler

blackpearl wrote: »

Buzzards killing cluches of wild birds have see them taking full grown hen pheasants that is the problem its as plain as the nose on your face.wait for it the pretend shooters from the bird watching forums will be along shortly to say that its bull,Buzzards everywhere at the moment time for the gunclubs to lobby the nargc to push the goverement for a countrywide cull.

Let's kill a Native bird of prey for the sake of a couple of tame pheasants? Yeah damn right I'm against it. Bad husbandry is the problem. Not the birds of prey. I've heard same comments and moans from lads who only pop up every November and feck off after January. Typical.

tikkahunter

But its not a couple of tame Pheasants , they are decimating wild numbers as well , over the past 7 years our vermin numbers are basically the same maybe more foxes the odd year on the club land .The only thing that has changed is the number of buzzards have increased from the odd one 10 years ago to counting 18 on a 10 km radius of one of the farms we shoot. We release hens as well as cocks for the bast 50 years and in the last 3 years the returns are dwindling and the carcass numbers around the land are increasing , it is solid facts and it needs to be addressed fairly soon.

Birdnuts

tikkahunter wrote: »

But its not a couple of tame Pheasants , they are decimating wild numbers as well , over the past 7 years our vermin numbers are basically the same maybe more foxes the odd year on the club land .The only thing that has changed is the number of buzzards have increased from the odd one 10 years ago to counting 18 on a 10 km radius of one of the farms we shoot. We release hens as well as cocks for the bast 50 years and in the last 3 years the returns are dwindling and the carcass numbers around the land are increasing , it is solid facts and it needs to be addressed fairly soon.

Reared birds are easy pickings for foxes. If your not on top of that problem then releasing reared birds won't do much good. What hits wild birds hardest apart from that are cold springs(we've had a run of them and they do serious damage to wild broods), disease pressures and the ongoing removal of cover in the form of hedges,scrub and wetlands from our countryside that is hitting much of our wildlife. Plenty of buzzards on Blessington Game club land with out any impact on bird returns thanx to solid habitat work and year round fox, mink and crow control. Its pretty obvious though when you look around at most gun clubs that many come up short in this area and then you get the same people blaming buzzards etc. To prove my point below is a study on the faith of reared birds on a large shooting estate

http://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/birds/common-pheasant/fate-of-released-pheasants/

dodderangler

Birdnuts wrote: »

Reared birds are easy pickings for foxes. If your not on top of that problem then releasing reared birds won't do much good. What hits wild birds hardest apart from that are cold springs(we've had a run of them and they do serious damage to wild broods), disease pressures and the ongoing removal of cover in the form of hedges,scrub and wetlands from our countryside that is hitting much of our wildlife. Plenty of buzzards on Blessington Game club land with out any impact on bird returns thanx to solid habitat work and year round fox, mink and crow control. Its pretty obvious though when you look around at most gun clubs that many come up short in this area and then you get the same people blaming buzzards etc. To prove my point below is a study on the faith of reared birds on a large shooting estate

http://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/birds/common-pheasant/fate-of-released-pheasants/

Another thing I find funny is that the same kind of people who blame everything on numbers being down are the same people shooting 5or 6 a day. Just can't get my head around some people

Ecotone

Out for a few hours yesterday and met 5 pheasants and 2 woodcock. Saw a good few wild clutches last summer.

Paullimerick

Out today and eventually got one for the red setter. Brilliant.
Took the springers out after and got 2 woodcock.
Things are picking up.
And I agree people going out as I say for slaughter premiums are ruining clubs . I always was of the impression that you were only allowed 2 per day

Bad_alibi

dodderangler wrote: »

Another thing I find funny is that the same kind of people who blame everything on numbers being down are the same people shooting 5or 6 a day. Just can't get my head around some people

I got caught talking with two whingers down my way the other day. They were blaming the buzzards for destroying the pheasant numbers. When I asked how much vermin control they were doing they replied sure who has time to stay up all night lamping sure that's a young lads game.
I followed with why do they both oppose letting new lads into the club and got silence. It's a shame they and so many like them across the country haven't the IQ points to rub together and are slowly destroying the sport.
Them and their kind will always find something or someone to blame for their failings.

grassroot1

dodderangler wrote: »

Let's kill a Native bird of prey for the sake of a couple of tame pheasants? Yeah damn right I'm against it. Bad husbandry is the problem. Not the birds of prey. I've heard same comments and moans from lads who only pop up every November and feck off after January. Typical.

Buzzards are not native and are having an impact on irish wildlife and our biodiversity
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00063659509477146
They have to eat something

Bad_alibi

grassroot1 wrote: »

Buzzards are not native and are having an impact on irish wildlife and our biodiversity
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00063659509477146
They have to eat something

Lads there's 1000's upon 1000's of pheasants released each year do people think that buzzards are killing everyone of them.

dodderangler

grassroot1 wrote: »

Buzzards are not native and are having an impact on irish wildlife and our biodiversity
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00063659509477146
They have to eat something

Buzzards are native. They were always a part of Irish countryside but were shot to extinction before the 1900s. They've since been bred in England and taken over to Ireland and released. They've more right to be here than pheasants which are a Asian species of game bird.

flutered

there are supposed to be birds of prey nesting in the galtees having made their way from killarney, there is a shortage of most animals including hares, the upcoming lambing season will be watched with interest by farmers rangers and wild life experts, i expect a lot of ink to be spilt between now and next june, btw a mate counted 32 magpies helping themselves at a suckler feeding trough today

grassroot1

dodderangler wrote: »

Buzzards are native. They were always a part of Irish countryside but were shot to extinction before the 1900s. They've since been bred in England and taken over to Ireland and released. They've more right to be here than pheasants which are a Asian species of game bird.

There is no word in the Irish language for Buzzard and no record of when in the 1900's the last one was shot.
While most of us here worry about the Buzzards impact on Pheasant numbers its impact on all of our wildlife is what concerns me.
The buzzard is certainly not the only reason wildbirds are under pressure but equally it is wrong to say it is not having an impact.
A recent survey in one RGC put the buzzard density higher than that of the UK.
I am not calling for the extermination of buzzards but rather an acceptance that they do in fact have an impact.
On a side note we control foxes, mink and various corvids and yet they are still plentiful in the countryside.

EPointer=Birdss

dodderangler wrote: »

Buzzards are native. They were always a part of Irish countryside but were shot to extinction before the 1900s. They've since been bred in England and taken over to Ireland and released. They've more right to be here than pheasants which are a Asian species of game bird.

I knew it!
The English hatch a new plan 16 years ahead of us!
Crafty buzzards that lot!!

grassroot1

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

I knew it!
The English hatch a new plan 16 years ahead of us!
Crafty buzzards that lot!!

BUZZIT rather than Brexit

Roksan

Pheasant numbers in South Kildare/Laois are reduced this year. Lot of buzzards in the area too.

reniwren

IN my area, pheasant numbers are down, pigeon are down and rabbits only come out at night and are reduced in numbers.

I will presume that when buzzards were native they were not the top predator having to compete with larger birds of prey?

Do larger birds of prey also bed in fewer numbers?

Birdnuts

grassroot1 wrote: »

Buzzards are not native and are having an impact on irish wildlife and our biodiversity
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00063659509477146
They have to eat something

I'm sorry but that is nonsense- buzzard bones have been found in, Neolithic, bronze age and Viking remains in this country and they were present on the Island up until the late 19th centuary. I suggest you read Gordon Darcy's "Lost birds of Ireland" - all the references are their from scientific papers on the subject. They were wiped along with other native BOPS thanx to persecution based on the type of ignorance we sadly continue to see by some on this thread.
Their diet has been well studied too on this island and consists mainly of vermin species - of which none are in short supply in this country

http://duhallow.blogspot.ie/p/buzzards-in-duhallow.html

" Early indications from dietary analysis of Buzzard pellets in Cork has shown that they are feeding largely on rabbits, rats, bank voles, rooks, magpies and woodpigeons."

Birdnuts

grassroot1 wrote: »

On a side note we control foxes, mink and various corvids and yet they are still plentiful in the countryside.

Some species are more sensitive and adaptable to human hunting and other pressures than others. That's why some go extinct and others become pests. Most of our native BOPS were driven to extinction so there's your answer on that one.

PS: The Irish name for buzzard is "Clamhan" with a fada on the second "a"

Rimfire Shooter

Seen decent numbers of pheasants out there in my travels. Not as many as usual, granted. The biggest problem is the change in land use less root crops eg beet a big contributor & removal of roosting cover in a lot of areas. A bigger problem is a lot of current gun dogs are ****e. The breeding lines are all too closely bred from too small a pool of so called FTCH's especially ESS's & not proper hunting stock as they were years ago. Too easy to blame buzzards I reckon.

dodderangler

Giving out about buzzards killing released birds is like a trout angler giving out about pike eating released trout. Just can't win can ya huh!!

Tommyaya4

Without doubt buzzards are taken young wild pheasant poults but they are not the biggest problem to pheasant population we have given up releasing birds into certain areas as lack or cover and roosting means the land will simple not support a pheasant population it may hold a small number of birds but not a viable population for hunting I would agree that some of the so called hunting stock of Springer's are complete ****e and you will not hunt without a good dog It would be interesting to know what numbers of birds lads are putting out and what return they are getting we are starting a tagging system next year to see what returns we get from bought adult birds and reared poults

EPointer=Birdss

Have seen both sides of this.
I have two areas I shoot an hour by car apart & very different ground. Both have Buzzards.

Area 1 - years of development. Old farm style land, good ditches, game crop, hoppers, vermin control the works.
18 cocks met in 3 -4 hours yesterday. No rocket science. Have met 1 fox in 5 years whiles pheasant shooting.

Area 2 - Newer farms with huge fields. Big double ditches but little rush, Sally corners, game crop etc. I.e. 6" of grass or ditch generally. No development but birds realeased by myself in one area near the house for training dogs. I clipped foxes for a few weeks at time of release in the immediate area only.
7 cocks at the hopper in the field behind my house this morning. I can see it from my bedroom.
Meet foxes daily when pheasant shooting. At least every 2nd -3rd trip & that's what I see.

Now some interesting points.

Area 1 has some great land that houses Buzzards. Old bog, woods, big trees, rabbits etc. you'd be lucky to meet a pheasant up there this year. Same vermin control done there but counted 6 Buzzards one day. No clutches seen. However same place has had ditches cleared this year.

Area 2 I've experimented releasing birds in different ways.
Whenever released too early or too late they are screwed from night one. Any resident foxes will kop on & in days clean out the ground sleepers. Have witnessed this first hand more than once.
One farm also cleared ditches. No pheasants or woodcock as before.

Both areas have white pheasants put out as markers, both have lasted which I would of thought would be Buzzard magnets more so than
Foxes.

My synopsis on it is that Buzzards are more damaging to clutches than released birds. This long term is propbably more damaging due to the rapid decline in Wild hens for a healthy wild popilulation.
Released birds foxes are the biggest threat.
Couple all this with some shocking farming practices & birds of any variety with decline in an area in no time.

Not interested in a 'study' debate just sharing what I've witnessed...

I do enjoy seeing them & have had them drop off or land on trees over my head whiles at pheasants or pigeons. Have had them attack decoys.

Thoroughly enjoy seeing them so for me is there a discussion to be had about managing numbers. Yes at some point.
Is there a discussion to be had about Glas schemes & the likes, without doubt!
Is there a discussion to be had with lads that take & do nothing - how about handing in their license & taking up golf. These vermin have made me consider packing it in more than once. Had em in my back garden last year chasing birds.
Would prefer a buzzard or a fox any time!

Paullimerick

I hear people on about springers. All mine being the old type. Is there anyone with real good old type. Hard working ones around as mine gone old now and it's time to start thinking of new stock. Even cockers which I also like would be considered

Birdnuts

Tommyaya4 wrote: »

Without doubt buzzards are taken young wild pheasant poults but they are not the biggest problem to pheasant population we have given up releasing birds into certain areas as lack or cover and roosting means the land will simple not support a pheasant population it may hold a small number of birds but not a viable population for hunting I would agree that some of the so called hunting stock of Springer's are complete ****e and you will not hunt without a good dog It would be interesting to know what numbers of birds lads are putting out and what return they are getting we are starting a tagging system next year to see what returns we get from bought adult birds and reared poults

Don't think anyone disputes that buzzards take the odd poult. The issue is whether its a bigger factor than foxes, mink, disease, bad weather, lack of habitat, roadkill, dysfunctional gun clubs etc. The independent evidence to date would say clearly not since analysis of buzzard pellets suggest their feeding mainly on what most people would consider vermin like corvids and rodents. Anyway the gold standard of gamebird management in this country can be visited in Boora Co. Offaly were despite the presence of buzzards and other BOPs the partridge project there goes from strength to strength. Place has huge numbers of breeding Lapwing and other ground nesting birds along with a big population of hares that are as tame as sheep. Since the place is open to the public, folks can visit and see it for themselves. You can also talk to the gamekeeper there too when he's around - very sound lad and a real font of knowledge. The NARGC are involved too and have a piece on it on their webpage.

blackpearl

dodderangler wrote: »

Let's kill a Native bird of prey for the sake of a couple of tame pheasants? Yeah damn right I'm against it. Bad husbandry is the problem. Not the birds of prey. I've heard same comments and moans from lads who only pop up every November and feck off after January. Typical.

shoot foxs 1 night a week 12 months of the year other members trap mags and grey crows vermin very low in the clubs I am in except for buzzards.

blackpearl

dodderangler wrote: »

Another thing I find funny is that the same kind of people who blame everything on numbers being down are the same people shooting 5or 6 a day. Just can't get my head around some people

always stick to the bag limit in my clubs have dogs don't go round kicking the hedges like some.

blackpearl

dodderangler wrote: »

Buzzards are native. They were always a part of Irish countryside but were shot to extinction before the 1900s. They've since been bred in England and taken over to Ireland and released. They've more right to be here than pheasants which are a Asian species of game bird.

Why were they shot to extinction?Good reading from the NARGC general meeting about buzzards you will see a national cull inside the next year or two the sooner the better.

Tommyaya4

Birdnuts wrote: »

Don't think anyone disputes that buzzards take the odd poult. The issue is whether its a bigger factor than foxes, mink, disease, bad weather, lack of habitat, roadkill, dysfunctional gun clubs etc. The independent evidence to date would say clearly not since analysis of buzzard pellets suggest their feeding mainly on what most people would consider vermin like corvids and rodents. Anyway the gold standard of gamebird management in this country can be visited in Boora Co. Offaly were despite the presence of buzzards and other BOPs the partridge project there goes from strength to strength. Place has huge numbers of breeding Lapwing and other ground nesting birds along with a big population of hares that are as tame as sheep. Since the place is open to the public, folks can visit and see it for themselves. You can also talk to the gamekeeper there too when he's around - very sound lad and a real font of knowledge. The NARGC are involved too and have a piece on it on their webpage.

I don't think buzzards are the biggest problem there a far bigger factors to consider them just blaming buzzards

Kat1170

blackpearl wrote: »

Why were they shot to extinction?Good reading from the NARGC general meeting about buzzards you will see a national cull inside the next year or two the sooner the better.

There is only one reason any animal is shot to extinction ....... IGNORANCE :mad:

grassroot1

First of all my apologies to Birdnuts it seems there is an Irish word for buzzard
But lets not fall into the RSPB mantra of BOP above all others (raptorphilia) every bird species has a place in the enviroment.
I have a number species of Bop on my farm Peregrine,Kestrel,owls, Buzzard and occasionally a male hen harrier passes through,that said since the buzzards have arrived I dont see my peregrines. I like to see them so I suppose it cannot be said that I am anti raptor.
I think e pointer hit the nail on the head its the wild clutches of birds that are seem to be suffering most, I suspect that during the breeding season in summer rabbits are out and feeding and available as prey items to the buzzard. In winter the long nights mean the rabbits are not as easy to come by a pheasant picking on a stubble is one of the few prey species left. If a wild hen is taken at this time the results are worse than if a half a dozen poults are taken from the pen.
Population density again at what level do we decide that we have enough buzzards and when we get there what then.
Its interesting that the Duhallow findings are so different from the Scottish results.
With regard to ground nesting birds the disk mower cutting silage swaths anywhere from 10 foot to 30 foot at a time are killing far more than the Buzzard I suspect.
Again all I am asking for is the acceptance that Buzzards are having an impact. How much and at what level we will have to agree to disagree

Birdnuts

blackpearl wrote: »

Why were they shot to extinction?Good reading from the NARGC general meeting about buzzards you will see a national cull inside the next year or two the sooner the better.

So your a fan of extinction?? The Crane,Capercaille,Great Auk and Bittern were hunted to extinction too in this country, - no wonder the planets biodiversity is in trouble with mindsets like yours:rolleyes:

Even if a few misguided hotheads in the NARGC wanted to push this, they have no say on the matter when it comes to wildlife legislation in this country. Its up to the NPWS and the relevant minister as to what species have full protection or which can be culled. It must also meet with the approval of the EU birds and Habitats directive. Its made on a scientific basis not on wild claims on internet forums or idle pub talk. Shooting/hunting sports in this country face enough challenges for its future and popularity among the general public without hunting bodies pushing ill concieved nonsense like this

Birdnuts

grassroot1 wrote: »

I think e pointer hit the nail on the head its the wild clutches of birds that are seem to be suffering most, I suspect that during the breeding season in summer rabbits are out and feeding and available as prey items to the buzzard. In winter the long nights mean the rabbits are not as easy to come by a pheasant picking on a stubble is one of the few prey species left. If a wild hen is taken at this time the results are worse than if a half a dozen poults are taken from the pen.
Population density again at what level do we decide that we have enough buzzards and when we get there what then.
Its interesting that the Duhallow findings are so different from the Scottish results.
With regard to ground nesting birds the disk mower cutting silage swaths anywhere from 10 foot to 30 foot at a time are killing far more than the Buzzard I suspect.
Again all I am asking for is the acceptance that Buzzards are having an impact. How much and at what level we will have to agree to disagree

I never disputed that buzzards take the odd poult - what I am saying is that it is far down to the list of issues that pheasants(released or otherwise) face in this country and in no way justifies the hysteria and nonsense about removing protections from them that you hear from a minority of shooters/hunters.

I'll put it to you like this GR - the current hysteria about buzzards and pheasants among a minority of shooters is a bit like a man who just lost his wallet full of fifty notes out shopping, but is more worried about the jammed Euro coin he can't get back from the trolley shelter in the car park.

PS: Carrion is a big part of of buzzards diet especially in the winter and theres no shortage of road kill etc. to be had out there. Still plenty of corvids and pigeons about too in winter. At the end of the day buzzards are slow, lazy BOPS and are not particulary good hunters which is why they are not used in falconry - which says a lot. As for Buzzard density in this country. Its no different in suitable habitats then that what you'd see across their range in Europe. Indeed I've seen bigger numbers on my travels in places like France and Eastern Europe then what you see in the vast majority of this country.

Tommyaya4

Meet 5 cocks in 3 hours out today knocked 2 nice birds

grassroot1

Birdnuts wrote: »

I never disputed that buzzards take the odd poult - what I am saying is that it is far down to the list of issues that pheasants(released or otherwise) face in this country and in no way justifies the hysteria and nonsense about removing protections from them that you hear from a minority of shooters/hunters.

I'll put it to you like this GR - the current hysteria about buzzards and pheasants among a minority of shooters is a bit like a man who just lost his wallet full of fifty notes out shopping, but is more worried about the jammed Euro coin he can't get back from the trolley shelter in the car park.

PS: Carrion is a big part of of buzzards diet especially in the winter and theres no shortage of road kill etc. to be had out there. Still plenty of corvids and pigeons about too in winter. At the end of the day buzzards are slow, lazy BOPS and are not particulary good hunters which is why they are not used in falconry - which says a lot. As for Buzzard density in this country. Its no different in suitable habitats then that what you'd see across their range in Europe. Indeed I've seen bigger numbers on my travels in places like France and Eastern Europe then what you see in the vast majority of this country.

yes agreed hysteria but unless there is seen to be some sensible measure to control/manage the population jungle law will prevail
as regards carrion the fallen animals that would have been available now go to knackery.
I think you are quite right they are not good enough to hunt Corvids or woodpigeons so what can they hunt.
If you have seen higher populations than 9 buzzards to 18 acres that would seem high endeed.
Lastly we need the sensible people to engage before jungle law prevails

Birdnuts

grassroot1 wrote: »

yes agreed hysteria but unless there is seen to be some sensible measure to control/manage the population jungle law will prevail
as regards carrion the fallen animals that would have been available now go to knackery.
I think you are quite right they are not good enough to hunt Corvids or woodpigeons so what can they hunt.
If you have seen higher populations than 9 buzzards to 18 acres that would seem high endeed.
Lastly we need the sensible people to engage before jungle law prevails

Many knackeries have been shut and farmers have had increasing difficulties getting fallen livestock off their farm in the required time period. Indeed is was in the farming press only a few weeks ago about livestock carcasses being dumped in drains, bogs etc. around the country. Stock on remote commonages and mountains cannot be easily accessed either when they die. Then you've got deer grallochs, fox carcasses etc. left behind for scavangers . Plenty of roadkill to be had too. I also said that buzzards are not particulary good hunters, not that they couldn't hunt at all. You tried then to twist my words on the subject but have instead kinda contradicted yourself their with some of the claims you made about buzzards having an impact earlier in the thread.
As for jungle laws. We are all subject to laws, many of which we may not like. You seem to think laws should be changed at the whim of noisy minority, no matter if their case has any merit or not. If we went down that route when it comes to wildlife laws in this country, where would it end?? When the buzzards had gone, they'd be whinging about some other protected species and looking for more of the same.

As for 9 buzzards on 18acres - your not seriously suggesting they are all living off that?? Buzzards are territorial birds for much of the year and won't tolerate other buzzards in these areas during most of the year. What you probably witnessed is a post breeding flock, late in the year, feeding on worms in ploughed field(which they do a lot). These flocks are only temporary and are not permanent residents, and will soon be kicked out by the resident pair come early spring. The maximum density of buzzard pairs in ideal habitat in England is around 600 acres. Theirs no reason to believe Ireland would be any different.

Anyway I'm sure the OP of this thread would rather we agree to disagree on this subject instead of cluttering up his thread with more of the same. Its a pity nearly every thread on the subject of pheasants gets derailed in this way but there you go

blackpearl

grassroot1 wrote: »

First of all my apologies to Birdnuts it seems there is an Irish word for buzzard
But lets not fall into the RSPB mantra of BOP above all others (raptorphilia) every bird species has a place in the enviroment.
I have a number species of Bop on my farm Peregrine,Kestrel,owls, Buzzard and occasionally a male hen harrier passes through,that said since the buzzards have arrived I dont see my peregrines. I like to see them so I suppose it cannot be said that I am anti raptor.
I think e pointer hit the nail on the head its the wild clutches of birds that are seem to be suffering most, I suspect that during the breeding season in summer rabbits are out and feeding and available as prey items to the buzzard. In winter the long nights mean the rabbits are not as easy to come by a pheasant picking on a stubble is one of the few prey species left. If a wild hen is taken at this time the results are worse than if a half a dozen poults are taken from the pen.
Population density again at what level do we decide that we have enough buzzards and when we get there what then.
Its interesting that the Duhallow findings are so different from the Scottish results.
With regard to ground nesting birds the disk mower cutting silage swaths anywhere from 10 foot to 30 foot at a time are killing far more than the Buzzard I suspect.
Again all I am asking for is the acceptance that Buzzards are having an impact. How much and at what level we will have to agree to disagree

I have seen buzzards killing adult hen pheasants out in the open not in a pen, WHAT will it be next it was a sick bird or the bird was dead, one of them I seen the buzzard attack the hen a lot of flapping but the hen was killed. I am sick of people coming on here and defending buzzards they are a killing machine end of story.If a vote was taken in the morning between all the gun clubs it would be 90% in favour of a national cull.BRING IT ON.

Cass

Okay peoples.

The Mods have let this run for as long as is possible, but as usual once Buzzards are brought up the thread goes way, waaaaaaayyyyyyyyy off on a tangent.

Buzzards are fully protected. There is no shooting, snaring, trapping, hunting, relocating or anything of the sort to be done to them.

So can we move on please without the need for the thread to be closed.

Thanks.

Nekarsulm

Do folks on this forum not think that the growth in Pine Martin numbers is much more likely to be a cause of falling pheasant numbers than Buzzards?