Pine marten

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Queens University would argue both pine martens and red squirrels are both bouncing back.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/pine-marten-helping-red-squirrel-population-rebound-study-shows-1.4185385

An old neighbour had an attic riddled with them I know a house in drumkeeran that had a bunch of them invade one evening (one hid behind a shower curtain in the bath!)
I'm not arguing that theyre not potentially a pain in the hole but they are a wildlife success story.
I also used to see rats and mice running across the road around my house all the time, but not any more since I spotted pair of martens running down the same lane one day.
Are you against birds of prey moving into new areas too?

No not against any of it just saying it as it is. they are all beautiful . some can have a devastating effect on other wildlife . just a chat not a row ;-)

Deagol wrote: »

Widespread forestry? You do know that Ireland is the least forested country in Europe??

Yes, exactly, the landscape is bare when it comes to forests.


I drove up and back from Abitibi region in Northern Quebec last week. It took 10 hours to get to my MIL’s house, and 9 hours were driving through forest. 3hours through a national park that is nothing but trees and lakes. By contrast, in Ireland I saw wooded areas that looked heavenly, but to my eye seemed manicured, and that is to be expected.

upupup wrote: »

Is your issue that they are killing wildlife that you want to kill/hunt/shoot?
if not what wildlife are under threat apart from the grey squirrel?

are you saying only grey squirrel are under threat ? how about song birds, ground nesters or even larger water fowl ? Now maybe you don't live here in Ireland or understand the need to protect what's left before it's to late but I do and it's not far off to late for some. I'm not trying to have a dig at you but often what people believe and what is actually the case can be far far apart.

I asked you what wildlife do you believe is under threat a so i can investigate this and see is there substance to your claim.so if you give me an answer then we can discuss further
What specific wildlife?

Benny mcc wrote: »

are you saying only grey squirrel are under threat ? how about song birds, ground nesters or even larger water fowl ? Now maybe you don't live here in Ireland or understand the need to protect what's left before it's to late but I do and it's not far off to late for some. I'm not trying to have a dig at you but often what people believe and what is actually the case can be far far apart.

Pine marten are not aquatic but mink most definitely are.

Benny mcc wrote: »

are you saying only grey squirrel are under threat ? how about song birds, ground nesters or even larger water fowl ? Now maybe you don't live here in Ireland or understand the need to protect what's left before it's to late but I do and it's not far off to late for some. I'm not trying to have a dig at you but often what people believe and what is actually the case can be far far apart.

Your argument makes no sense. Protect native wildlife from other native wildlife?? You keep intimating that somehow the Pine Marten is not native or is not deserving of the same status as other wildlife.

Nature tends to states of equilibrium if left alone - if Martens eat too many birds etc then numbers will drop and martens numbers will drop back, bird numbers will rise again etc..

And it's not what people believe - you are the one who is making broad statements with no sources to back them up except what you seem to believe. I've quoted numbers and I can provide you with the sources for those numbers if you wish - numbers from people who research these subjects and are experts in their field.

I grew up in the countryside listening to ignorant people telling me that we should wipe out 1) Badgers because they spread TB, now a totally debunked myth 2) Foxes because they kill everything 3) Red deer because they eat all the tree bark 4) Pine Martens because they kill indescrimately 5) birds of prey because they kill lambs and calves 6) Otters because they eat all the fish 7) Seals at the coast because they eat all the fish 8) Rabbits because they eat all the grass and compete with cattle... are you seeing a pattern here?

If many of the local 'experts' in my locality had their way the countryside would be a desert of cattle and sheep with a few token / non-threatening species left.

Your arguments sounds suspiciously like that kind of thinking to my ears at least.

I suspect also you are actually confusing mink - an invasive species that should be wiped out - and pine martens. Pine martens are mainly tree dwelling and rarely come to ground. If you are seeing a mustelid taking water fowl etc then much more likely it's a mink. Google the difference!

bob mcbob wrote: »

This does not have the white throat that is usual with Pine Martens. It looks more like a mink to me.

A Mink has shorter legs and moves closer to the ground, look how high this is standing plus it has a bushy tail.....

Why is that picture so bad in above post or is that just for me
It did have a white front and bounced along like videos I watched on the pine marten,
Would it be rare enough to see pine marten in the Dublin mountains

Deagol wrote: »

Your argument makes no sense. Protect native wildlife from other native wildlife?? You keep intimating that somehow the Pine Marten is not native or is not deserving of the same status as other wildlife.

Nature tends to states of equilibrium if left alone - if Martens eat too many birds etc then numbers will drop and martens numbers will drop back, bird numbers will rise again etc..

And it's not what people believe - you are the one who is making broad statements with no sources to back them up except what you seem to believe. I've quoted numbers and I can provide you with the sources for those numbers if you wish - numbers from people who research these subjects and are experts in their field.

I grew up in the countryside listening to ignorant people telling me that we should wipe out 1) Badgers because they spread TB, now a totally debunked myth 2) Foxes because they kill everything 3) Red deer because they eat all the tree bark 4) Pine Martens because they kill indescrimately 5) birds of prey because they kill lambs and calves 6) Otters because they eat all the fish 7) Seals at the coast because they eat all the fish 8) Rabbits because they eat all the grass and compete with cattle... are you seeing a pattern here?

If many of the local 'experts' in my locality had their way the countryside would be a desert of cattle and sheep with a few token / non-threatening species left.

Your arguments sounds suspiciously like that kind of thinking to my ears at least.

I suspect also you are actually confusing mink - an invasive species that should be wiped out - and pine martens. Pine martens are mainly tree dwelling and rarely come to ground. If you are seeing a mustelid taking water fowl etc then much more likely it's a mink. Google the difference!

Where I live most people still think like that, deer rabbits generally hated, buzzards, sparrow hawks disliked too. I thought there was actually a link between badgers and tb among cattle. Foxes shot on sight by most of the neighbours Who have guns too.

Loads of rabbits around, they don’t bother me, but I’m guessing it’s only a question of time before someone introduced myxomatosis And it gets them, I assume they’re infected on purpose

I’m sure there’s a balance somewhere in control but I’m not sure where it is

Be a long time changing People’s behaviour though

Old piney is the Irish equivalent of the wolverine.
A grand animal.great to see it getting plentiful.

Deagol wrote: »

I think you'll find the 325,000 domestic cats in the country (which isn't a native creature to Ireland) kills far more song birds than the 2,700 native Pine Martens!

They do but lets not give cats too bad of a name, cats rarely kill healthy strong birds and usually only get vulnerable older or sick birds that are easy pickings, i know i read an article recently about small bird numbers bouncing back to levels not seen in decades, and QI also did a segment about cats and they're misplaced reputation as bird killers

I have to laugh about people using the "they're wiping out the song birds" argument.

Farmers are the single biggest cause in the reduction of songbirds, followed by domestic cats.

Pine Martens are not having any significant effect .

He shouldn’t really be surprised he was bitten

Aye you’d want a thick pair of mittens on you grabbing a hold of piney.

Pkiernan wrote: »

That picture looks like it could be a wild boar piglet !

Nah look at the original pic a few pages back I’m 100 percent sure it’s a pine marten