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Ireland's Birds doing worse than ever before

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    #62
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    tabby aspreme wrote: »
    Has the increase in the buzzard population, had any impact on the numbers of other bird species.

    Some people have suggested they've impacted Kestrel, but there's no evidence to support that, and Kestrel declines here started before Buzzards came back. Otherwise no. Buzzards are not the expert hunters that you might think. Pigeons, corvids, rabbits, rodents are the majority of their diet. Even with regards the Stock Dove, predator-prey dynamics suggest that they likely aren't predated much by Buzzards (because they're so rare compared to other prey).


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    #63
    kildare lad
    Registered Users Posts: 2,010 ✭✭✭kildare lad


    tabby aspreme wrote: »
    Has the increase in the buzzard population, had any impact on the numbers of other bird species.

    I'd say buzzards impact on bird populations are minimal as they've a wide range of a diet , everything from worms, small mammals to roadkill , I think they're more of an opportunist hunter/scavenger rather than say a sparrowhawk who'd mainly just target birds.


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    #64
    kildare lad
    Registered Users Posts: 2,010 ✭✭✭kildare lad


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    i finally got around to reading 'whittled away' and it's shocking but not surprising. how much is the irish sea fishery actually worth? as in, how much would it cost to simply pay the trawlermen to stay at home instead?

    They paid off the salmon driftnet men 30 million to stop about 15 years ago. It's hasn't really done anything to increase salmon numbers though that's due to a wide range of factors . It's the EU that give out massive quotas to foreign boats that fish our water , that's the problem . Another problem is the catching of sprat which are turned into pellets to feed farmed salmon. Many coastal birds like puffins rely on sprat as a huge part of there diet . Farmed salmon is one of the most toxic and damaging industries going . I wouldn't eat farmed salmon if you paid me .

    Sure look at the fish packets battered fish they sell in shops most of its alaskan pollock as the cod stocks around europe have collapsed


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    #65
    malinheader
    Registered Users Posts: 4,972 ✭✭✭malinheader


    kildare lad wrote: »
    They paid off the salmon driftnet men 30 million to stop about 15 years ago. It's hasn't really done anything to increase salmon numbers though that's due to a wide range of factors . It's the EU that give out massive quotas to foreign boats that fish our water , that's the problem . Another problem is the catching of sprat which are turned into pellets to feed farmed salmon. Many coastal birds like puffins rely on sprat as a huge part of there diet . Farmed salmon is one of the most toxic and damaging industries going . I wouldn't eat farmed salmon if you paid me .

    Sure look at the fish packets battered fish they sell in shops most of its alaskan pollock as the cod stocks around europe have collapsed

    The salmon drift netting pay off was a farce.
    We all new the drift netting wasn't the major problem but the easiest targets at the Time.
    Destroying nature and wildlife will go on because the big corporations and companies who are doing the damage are to rich or to much in bed with governments to make them answerable to no one.
    Also saying cats are a reason for disappearance of our birds is like saying dolphin and shark are the reason for the near existence of tuna. We all know deep down what the problems are.


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    #66
    gozunda
    Registered Users Posts: 18,996 ✭✭✭✭gozunda


    adocholiday wrote: »
    On a more positive note I live in South Wicklow and the Red Kite population is doing really well here, seeing them further and further from Avoca now. There is a nice population of them in the woods behind my house so they're always overhead, great to see. I also have a woodpecker in my garden although haven't been able to get a picture of it. They're popping up in places around here now. Buzzards and sparrow hawks are regular here too and I've seen a few peregrines.

    What's happening to our ecology is awful, but we have good people actively encouraging conservation and protecting our wildlife and I try to take the positives from that.

    Yes I've also seen a general increase in raptor numbers here over the last few years and now have a fairly strong presence of buzzards in the area.

    Interesting you have a woodpecker! They are another relatively recent addition to our fauna

    https://magill.ie/archive/first-woodpeckers-irish-history-spotted

    On conservation- unfortunately there will always be pressure on ecology especially considering the fact that the population on the Island here has nearly doubled since the 1970s.

    That said I do wonder has there been any comprehensive study on how many of the birds on that list are simply not making it Ireland in the first place.

    https://wilderness-society.org/killing-fields-migratory-birds-southern-europe/


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    #67
    kildare lad
    Registered Users Posts: 2,010 ✭✭✭kildare lad


    OpenYourEyes wrote: »
    I saw someone recently asking to ID a dead bird. Apparently the bird must have attacked the cat first because the cat never hunts birds...

    You think you were on a cat lovers page instead of a wildlife one with them justifying cats killing birds . I've stopped commenting as you may as well be talking to a wall as trying to tell someone to put a bell on them or keep them inside during nesting season. I had an argument with a woman who had 5 outdoor cats saying she could live with them bringing home birds as there was loads of them . Then a week later see was screaming blue murder about people poisoning buzzard in cork . You couldn't make it up


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    #68
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,640 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    kildare lad wrote: »
    They paid off the salmon driftnet men 30 million to stop about 15 years ago. It's hasn't really done anything to increase salmon numbers though that's due to a wide range of factors . It's the EU that give out massive quotas to foreign boats that fish our water , that's the problem . Another problem is the catching of sprat which are turned into pellets to feed farmed salmon. Many coastal birds like puffins rely on sprat as a huge part of there diet . Farmed salmon is one of the most toxic and damaging industries going . I wouldn't eat farmed salmon if you paid me .

    Sure look at the fish packets battered fish they sell in shops most of its alaskan pollock as the cod stocks around europe have collapsed

    Hopefully that documentary (Seapiracy) which has got widespread exposure, has got alot more people exposed and educated to the reality of industrial fishing practices that are raping our seas


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    #69
    Capercaillie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Capercaillie


    gozunda wrote: »
    Yes I've also seen a general increase in raptor numbers here over the last few years and now have a fairly strong presence of buzzards in the area.

    Interesting you have a woodpecker! They are another relatively recent addition to our fauna

    https://magill.ie/archive/first-woodpeckers-irish-history-spotted

    On conservation- unfortunately there will always be pressure on ecology especially considering the fact that the population on the Island here has nearly doubled since the 1970s.

    That said I do wonder has there been any comprehensive study on how many of the birds on that list are simply not making it Ireland in the first place.

    https://wilderness-society.org/killing-fields-migratory-birds-southern-europe/

    Intensification of agriculture since the 1970's has annihilated biodiversity.


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    #70
    diabhail
    Registered Users Posts: 34 ✭diabhail


    I have a Yellowhammer in my garden! Well I am 99% certain it is a yellowhammer. A beautiful bird.


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    #71
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 13,828 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    This sh*t doesn't help either, so many reports of this already this year

    https://twitter.com/AnnMOConnor/status/1383831332497739789


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    #72
    purplesnack
    Registered Users Posts: 61 ✭✭purplesnack


    Thelonious Monk wrote: »
    This sh*t doesn't help either, so many reports of this already this year

    https://twitter.com/AnnMOConnor/status/1383831332497739789

    I'm just back from a walk and I passed a field where they are decimating a mature hedgerow into that despicable box shape. Right in the middle of nesting season. It's absolutely heartbreaking, especially when you feel powerless to do anything about it. Most of the hedgerows around my area are that awful box shape, which I was told recently by a farmer was to make them look 'pretty'. His word, not mine. It's infuriating


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    #73
    Grolschevik
    Registered Users Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭Grolschevik


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    new wildlife crime unit

    I'd watch that show.

    "You can run, but you'll never go to ground... with THE BADGER SQUAD!"


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    #74
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users Posts: 13,828 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    https://mobile.twitter.com/IrishRaptorSG/status/1385639449913139203

    It's just hopeless


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    #75
    Stihl waters
    Registered Users Posts: 715 ✭✭✭Stihl waters


    Thelonious Monk wrote: »
    https://mobile.twitter.com/IrishRaptorSG/status/1385639449913139203

    It's just hopeless

    Horrible cnuts


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    #76
    SeaFields
    Registered Users Posts: 6,551 ✭✭✭SeaFields


    The local council have just commenced cutting ditches on the road in my locality. All the heavy machinery arrived this morning. Are there rules around this? I assume this is not good at this time of year at all for nesting birds.k but I don't know enough on the issue.


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    #77
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    SeaFields wrote: »
    The local council have just commenced cutting ditches on the road in my locality. All the heavy machinery arrived this morning. Are there rules around this? I assume this is not good at this time of year at all for nesting birds.k but I don't know enough on the issue.

    They will say it's necessary for road safety, in which case it is legal. Needless to say there was plenty of time they could have trimmed back roadside hedgerows before birds were nesting! It's worth sending a polite email to your local county councillors to that effect.


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    #78
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,480 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    they will claim it can be done for road safety reasons (there's no off season for that). but if they are claiming that now, it begs the obvious question as to why they didn't do it a few months ago.


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