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Little birds?


doc.fixit

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  • 2 weeks later...

I can honestly say that around our garden there hasn't been any noticeable difference in small bird numbers. I was out the other morning just before sunrise and the battle at the feeders was as energetic as ever. All the usual species. First time I've seen this so early in the morning but pleasantly surprising.

How many cats have you in the neighbourhood? The human penchant for these animals takes a massive toll on local populations. Ours used to bring home little 'gifts' from time to time, some of them barely alive. Once they leave the house they're feral and do what comes naturally...

20201202_175446.jpg

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2 hours ago, doc.fixit said:

Thanks Quilp, yes, I know about the cat issue but as far as I can tell there has been no increase in the cat population, in fact I would say that the suspects have not been seen for ages. I'm really mystified and sad about it.

Certain landowners are not averse to spraying with weedkiller, pesticides and herbicides or cutting down hedges at the wrong time of year or "improving" land.

All this takes a toll on the bird populations.

It is sad but I hold no real hope for the future unless we really reduce the human population.

The biosphere thing here is a joke and you can bet that when it comes to planting trees for the so called zero carbon mirage the landowners will want to be paid to plant them on the existing best land for wildlife , not the land that can be built on

Edited by ellanvannin2010
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2 hours ago, doc.fixit said:

Thanks Quilp, yes, I know about the cat issue but as far as I can tell there has been no increase in the cat population, in fact I would say that the suspects have not been seen for ages. I'm really mystified and sad about it.

There's also the nest-robbers and around here there are the magpies, rooks, crows, jays in abundance. Even robins aren't averse to another's eggs. Rats too, and hedgehogs, stoats and weasels for the low and ground-nesters. Given that, as I said, I've not seen a decline in numbers.

Ellanvannin2010 above is also, unfortunately, correct about habitat destruction and mismanagement as being detrimental to numbers. 

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15 minutes ago, quilp said:

There's also the nest-robbers and around here there are the magpies, rooks, crows, jays in abundance. Even robins aren't averse to another's eggs. Rats too, and hedgehogs, stoats and weasels for the low and ground-nesters. Given that, as I said, I've not seen a decline in numbers.

Ellanvannin2010 above is also, unfortunately, correct about habitat destruction and mismanagement as being detrimental to numbers. 

Jays? Not sure there are any here, saw one 50 years ago but none since.

Whilst natural predators will always have taken a share nature tends to balance it out. If populations are under pressure from man made factors this can upset the balance a lot.

like you though I have not seen any noticeable decline in numbers in my garden

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