Bird Watching a Relaxing Hobby

[Mini Me]

You may have him stumped with your net thingy..........seems to me he's just smart enough not to try and tangle with it......just think, if he got caught up in it you could go after him with a 2X4 or just wring his fish gobbling neck! If the "Bobbies" show up, just tell 'em it was self defense, That d*mned bird pulled a knife on ya!! :tongue-out3: :tongue-out2: :smiling5:

[grumpa]

Gobble, gobble.....

[David Lovell]

Some fabulous wildlife shots the heron consuming the dab going about his bissiness on what looks like a tidal stretch is nature as it should be ,on the other side of the coin im a member of a local angling club wich costs low three figure membership a year (cheaper than a few rounds of golf(if that's your thing)so can't complain) a lot of our lakes don't facilitate easy wading so herons are a rare sight actually feeding but cormorants are a diffrent subject they can consume enormous amounts of fish ,stock that the club has paid for ,were lucky the club has a licence to cull certain numbers wich helps ,apparently most are not the coastal cormorants but a inland type from Europe a few of our lakes are on local nature reserves wich the club manage in conjunction with the local council(a good partnership) but because on land open to the public culling is out of the question its like a free for all smorgasbord..
And as for otter predation they will strip a place bare even drowning double figure carp for the fun of it the club has recently spent thousands in places having to install otter fencing to preserve the fish stocks I can see why land owners hunted them to the point of extinction in this country ,now because of good man management on the rivers by the river authorities ,former clay and gravel pits blended back into the country and cared for and managed by angling clubs these havens exist for them to reak havoc at their leisure its a fine line between co existence, just because their cute doesn't mean they shouldn't be culled in a proper manner. Before some get on there horses beside anuall club membership I also have to be in possession of a coarse fishing licence to fish fresh water the money from this goes towards maintaing water ways rivers etc and prosecuting thoes who pollute.
As is the norm most of these problems have been caused by ourselves weve stripped the seas causing the loss of their natural feed a lot of sea birds find it easy pickings and natural to steal chips from kids and help them selvs to any left overs within a half mile radius of any named fast food chain blatantly thrown from car windows by todays goons for want of a better word.
As a closing note my brother and I used to snigger when our now dearly departed mother used to moan like hell that the foxes had been on the allotment again and eaten all the gooseberries a classic example now of why try and make a living from it in the country when there's easy pickings in the town. Dave

[Tim Marlow]

Rick I'm up at this ungodly hr, in fact got up at 03:30 made a cup of tea and came back to bed . When it's a little lighter around 05:00 I will be in the conservatory waiting . If you could bring the gun , any type will do , we can scare the " beast " ! I love nature , but not when it fancies my fish !

Trouble is John, you’ve set up an all you can eat buffet, then complained when something wants to partake :tongue-out3: He will outlast you. After all, you won’t die if he eats a few fish, but he might if he doesn’t.


Dave, not going to comment on yours apart from two things.

Firstly, I don’t get killing animals for fun and never have. I’m not vegetarian, I eat meat and always will. Just don’t get killing for enjoyment.

Scientifically, culling is a very short term solution. The overstocked (compared to a natural population of fish) fishing lake is too good a habitat to miss for any animal that is hungry, so all you do is pull in others from surrounding less abundant food supplies. Cormorants, Otters, and other fish eaters, are programmed to eat when they can. If there is an overabundance of fish they will just keep eating, and when they are full, keep killing. The best way to minimise the damage (from your perspective) they do is to keep the lake at natural fish density. I realise that would make it harder to catch fish, but surely that’s the point of the hobby?

[rtfoe]

Thought I'd share what was forwarded to me...

Cheers,
Richard

[Mini Me]

Now that's funny!!

[David Lovell]

Trouble is John, you’ve set up an all you can eat buffet, then complained when something wants to partake :tongue-out3: He will outlast you. After all, you won’t die if he eats a few fish, but he might if he doesn’t.


Dave, not going to comment on yours apart from two things.

Firstly, I don’t get killing animals for fun and never have. I’m not vegetarian, I eat meat and always will. Just don’t get killing for enjoyment.

Scientifically, culling is a very short term solution. The overstocked (compared to a natural population of fish) fishing lake is too good a habitat to miss for any animal that is hungry, so all you do is pull in others from surrounding less abundant food supplies. Cormorants, Otters, and other fish eaters, are programmed to eat when they can. If there is an overabundance of fish they will just keep eating, and when they are full, keep killing. The best way to minimise the damage (from your perspective) they do is to keep the lake at natural fish density. I realise that would make it harder to catch fish, but surely that’s the point of the hobby?

Once again Tim you seem to have all the answers, where do I mention killing for fun ,all club lakes are stocked and managed professionally including health checks on fish and water checks by the environment agency. These lakes are not overstocked . Coarse fishermen (thats thoes that fish in fresh water but hey I bet you knew that)don't keep and eat any of their catch why when they pay for the right to do so on club waters . Game fisherman do but they also pay for the fishing rites plus their contribution to the environment through having to be in possession of a game fishing licence.
Why on earth would you over stock a lake when your paying for it and put the health of your stock at risk!
The predation problem is caused because of the good management on these waters without wich many would be silted up overgrown puddles full of stunted fish being a scientist you will know that its the goldfish, goldfish bowl thing where they only grow to fit their environment.
There you go John like club and lake owners everywhere just let your stock be decimated to the point where its to much bother to try and catch a meal they bugger off somewhere else and leave you out of pocket including land owners and clubs who have set up and managed these beautiful blotts the land scape.
Not sure if I've been totally correct but I'm sure I'll be corrected scientifically.

[rtfoe]

I think I know where all the Turtledoves have migrated to... I swear we need a road crossing on the roads leading to my house. I've been stopping patiently at least five times already. :smiling6:

Cheers,
Richard

[Dave Ward]

Huge kerfuffle abou 10 minutes ago - large flock of rooks/jackdaws making the loudest racket I've heard from birds - I realised they were mobbing a buzzard - which flew round in circles - for about 2 or 3 minutes, until it gave up & disappeared over the horizon - there must have been over 30 birds making a racket.......
Dave

[tigersteve]

Down on the South coast at Barton on Sea photographing some para gliders when a Kestrel got in on the act! I wanted one of them in the same shot and ended up with one that looked like it was hitching a lift

[Tim Marlow]

Lovely shots Steve. Excellent one of the kestrel in wind hover, the colours come out really well.

[Dave Ward]

Down on the South coast at Barton on Sea photographing some para gliders when a Kestrel got in on the act! I wanted one of them in the same shot and ended up with one that looked like it was hitching a lift

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Barton On Sea - I spent many childhood summer holidays at Highcliffe, next along on the coast & we used to walk along the cliff tops at Barton
Dave

[Tim Marlow]

Barton On Sea - I spent many childhood summer holidays at Highcliffe, next along on the coast & we used to walk along the cliff tops at Barton
Dave

Keyhaven, just to the East, is a great place to walk and watch lots of wading birds. I’ve seen spoonbills there as well.

[tigersteve]

Without wishing to be a bore - I spotted what I guess is the same one again today, with my better camera ..........

[Tim Marlow]

Great!