Decline of Birds and Hedgehogs. (interesting)

Taken from an article in the Private eye.
Dawn.

Thats really quite sad. I have seen lots of hedgehogs about but must admit I think many small birds are sadly on the decline.
We have two big woods round here and years ago it was lovely all silent except for bird song, now its just silent. Not a bird to be heard.
A lot of it is the magpies. They don't have a predator and birds that used to be common like the Sparrow are being wiped out by them. Magpies kill and eat both the babies and adults of many smaller birds. I have seen them smashing a starling down onto the road to kill it, ironically just outside a vets surgery.
My parents garden used to be a mass of birds of all shapes and sizes now its rare to see a small bird, but again there are a big increase in magpies.

We have a number of small birds around here, there used to be loads of sparrows until next door was sold and they blocked their roof off so the sparrows didn't have anywhere to nest anymore. We do have a resident family of magpies that are partial to the smaller birds eggs...but we try to help protect them and our our nest boxes at least. WE also have a lot of local cats,but the magpies have been seen attacking one of them (by me in the summer!!!!!) There are also foxes locally ( we are very urban but have lots of park and woodland spaces locally).

It's strange isn't it, as in order for there to be a healthy population of the predators, there has to be a relatively healthy population of their prey....and so on and so forth down the food chain. Thus...we have regular visits from sparrow hawks and even herons thanks to the garden ponds around and about!

In all honesty I think the decline of some species could be largely due to global warming and for every species that dies out in this country a new species will move in...sadly that's life.

I personally think mink is responsible for a lot of the loss of our native wildlife and should be completely eradicated from our island.
Becky

I have not seen any hedgehogs this year, there was a couple last year though.

They is a load of birds near me, sparrows, blue tits, a load of robins, magpies, black birds, gulls and some I dont know.

At the end of the day, I feel that the only responsibility lies at our own blame as a species, we cut back on habitat and destroy much of it, leaving many species of birds and animals who are habitat specific to be concentrated in certain areas, resulting in a headache of a problem if predators follow. You can't blame a predator for being a predator though but you can blame us for taking more and more of wildlife habitat every year without a seconds thought.

What do we do? Save what we can and kill what we can to enable certain species to survive because of habitat loss and what we have done? And keep blaming badgers, foxes and every animal that are opportunist survivors?

Maybe in some areas some animals and birds have become a problem, Badgers, Corvids and suchlike but I counted 17 dead badgers within a 20 mile radius last Summer that were roadkills and they haven't fared much better this year.

A bit of a generalised article really, which seemed to be more of a target , once again, for old Brock.IMHO.

Well you have to take into consideration that Foxes were controlled far better and more efficiently before the ban came into effect, now many in the countryside are shot, but not controlled to anywhere near the level they were, resulting in higher numbers and higher predation on prey species. Badgers the same, MASSIVE increases, they do so much damage and are spreading out of control. Badgers will even attack Foxes.

Becky.
I agree with you about the Mink, sadly these "do gooders" have only succeeded in releasing a non native species that is decemating our native species, killing kittens, and literally bringing to the brink of extiction, the Water Vole. Same applies with the "Lets let all the Wild Boar out" brigade! YIPEE!! the hunters are having a field day, as before Xmas the government will announce a "cull" or "allowance" for killing them because of the devasation they are causing. yep the "antis" have a lot to answer for, more Foxes killed by inhumane methods, poisoned, injured, gassed, snared and shot, often suffering intolerable pain for days on end before finally dying. More Hares shot in hundreds, massive number reduction in some areas as farmers want them wiped out, sadly this is "animal liberation" yeah, ok!
Dawn.

Come on Dawn....get off the fence, what do you think about it?!!!!!! :smt002

Just to be a little controversial, surely foxes have always died in the ways that you have outlined??? They have always been snared/gassed/shot....some have always suffered intolerable pain before dying, the hunting ban hasn't altered that in the slightest, it was happening anyway.What it has done is stopped them running in fear of their lives and being set upon by a pack of hounds....

* Steps back quietly........* :smt002

No, sorry Ailsa, since the ban more Foxes have been killed in awful ways, ways the RSPCA call "humane". Poisoning is massive, farmers use it all the time, they dont want the problems the Foxes bring and are not about to go for the most humane way (shooting) and spend night after night waiting to get a clean shot, thats where the "injured" comes in.

We have seen a big increase in the numbers at work, and their behaviour, many have mange (which alters their behaviour) and of course poses a much increased risk to our dogs too. We have shot several in daylight, we see them out all day everyday, never have before. Its because they are not managed properly now, they behave differently and cause more problems, with these problems, comes quick solutions, snare it, poison it. (of course not directly targeted, so other species suffer too) I think when you live along side it you see it more (not saying you dont) we certainly have noticed massive changes and increased numbers, but sadly also mangey, thin, lame and pathetic specimans also.

I think the problem is we no longer have a natural balance. I think I'm going to have to release a couple of packs of wolves, some brown bear and a load of lynx, that'll redress the balance :smt002
Becky