DEFRA and the not so wise decision...again I might add

[Christel]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/g ... s-wildlife



I like this quote...

This is state-sponsored persecution of a protected species to please some of the richest people in the country, pursuing a cruel, destructive and pointless activity

...couldn't say it better myself.

[FarmerSim]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/g ... s-wildlife



I like this quote...

This is state-sponsored persecution of a protected species to please some of the richest people in the country, pursuing a cruel, destructive and pointless activity

...couldn't say it better myself.

+1.

[spud]

-1

[kennyc]

-2 the writer has an axe to grind and a chip on his shoulder the size of Quazimodo's !

[spud]

0-0 so far

[M99]

-1 from me - utter rubbish and totally incorrect!

Just in from a very long day - might write a decent reply later.

Mike

[dta europe]

-100. Is that allowed. :-)

[Polchraine]

-100. Is that allowed. :-)

NO ... but -16 (corresponding to you number of posts) is!

[Mr_Logic]

I am a fan of the buzzard and don't wish to see them culled. I am a fan of a balanced article and this biased rubbish (so common in the Grauniad these days) annoys me greatly. I dare say a well argued and properly written article would work better.

[ovenpaa]

I must admit the proposal surprised me. Over the last dozen years I have watched our local Buzzard population rise from a very occasional bi-yearly sighting to more frequent sightings of a pair followed by the pair nesting and breeding at a site under 400m from our home and now we can see two pairs on the wing from time to time. This is Mid Bedfordshire and I would not consider us to be overrun with the things. Interestingly the Lapwings continue to maintain levels in the same area.

I do appreciate that other parts of the country will be seeing more Buzzards and some areas considerably less. Of far more concern to me is the rapid increase in Red Kite numbers, drive 30 miles west and they are reaching epidemic proportions. I do recall seeing the first Kite a few years ago and thinking it was nice to see them, now it is not unusual to see 30 birds on the wing and I have seen approaching 80 from one location. Given their lack of natural predators and apparent ability to breed a rate akin to Feral Pigeons I do wonder what our country will look like on the Raptor front in a few years time.

On the subject of the news article on question, it is poorly written tabloid scaremongering with some facts clouded by a strong desire to inflame the situation. It is interesting that Natural England has received requests to use lethal means to reduce the Buzzard population and this current proposal is for non lethal methods. Either way lets not loose sight of the fact that some (Certainly not all!) keepers will have resorted to lethal control of their local Buzzard population and before everyone shouts NEVER!! I can certainly think of a couple of people that were prepared to and would cull them without a second thought as they considered them to have a direct negative impact on their livelihood.