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Old 22-03-2004, 04:55 PM
D Russell
 
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Default Lack of invertebrates / house sparrows (was Reed Buntings)


"Tumbleweed" wrote in message
.. .
snip

If magpies eat the eggs and not the adults, what would you expect to see?
Sparrows calling the police?
50,000 sparrow hawks is still quite rare, people are saying there is a
shortage of sparrows yet there are millions of them!

--
Tumbleweed

Remove my socks for email address

True there are still millions of sparrows, but there are only, something
like 50% of the millions there were a few years ago.

Part of the problem is the perception of there being so many left that we
have nothing to worry about, but it's the vast percentage decline which has
people wondering what's going on. If this rate of decline were to continue
then they'd be none left at all in 5-10 years.

One thing I notice is not mentioned much is the vast numbers of small birds
caught and killed on certain medeterranian islands, huge nets erected during
migratory periods to harvest anything which flies. Great european state we
live in where this would be totally illegal in one country but is fine next
door.

Ho hum.
Duncan