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Wild birds
Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird
deaths per year according to the TV last night. |
Wild birds
"Essjay001" wrote in message ... Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. Don't tell that woman who traps and kills magpies, or all Hell could break loose :-) |
Wild birds
On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 14:36:43 +0000 (UTC), "Essjay001"
wrote: Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. How many cats succumb to vehicles per annum? ;-) Road Kill Cat the road kill cat didn't cross at the green a big truck was coming, that couldn't be seen to the left, to the right this cat didn't look and now poor splat is as flat as a book Copyright ©2002 amy jaye Bart |
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Bart Bailey scribbled:
On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 14:36:43 +0000 (UTC), "Essjay001" wrote: Just so all the cat lovers know, cats are responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. How many cats succumb to vehicles per annum? ;-) Not 55 Million I'll bet and I doubt the number is very great at all. However, talking Roadkill on a 5 mile strech of road between Mile Elm and Melksham, in Wilts15 Badgers, 3 foxes, numerous Hedgehogs and several Pheasants in just 2 months, each of which is more important than any pampered cat. Steve R |
Wild birds
Recently, Essjay001 uttered:
Bart Bailey scribbled: On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 14:36:43 +0000 (UTC), "Essjay001" wrote: Just so all the cat lovers know, cats are responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. How many cats succumb to vehicles per annum? ;-) Not 55 Million I'll bet and I doubt the number is very great at all. However, talking Roadkill on a 5 mile strech of road between Mile Elm and Melksham, in Wilts15 Badgers, 3 foxes, numerous Hedgehogs and several Pheasants in just 2 months, each of which is more important than any pampered cat. Steve R All creatures are as important as each other. To revere or denigrate one species over another is rather hypocritical. If you care about the "15 Badgers, 3 foxes, numerous Hedgehogs and several Pheasants" that are killed, you should care about the cats, frogs, deer, rabbits etc etc that are also roadkill. To single out one lower species just because you consider yourself to be at the top of the food chain is inhumane and immoral. IMO... -- \\(º`¿´º)// It's all on http://support.microsoft.com/ somewhere.... If you can be bothered to look for it.... |
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Bigjon scribbled:
SNIP All creatures are as important as each other. To revere or denigrate one species over another is rather hypocritical. IYO but not mine.Cats are in the main farmed to lead pampered lives. I doubt if many cats have to run the gauntlet of surviving day-to-day on their wits If you care about the "15 Badgers, 3 foxes, numerous Hedgehogs and several Pheasants" that are killed, you should care about the frogs, deer, rabbits etc etc that are also roadkill. I do but those I mentioned are just the ones I have seen on my way to work in the morning on one single strech of road. Sorry about cats but I cannot get all emotional about these parasites. To single out one lower species just because you consider yourself to be at the top of the food chain is inhumane and immoral. I do not single cats out because "I consider myself to be at the top of the food chain". Were that the case I would eat cat in England just as I have eaten cat abroad. Cats are an unannounced pest. If people cannot keep them under control they should not be allowed to keep them. I am not inhumane or immoral, just practical. |
Wild birds
"Essjay001" wrote in message ... Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. To put this in context, from the RSPB web site: 'Estimates of how many creatures are killed by cats each year vary significantly. The most recent figures are from the Mammal Society, which estimates that the UK's cats catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds' 'Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK wide. This may be surprising, but many millions of birds die naturally every year, mainly through starvation, disease, or other forms of predation. There is evidence that cats tend to take weak or sickly birds. We also know that of the millions of baby birds hatched each year, most will die before they reach breeding age. This is also quite natural, and each pair needs only to rear two young that survive to breeding age to replace themselves and maintain the population. It is likely that most of the birds killed by cats would have died anyway from other causes before the next breeding season, so cats are unlikely to have a major impact on populations.' My own cats prefer to hunt cat food and it is the sparrowhawk that takes birds in my garden. Colin Bignell |
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"Essjay001" wrote in message ... Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. So? This is not an appropriate place for posts of this nature. Lets talk gardening. Rod |
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Well It's sort of gardening, One Sparrow hawk didn't catch many birds
yesterday... He was in my green house!!! Unfortunately He took a shortcut on the way in .... straight through a 2X2 pane... glass everywhere. when I got home I picked him off of the ground, still stunned. Once I was sure He was Ok he flew off. He did frighten a few pigeons away which was good I suppose! The Q "Rod" wrote in message ... "Essjay001" wrote in message ... Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. So? This is not an appropriate place for posts of this nature. Lets talk gardening. Rod |
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On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 17:16:31 +0100, Bigjon wrote:
Recently, Essjay001 uttered: Bart Bailey scribbled: On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 14:36:43 +0000 (UTC), "Essjay001" wrote: Just so all the cat lovers know, cats are responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. How many cats succumb to vehicles per annum? ;-) Not 55 Million I'll bet and I doubt the number is very great at all. However, talking Roadkill on a 5 mile strech of road between Mile Elm and Melksham, in Wilts15 Badgers, 3 foxes, numerous Hedgehogs and several Pheasants in just 2 months, each of which is more important than any pampered cat. Steve R All creatures are as important as each other. To revere or denigrate one species over another is rather hypocritical. If you care about the "15 Badgers, 3 foxes, numerous Hedgehogs and several Pheasants" that are killed, you should care about the cats, frogs, deer, rabbits etc etc that are also roadkill. To single out one lower species just because you consider yourself to be at the top of the food chain is inhumane and immoral. IMO... Does that pan-species concern extend to all the insects that accumulated on his windshield as he motored along counting the roadkill? g Bart |
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"cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year."
So if one in 4 of them laid 6 eggs each year and the average life of each bird is 4 years, that's 95 million extra birds in year one, 625 million in year 2, 3,750 million in year 3, and if each bird deposits just half an ounce of droppings a day, year 3 would result in more than 520,000 tons of droppings A DAY. All I can say is thank heaven for cats. -- David Hill Abacus Nurseries www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk |
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Cat's killing birds is somewhat avoidable. I have 2 cats - they both wear
collars with bells & are kept in at night. Apparently most birds are killed by cats at dawn & dusk, so if the cats are inside during that time they are less likely to catch them. Mice, however are a different story - if it wasn't for the cats we'd be over run. "Essjay001" wrote in message ... Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. |
Wild birds
Recently, Rod uttered:
"Essjay001" wrote in message ... Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. So? This is not an appropriate place for posts of this nature. Lets talk gardening. Rod Are you a Moderator? If not, don't read it if it offends you. -- \\(º`¿´º)// It's all on http://support.microsoft.com/ somewhere.... If you can be bothered to look for it.... |
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Recently, Jayne uttered:
Cat's killing birds is somewhat avoidable. I have 2 cats - they both wear collars with bells & are kept in at night. Apparently most birds are killed by cats at dawn & dusk, so if the cats are inside during that time they are less likely to catch them. Mice, however are a different story - if it wasn't for the cats we'd be over run. "Essjay001" wrote in message ... Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. I agree, 100%. Having been forced to live on the edge of a notoriously badly designed and run council estate, we were overrun with mice and rats at first. Our cats are a godsend, and keep them at bay. Without them, we would be suffering who knows what damage and disease ( that is not to say I agree with killing mice and rats, but they are part of the felines natural prey ). The damage a few mice & rats can do in a small garden is unimaginable unless you have seen it.... We now live with a garden that has a six foot fence all around it, and it's heaven - we can shut out the rest of the world and relax in peace thanks to our felines ! -- \\(º`¿´º)// It's all on http://support.microsoft.com/ somewhere.... If you can be bothered to look for it.... |
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What a good idea! Run over cats to save the birds!
"Bart Bailey" wrote in message news:3e97df2f.3545169@bartman... On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 14:36:43 +0000 (UTC), "Essjay001" wrote: Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. How many cats succumb to vehicles per annum? ;-) Road Kill Cat the road kill cat didn't cross at the green a big truck was coming, that couldn't be seen to the left, to the right this cat didn't look and now poor splat is as flat as a book Copyright ©2002 amy jaye Bart |
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In article , david writes "cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year." So if one in 4 of them laid 6 eggs each year and the average life of each bird is 4 years, that's 95 million extra birds in year one, 625 million in year 2, 3,750 million in year 3, and if each bird deposits just half an ounce of droppings a day, year 3 would result in more than 520,000 tons of droppings A DAY. All I can say is thank heaven for cats. You obviously don't use guano as a fertiliser in your nursery, then....! Think what you could grow if you used 520,000 tons a day :-) Mind you, as many of the small birds caught by cats weigh less than an ounce (Blue Tit - 10-15 grams = one-third to one-half of an ounce), their output isn't going to reach half an ounce a day. 10-11 gram birds produce about 0.7-0.9 grams dry weight per day(1). (1) Isn't it fascinating what people have studied??? -- Malcolm |
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Recently, Andrew Thomson uttered:
What a good idea! Run over cats to save the birds! "Bart Bailey" wrote in message news:3e97df2f.3545169@bartman... On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 14:36:43 +0000 (UTC), "Essjay001" wrote: Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. How many cats succumb to vehicles per annum? ;-) Road Kill Cat the road kill cat didn't cross at the green a big truck was coming, that couldn't be seen to the left, to the right this cat didn't look and now poor splat is as flat as a book Copyright ©2002 amy jaye Bart Kill not the Moth nor Butterfly, For the Last Judgement draweth nigh. He who shall train the Horse to War Shall never pass the Polar Bar. The Beggar's Dog & Widow's Cat, Feed them & thou wilt grow fat William Blake -- \\(º`¿´º)// It's all on http://support.microsoft.com/ somewhere.... If you can be bothered to look for it.... |
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"...Mind you, as many of the small birds caught by cats weigh less than an ounce (Blue Tit - 10-15 grams = one-third to one-half of an ounce), their output isn't going to reach half an ounce a day. 10-11 gram birds produce about 0.7-0.9 grams dry weight per day(1)...." But thy are more than made up for by Blackbirds, Magpies etc. -- David Hill Abacus Nurseries www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk |
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In article ,
"david" wrote: "cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year." So if one in 4 of them laid 6 eggs each year and the average life of each bird is 4 years, that's 95 million extra birds in year one, 625 million in year 2, 3,750 million in year 3, and if each bird deposits just half an ounce of droppings a day, year 3 would result in more than 520,000 tons of droppings A DAY. All I can say is thank heaven for cats. -- David Hill Abacus Nurseries www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk True, but the grass under my bird table (on which the birds sit, taunting my cats) grows markedly lusher and longer than anywhere else in the garden. Bird poo evidently has quite high nutritional value...erm...if your a plant that it. -- "I go online sometimes, but...everyone's spelling is really bad, and...it's depressing" |
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In article , david writes "...Mind you, as many of the small birds caught by cats weigh less than an ounce (Blue Tit - 10-15 grams = one-third to one-half of an ounce), their output isn't going to reach half an ounce a day. 10-11 gram birds produce about 0.7-0.9 grams dry weight per day(1)...." But thy are more than made up for by Blackbirds, Magpies etc. Even a Blackbird, weighing up to 3.5 ounces isn't going to produce half an ounce a day! And not many cats catch Magpies otherwise the anti-Magpie brigade would have their solution :-) -- Malcolm |
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We live in the country so lots of mice here - when we moved into this house
a year ago the house & garage had many mousy residents too - there were even droppings in the kitchen cupboards & airing cupboard (how the previous owners lived like this I have no idea!). We live near a farm which keeps free range chickens, so I'm sure the mice grow fat on the chicken feed. Our previously "towny" cats took to country life very quickly & were soon presenting us with 5 or 6 mice a day. We are now mouse free & they only catch the occassional one - definitely more environmently friendly pest control that putting down poison. "Bigjon" wrote in message I agree, 100%. Having been forced to live on the edge of a notoriously badly designed and run council estate, we were overrun with mice and rats at first. Our cats are a godsend, and keep them at bay. Without them, we would be suffering who knows what damage and disease ( that is not to say I agree with killing mice and rats, but they are part of the felines natural prey ). The damage a few mice & rats can do in a small garden is unimaginable unless you have seen it.... We now live with a garden that has a six foot fence all around it, and it's heaven - we can shut out the rest of the world and relax in peace thanks to our felines ! |
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"Bigjon" wrote in message ... : Are you a Moderator? If not, don't read it if it offends you. What offends me is people walking in here grinding their private axes on a group unrelated to their particular obsession. We don't have or need a moderator because we look after ourselves and give short shrift to those people who try to abuse the group for their own ends. Rod |
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In article ,
"Jayne" wrote: We live in the country so lots of mice here - when we moved into this house a year ago the house & garage had many mousy residents too - there were even droppings in the kitchen cupboards & airing cupboard (how the previous owners lived like this I have no idea!). We live near a farm which keeps free range chickens, so I'm sure the mice grow fat on the chicken feed. Our previously "towny" cats took to country life very quickly & were soon presenting us with 5 or 6 mice a day. We are now mouse free & they only catch the occassional one - definitely more environmently friendly pest control that putting down poison. Back in the early 70s Downing Street was over run by a plague of mice resistant to all then available poisons. The solution was to acquire a cat - problem solved inside a month. -- "I go online sometimes, but...everyone's spelling is really bad, and...it's depressing" |
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Rod scribbled:
"Essjay001" wrote in message ... Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. So? This is not an appropriate place for posts of this nature. Lets talk gardening. Rod Ok lets talk gardening. Has any one noticed that there are less wild birds eating seed heads and and garden pests these days. Being as the subject of cats often appear here I would say yes this is an appropriate place. There cannot be many gardeners that haven't noticed the decline of the wild bird population over the last few years. |
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"Essjay001" wrote in message ... Rod scribbled: So? This is not an appropriate place for posts of this nature. Lets talk gardening. Rod Ok lets talk gardening. Has any one noticed that there are less wild birds eating seed heads and and garden pests these days. Being as the subject of cats often appear here I would say yes this is an appropriate place. There cannot be many gardeners that haven't noticed the decline of the wild bird population over the last few years. So which do you want to talk about? Cats in gardens or wild birds in gardens? There is little connection between the 2 subjects. There has been a very significant degradation of our wildlife over the years which has not been matched by any changes in the population of cats - domestic or feral. Even if there had been you would need much more than that to prove a causal relationship. The picture with wild birds in gardens or in the country as a whole is mixed. There are some well known crashes and not all are fully explained. Many other species are doing very well. Some of this is local variations. Birds you used to see in your area are often doing very well not far away. No one is managing their gardens or farms just the same as they did 20 years ago - you might think the changes are insignificant but they are often sufficient to make life easier or more difficult for certain species so you will see these changes. We only see Goldfinches in 2s & 3s now but then we don't grow as much groundsel and docks as we once did, Sparrows are only in certain farmyards, Starlings in the towns and far fewer. Wrens, most Tits, Thrushes & Blackbirds OK. Warblers & Hirundines not good - remember years ago when your car was plastered with insects if you drove for any distance? Not anymore so what do the swallows eat? Buzzards up - rabbits in the garden down ;~))) No Rookery nearby now so we're plagued by chafer grubs in the lawns and by Badgers digging them up. Rod |
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Rod scribbled:
"Essjay001" wrote in message ... Rod scribbled: So? This is not an appropriate place for posts of this nature. Lets talk gardening. Rod Ok lets talk gardening. Has any one noticed that there are less wild birds eating seed heads and and garden pests these days. Being as the subject of cats often appear here I would say yes this is an appropriate place. There cannot be many gardeners that haven't noticed the decline of the wild bird population over the last few years. So which do you want to talk about? Cats in gardens or wild birds in gardens? There is little connection between the 2 subjects. How can you say the is little connection between the 2 subjects 55 MILLION is quite a BIG connection. |
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Recently, Rod uttered:
"Bigjon" wrote in message ... : Are you a Moderator? If not, don't read it if it offends you. What offends me is people walking in here grinding their private axes on a group unrelated to their particular obsession. We don't have or need a moderator because we look after ourselves and give short shrift to those people who try to abuse the group for their own ends. Rod I think both Cats and birds are a very relevant garden forum subject, but as you obviously dislike cats, you are attempting to troll any cat lovers. Tough. The thread continues, despite your attempts... -- \\(º`¿´º)// It's all on http://support.microsoft.com/ somewhere.... If you can be bothered to look for it.... |
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Recently, Ian Cundell uttered:
In article , "Jayne" wrote: We live in the country so lots of mice here - when we moved into this house a year ago the house & garage had many mousy residents too - there were even droppings in the kitchen cupboards & airing cupboard (how the previous owners lived like this I have no idea!). We live near a farm which keeps free range chickens, so I'm sure the mice grow fat on the chicken feed. Our previously "towny" cats took to country life very quickly & were soon presenting us with 5 or 6 mice a day. We are now mouse free & they only catch the occassional one - definitely more environmently friendly pest control that putting down poison. Back in the early 70s Downing Street was over run by a plague of mice resistant to all then available poisons. The solution was to acquire a cat - problem solved inside a month. I think anybody who lives in the countryside, especially us Farmers, would agree wholeheartedly that a Cat is a definite bonus to a house and grounds, especially in the garden where they can roam freely and prevent not only Mice and Rats, but Rabbits and marauding birds that raid the Vegetable garden. It doesn't take long for the word to spread in the animal world that a Cat is in residence, and you are troubles are halved !! BTW, They are also very good company on long winter nights.... -- \\(º`¿´º)// It's all on http://support.microsoft.com/ somewhere.... If you can be bothered to look for it.... |
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In article , nightjar@?.?
writes 'Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK wide. A few years ago there was an article in the telegraph about some research that had been carried out at great expense to the tax payer. The result of this research was that there are fewer birds per square area measurement (can't remember what the units were) in areas where there were cats than in areas where there were no cats. (Well, I could have told them that and saved the tax payer a lot of money!!) So, when the cat population increases to the extent that there are no cat free areas, we can say that cats will have a very definite impact on bird populations UK wide!!!! -- Jane Ransom in Lancaster. I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg but if you need to email me for any other reason, put jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see deadspam.com |
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"Jane Ransom" wrote in message ... In article , nightjar@?.? writes 'Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK wide. Not my words, but those of the RSPB. Colin Bignell |
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In article , Jane Ransom writes: | | A few years ago there was an article in the telegraph about some | research that had been carried out at great expense to the tax payer. | The result of this research was that there are fewer birds per square | area measurement (can't remember what the units were) in areas where | there were cats than in areas where there were no cats. (Well, I could | have told them that and saved the tax payer a lot of money!!) | | So, when the cat population increases to the extent that there are no | cat free areas, we can say that cats will have a very definite impact on | bird populations UK wide!!!! As I pointed out a while back, that happened some time ago over much of the UK. We don't have PROOF that cats are a main reason (note 'a' not 'the') for the recent declines, but the evidence is pretty strong. We need some lynx! Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
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Recently, Victoria Clare uttered:
Bigjon wrote in : What offends me is people walking in here grinding their private axes on a group unrelated to their particular obsession. We don't have or need a moderator because we look after ourselves and give short shrift to those people who try to abuse the group for their own ends. Rod I think both Cats and birds are a very relevant garden forum subject, but as you obviously dislike cats, you are attempting to troll any cat lovers. Tough. Um, I don't think Rod did say that. I think he was pointing out that giving absolute numbers for birds across the UK don't relate closely to gardening. And not helpful when posted in such an emotive manner. The cat/bird debate always gets people riled up, but doesn't achieve much. None of the research is conclusive, (I consider the small mammals survey cited elsewhere in this thread particularly flawed) and individual experiences vary enormously. Victoria Clare (5 cats, and pleased to report that kills so far this year = 1 shrew (and a lot of pingpong balls)) No he didn't. He originally posted to me: So? This is not an appropriate place for posts of this nature. Lets talk gardening. I see nothing to justify such a post, other than either flame, troll or moderation. Enough said. Apologies if I offended, but I hate Usenet censorship.. -- \\(º`¿´º)// It's all on http://support.microsoft.com/ somewhere.... If you can be bothered to look for it.... |
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".....Victoria Clare
(5 cats, and pleased to report that kills so far this year = 1 shrew (and a lot of pingpong balls))......." So you are to blame for the Ping-Pong's no longer breading -- David Hill Abacus Nurseries www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk |
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nightjar wrote in message .. . "Jane Ransom" wrote in message ... In article , nightjar@?.? writes 'Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK wide. Not my words, but those of the RSPB. Must be right, then ... |
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"Bigjon" wrote in message .. . No he didn't. He originally posted to me: So? This is not an appropriate place for posts of this nature. Lets talk gardening. I see nothing to justify such a post, other than either flame, troll or moderation. Enough said. Apologies if I offended, but I hate Usenet censorship.. -- If you check my original post you will see that it was in reply to the originator of the thread not to you. I did check just to be sure as one of our cats had been walking over the keyboard when I typed that first message. Rod |
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"Essjay001" wrote in message ... Rod scribbled: "Essjay001" wrote in message ... Just so all the cat lovers know, cats a responsible for 55 MILLION wild bird deaths per year according to the TV last night. Ok lets talk gardening. Has any one noticed that there are less wild birds eating seed heads and and garden pests these days. Being as the subject of cats often appear here I would say yes this is an appropriate place. There cannot be many gardeners that haven't noticed the decline of the wild bird population over the last few years. The decline in wild birds in my garden was due to the influx of magpies, they caused the complete destruction of the birds, the cats didn't get a look in. And, as my cat only seems to catch one or two a year she obviously needs a few lessons as she is missing out. Alan -- Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk |
Wild birds
"BAC" wrote in message ... nightjar wrote in message .. . "Jane Ransom" wrote in message ... In article , nightjar@?.? writes 'Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK wide. Not my words, but those of the RSPB. Must be right, then ... It is not inconsistent with the claim that areas with cats have fewer birds. The RSPB also points out that there is evidence that cats tend to take birds that are sickly or weak and concludes that the majority of those caught by cats would probably not have survived to breed the next season. It is the number of breeding birds that determines the threat, or lack of threat to the bird population. If an area with cats does have fewer birds, then if the population also comprises a higher proportion of breeding birds, but fewer weak or sickly birds, both statements can be correct. Colin Bignell |
Wild birds
nightjar wrote in message . .. "BAC" wrote in message ... nightjar wrote in message .. . "Jane Ransom" wrote in message ... In article , nightjar@?.? writes 'Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK wide. Not my words, but those of the RSPB. Must be right, then ... It is not inconsistent with the claim that areas with cats have fewer birds. The RSPB also points out that there is evidence that cats tend to take birds that are sickly or weak and concludes that the majority of those caught by cats would probably not have survived to breed the next season. It is the number of breeding birds that determines the threat, or lack of threat to the bird population. If an area with cats does have fewer birds, then if the population also comprises a higher proportion of breeding birds, but fewer weak or sickly birds, both statements can be correct. I don't doubt it. Culling/predation seems more likely to affect the average age and fitness of a population, rather than the numbers of the pre-breeding 'prey' population, providing there is some sort of balance. However, the population density of domestic cats has nothing to do with the carrying capacity of their territories, so, in areas where cats are thick on the ground, there seems likely to be a disproportionately high level of predation. I would be surprised if cat predation were not 'a' factor in the observed decline of certain species in some locations. |
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In article , Alan Holmes alan@holmes-
g4crw.freeserve.co.uk writes The decline in wild birds in my garden was due to the influx of magpies, they caused the complete destruction of the birds, the cats didn't get a look in. How do you know that Alan? -- David |
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In article , Nick Maclaren
writes | A few years ago there was an article in the telegraph about some | research that had been carried out at great expense to the tax payer. | The result of this research was that there are fewer birds per square | area measurement (can't remember what the units were) in areas where | there were cats than in areas where there were no cats. (Well, I could | have told them that and saved the tax payer a lot of money!!) | | So, when the cat population increases to the extent that there are no | cat free areas, we can say that cats will have a very definite impact on | bird populations UK wide!!!! As I pointed out a while back, that happened some time ago over much of the UK. We don't have PROOF that cats are a main reason (note 'a' not 'the') for the recent declines, but the evidence is pretty strong. We need some lynx! And with the loss of habitat and effects of pesticides etc the cat threat may be just one enemy too far... -- David |
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