In article ,
"BAC" writes:
|
| That's as may be, but the exercise reported on certainly doesn't support the
| blanket assertion that magpies completely destroy populations of smaller
| songbirds (and therefore 'need' to be culled) which Trapper Alan referred to
| in justification of his opinion of the species.

Oh, quite. In fact, as I posted, it is perfectly possible that culling
magpies might reduce the populations of songbirds. From that analysis,
one cannot tell whether it would do that, increase them, or neither.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"BAC" wrote in message
...

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...

"BAC" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 5/8/06 23:42, in article ,
"Alan
Holmes" wrote:


"Russel Sprout" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 3/8/06 10:58, in article
,
"DB01" wrote:


"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"DB01" wrote in message
...


How do you discourage the magpies? We do get a couple trying to
enter
the
ivy covered poplar that all the small birds live

They're a pest and a pain, handsome though they are. The old
country
people
used to inject an egg with poison and put it into nests the
magpies
were
plundering - or shoot them, I'm afraid.
--
Sacha

A much maligned species.

Not when they destroy other small birds.

Alan

Indeed. I've seen them do it and it's not pretty.

It might not be pretty, but predation is just a part of nature.

But when they completely destroy all the small birds, which then take
many
years to recover, they need to be culled,

They don't completely destroy all the small birds, though. If you have an
open mind on the subject, please read the RSPB's take on the effect of
magpies on songbird populations,

The last time we have an influx of Magpies ALL the small birds dissapeared,
and it was several years before they came back.

Alan

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...

"BAC" wrote in message
...

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...

"BAC" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 5/8/06 23:42, in article ,
"Alan
Holmes" wrote:


"Russel Sprout" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 3/8/06 10:58, in article
,
"DB01" wrote:


"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"DB01" wrote in message
...


How do you discourage the magpies? We do get a couple trying to
enter
the
ivy covered poplar that all the small birds live

They're a pest and a pain, handsome though they are. The old
country
people
used to inject an egg with poison and put it into nests the
magpies
were
plundering - or shoot them, I'm afraid.
--
Sacha

A much maligned species.

Not when they destroy other small birds.

Alan

Indeed. I've seen them do it and it's not pretty.

It might not be pretty, but predation is just a part of nature.

But when they completely destroy all the small birds, which then take
many
years to recover, they need to be culled,

They don't completely destroy all the small birds, though. If you have
an
open mind on the subject, please read the RSPB's take on the effect of
magpies on songbird populations,

The last time we have an influx of Magpies ALL the small birds
dissapeared,
and it was several years before they came back.


We have less magpies in our neighbourhood than in recent years, but still a
few, plus crows, rooks, jackdaws, the very occasional raven, squirrels,
cats, kestrels, pigeons, doves, sparrowhawks, buzzards, gulls, and not much
apparent difference in small songbird numbers, year in, year out.

In article ,
Janet Baraclough writes:
|
| If small bird species can recover fron total destruction, I look
| forward to the imminent return of the dodo to my birdtable. I wonder
| what dodos eat? Do they cause much damage in the garden?

It would take an unusually athletic dodo to jump up that high.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Janet Baraclough writes:
|
| If small bird species can recover fron total destruction, I look
| | forward to the imminent return of the dodo to my birdtable. I wonder
| | what dodos eat? Do they cause much damage in the garden?
|
| It would take an unusually athletic dodo to jump up that high.
|
| How high ? It's a dodo-ready birdtable.

Don't you have trouble with hedgehogs raiding it?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Janet Baraclough" wrote
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
Janet Baraclough writes:
|
| If small bird species can recover fron total destruction, I
look
| | forward to the imminent return of the dodo to my birdtable.
I
wonder
| | what dodos eat? Do they cause much damage in the garden?
|
| It would take an unusually athletic dodo to jump up that high.
|
| How high ? It's a dodo-ready birdtable.

Don't you have trouble with hedgehogs raiding it?

Not since the wolves came back to life.

And I thought woodpigeons were my only problem. What about when
velociraptors turn up again?

--
Sue

In article ews.net,
"Sue" writes:
|
| | How high ? It's a dodo-ready birdtable.
|
| Don't you have trouble with hedgehogs raiding it?
|
| Not since the wolves came back to life.
|
| And I thought woodpigeons were my only problem. What about when
| velociraptors turn up again?

You will really need to worry when you stop having newts in your pond
and get metoposaurus instead.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 8/8/06 15:22, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ews.net,
"Sue" writes:
|
| | How high ? It's a dodo-ready birdtable.
|
| Don't you have trouble with hedgehogs raiding it?
|
| Not since the wolves came back to life.
|
| And I thought woodpigeons were my only problem. What about when
| velociraptors turn up again?

You will really need to worry when you stop having newts in your pond
and get metoposaurus instead.

Then they'll have to look out for the Anatosaurus. QUACK!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)