Was freaked out by rumours that DEFRA were planning a cull of Buzzards in the UK cos they were killin' all the posh folks' pheasants.  Thankfully this has turned out to be fake.  Spotted a Raptor recently not too far from my gaff and it was a truly majestic sight, especially in an area where you wouldn't normally expect to see such things.   Damn bird just soaring around and spookin' all the Pigeons.  Grey squirrels on the otherhand can get to fuck. They've reached epidemic proportions round my neck of the woods.  The local Reds were virtually wiped out in my area due to some squirrelpox, started by the Greys. Â
No pics of Bears 'n' Badgers unless you've encountered the buggers personally please.
It wasn't until I hit my thirties that I realised you could unlock rewards by exploring the map
Anyone watching Winterwatch, or is it just me? Chris Packham know his stuff and I quite like the chap. Have bumped into him a couple of times in the New Forest on early morning deer viewings - yes I'm that sad. Please bring back Kate Humble though as I cannot cope with Michaela Strachan.
I think they might be going for the male teenager audience this series, but I'm only basing this assumption on the number of comments like, "speaking of fur, have a look at our beavers."
A memorable occasion I remember walking home drunk at approx 2am when I was swooped upon by a very large bird - probably an owl - whilst simultaneously almost tripping over a badger. Kind of freaked me out a bit.
My only brush with Nature of late was seeing a low flying heron gliding across my old school playing field.  Seen them countless times, but I'm always blown away by how MASSIVE they are when airborne.
It wasn't until I hit my thirties that I realised you could unlock rewards by exploring the map
Don't have to go far from my house to find yourself in the country. Â The other week I was heading down some back road when a buzzard flew out of the long grass at the side of the road with a small mammal in its grip. Â Very cool.
I also had a moment with a badger while I was drunk. Â It wandered out of a bush on the other side of the road, wandered in front of me then stopped to look me up and down. Â I nodded, he nodded back (I may have imagined this bit) and he went about his business. Â I think he was wearing a bowler hat.
Favourite moment though was when dropping a friend off at night. Â While driving down a back road I looked round to speak to her and noticed a deer running alongside the car. Â It was close enough to brush against us. Â When I looked back to the road I saw a few running in front of us and another just outside my driver's side window. Â I slowed down and let them get out the way. Â Was very cool.
Did anyone other than me do their RSPB garden birdwatch over the weekend? Nothing of interest unfortunately, but I'm sure many small birds are put off by the three squadrons of sparrows glued to the feeders in our front garden
By the way, when we had snow here in Ashurst the other week I woke up slightly early and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Rolled up the blind to see how deep the snow was and there was a roe deer in the middle of lawn munching on the grass. I thought it was quite cool.
Been a bit perturbed lately with all the stories in the media in relation to the current spate of herring gull attacks. With subsequent calls for a cull on gulls. Personally, if a Chihuahua gets peck to death, then that's one less Chihuahua in the world. Fine by me.
Surely a cull on a species can only be sanctioned if the animal in question represents an immediate health risk to humans or cattle? And the talk of another Badger cull after the disastrous attempt last time beggars belief.
There's been a lot of talk about seagulls in the north east of Scotland. We have a massive population here, and if you believe the reports, they're getting increasingly aggressive. People are calling for a cull. I have very mixed feelings about this.
My initial response is that things aren't as bad as people make out. On three or four occasions in the last few months one of my duties has been to stand outside the main McDonald's in Aberdeen, between three and four in the morning on Saturday and Sunday, as it gets busy after the clubs close. I've seen people squealing and shouting because a seagull came within ten feet of them to grab some food on the ground, claiming that the birds are a ridiculous pest, and aggressive. I don't know if it's part of the OTT culture of young people, jumping on a bandwagon, or if their perception of threat is that poorly coordinated. (I haven't taken many notes on the correlation between these people, and the ones who are spending so much time wondering why the Police might be here, they don't see the two guys squaring up over a perceived slight.)
My other thoughts are in conflict with each other. One side of me questions who we think we are to decide how large different species' populations should be. I saw someone complaining about gulls at a football match, and calling for a cull. So, an animal's need to eat slightly marred your entertainment? Tough. On the other hand, if a species has become more abundant than it would naturally, through our abuse and negligence, isn't it up to us to do something about it?
Aberdeen Football Club's statement on Friday highlighted what they were doing to minimise gull presence at matches, but put a fair share of responsibility back with the supporters; if you don't leave so much food lying around (and at those prices, I'd love to know who's throwing it away) then it's a less attractive proposition for the gulls.
In balance, while I agree with implementing deterrents, I don't think we have a right to cull any animal. We only have a responsibility if we caused an overpopulation, and that in turn is having a negative effect on any species other than us.
In Australia at some sports grounds they have a massive problem with seagulls and pigeons so they have deterrents like hawks or falcons on site.
edit: I see AFC do use hawks as well.
"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness." ― Terry Pratchett
Skerret's posting is ok to trip balls to and read just to experience the ambience but don't expect any content. "I'm jealous of sucking major dick!"~ Kernowgaz