Was it just me - maybe it was - but was Peter Kendall in a bit of a bad mood today?
Have a look at the Farmers Guardian debate and judge for yourself.
Peter seemed very keen to have a go at me and the RSPB whatever I said.
And how predictable to see NFU mouthpiece Guy Smith going back to criticising the FBI - there is precious little acceptance, by the NFU President or by Guy Smith, that there is a problem with farmland birds. The NFU's attitude to the environment may be summed up by Peter Kendall's phrase 'wrapping (farmers) in green tape'. Remember please, NFU, that's the taxpayers' money you get and so there do have to be some rules attached to it.
But very good to see lots of good comments - many I guess from farmers who are working closely with the RSPB in all sorts of ways.
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A love of the natural world demonstrates that a person is a cultured inhabitant of planet Earth.
Essex Peasant, I have tried to read the responses here with some degree of pragmatism but am having problems with some of your wording. I do actually pay my subscription to the RSPB and expect them to 'chunter' on about how they see wildlife issues. Magpies and Crows don't lurk around up to no good, they hang about and act like Magpies and Crows; who are we to decide what character we like or don't like in birds. Likewise I am sure that the swans and geese aren't deliberately feeding on the crops they are simply responding to available food.
I am impressed by the range of birds on your land and wish I could see all those in one walk around here. I know there are many good farmers about but there are also those who will struggle to respond to environmental issues. With regard to the hobby please report it as there are only 3 sightings on Bird Track and none in Essex so the local recorder will want to know. In this area the earliest I have seen them is towards the end of April.
The Cotswold Water park sightings website
My Flicker page