There's been a flurry of publicity for Songbird Survival over the last week - mostly in The Times. This organisation, which I always think as being more anti-predator than pro-songbird, and anti-raptor in particular (but maybe I have got them wrong), may be funding the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to cull some crows and see whether songbirds flourish. Good luck to them - but I hope they take more notice of this research than they did of the research that they commissioned from the BTO which went some way to exonerate predators from being the cause of songbird declines. That study doesn't seem to have altered Songbird Survival's views at all.
The Chair of Songbird Survival is Lord Coke. Lord Coke hails from Holkham Hall. The head gamekeeper at Holkham Hall was charged with several offences, including some under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, last week. This has led to some interesting comments in some places (see here for example). Lord Coke's father, the Earl of Leicester, is not the biggest fan of birds of prey, nor indeed of the RSPB. As I say, interesting.
The article in the Independent makes the link between the head 'keeper being charged and the fate of the Holkham National Nature reserve. That's an interesting point too.
A love of the natural world demonstrates that a person is a cultured inhabitant of planet Earth.
Why do these people think they know best? Nature operates in subtle ways which are not obvious and predators especially raptors are a key part of it. The results of sound science and research into nature by properly, scientifically qualified, personnel is what organisations like "Songbird Survival" should concern themselves. They should take notice of the work by the BTO and the RSPB who have such personnel. "Shooting from the hip", "gut feelings" and prejudice will inevitably lead to the wrong actions.
redkite
StackyardGreen, I agree. I think the problem is how vigorous is vigorous. Predators are undoubtedly needed to clear out the weak etc. In some local conditions predators do need to be managed because we let them get to a problematic level through bad management or whatever; and even conservation organsiations will cull predators if there is a severe impact on some species. Unfortunately, as you say, illegal persecution happens and it seems to happen because people want to apply what should be 'local' control to the wider environment.
The Cotswold Water park sightings website
My Flicker page
All very interesting. People have certainly said to me that the Holkham NNR is so rich in birdlife because the estate carries out vigorous predator management. How much predator management there should be on nature reserves and in the countryside generally is a very good topic for debate. That issue should not be confused with the issue of illegal perecution.
A time that a long over due review was done on the wildlife crime in England, there are far too many instances of crimes against birds of prey and we all understand just how difficult it is to detect the crimes so we can safely assume that there are far more that go undetected.
The only real tool we have against these individuals is publicity and more and more people are trying to raise awareness in this aware see http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/ and raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com for 2 such examples.
Reports such as www.britishringers.co.uk/.../Nestwatch%202010.pdf show what is going on locally here.
The RSPB birdcrime report www.rspb.org.uk/.../birdcrime_tcm9-260567.pdf is another good resource.
For too long these people have been able to deny that its been going on and put up a smoke screen or play ignorant to the fact.
I urge everyone to contact their MP's to ask what is being done about these issues.