RSPB is accused of 'obsession' with saving birds of prey by Country Life rural bible

I read the article this morning JudiM. It is one more article to add to the hysteria that the release of the Sea Eagles in East Anglia is suffering. I now wonder if they should go ahead with this plan, as there seems to be so much anti publicity being aired and written, with very incorrect information, that the poor eagles don't stand a chance before they are even released.

I totally agree with you Brenda they stand no chance with this irresponsible type of journalism.

There will always be articles like this, especially in the Daily Mail, best thing to do is avoid it like the plague!  They attitudes (and not just towards wildlife) are sickening to the extreme.

Usual Daily Wail guff and no surprise that the elitist Country Life is spouting complete garbage as usual.

As it happens I've discussed the Sparrowhawk issue with Christopher Bell over on Birdforum and while he seems to be a touch blinkered about the role of changed agricultural practice in sparrow decline he readily accepts that lowered House Sparrow numbers are probably associated with a population adjustment following a long period of Sparrowhawk absence during which sparrows lost their aerial predator averse behaviour. If you like - they just got too cocky.

Now that a natural predator is back in its rightful place House Sparrows are back to "normal" numbers (they used to be regarded as pests during the sixties when they were super abundant as some of you will remember). They may also be a bit less in your face as they have reacquired basic survival skills. Dr Bell also pointed out that  House Sparrow  numbers appear to be recovering in London and other areas.

I'll say this one more time. Hawks and Falcons do not decimate songbird populations. Does Country Life honestly believe that nature is that stupid.......?

Well you know the answer to that one anyway.

The study only looked at House Sparrows. I wouldn't describe a Dunnock (for example) as cocky.

Sparrowhawks are specialist bird predators. Having them around suggests that there is a healthy food supply available for them. If this changes the Sparrowhawks will disappear. The vacant space will then soon be reoccupied by small birds moving in (and they breed far more prolifically than their predators). Eventually apex predators will arrive again and the cycle would repeat itself. This is what happens at local level as, overall, everything evens out. Sparrowhawks and other predators can have localised effects on prey populations but this is all part of having a healthy functioning ecosystem.

Most predatory birds are fiercely territorial. They will guard the airspace they need to hunt in from same species competitors. Only when prey is superabundant will they relax this rule. A small woodland with its several hundred breeding pairs of small birds may have one pair of resident Sparrowhawks. Your group of four was probably a family party and the kids will be kicked out soon enough.

Nature is good at the numbers game - It's had a long time to practice getting it right.   

Hi John B (not the sloop)

Your comments are very well put and make a lot of sense.

Personally, I agree with what you say about predatory birds, but I know that there are some people who don't.

I'm surprised at Country Life for getting involved in this way.

Unknown said:

The study only looked at House Sparrows. I wouldn't describe a Dunnock (for example) as cocky.

Sparrowhawks are specialist bird predators. Having them around suggests that there is a healthy food supply available for them. If this changes the Sparrowhawks will disappear. The vacant space will then soon be reoccupied by small birds moving in (and they breed far more prolifically than their predators). Eventually apex predators will arrive again and the cycle would repeat itself. This is what happens at local level as, overall, everything evens out. Sparrowhawks and other predators can have localised effects on prey populations but this is all part of having a healthy functioning ecosystem.

Most predatory birds are fiercely territorial. They will guard the airspace they need to hunt in from same species competitors. Only when prey is superabundant will they relax this rule. A small woodland with its several hundred breeding pairs of small birds may have one pair of resident Sparrowhawks. Your group of four was probably a family party and the kids will be kicked out soon enough.

Nature is good at the numbers game - It's had a long time to practice getting it right.   

 

I would just like to congratulate you on being the voice of reason and putting across the facts so eloquently. I get far too angry in response to issues such as this and always stick my foot in my mouth so to have somebody who sees this matter from my point of view and to be able to put it forward so well makes me happy.

Hi Judi

Am I mistaken by hasn't the Sea Eagle in Norfolk project been stopped already ?

My simple answer to all these people nature is all about balance. It's only man that screws it up.

In the case of the Sea Eagle this is a rather special BOP. Even if it can be proved that these birds take lambs is that not a small price to pay for what we have done to them....

Robert

Hi Robert

The Sea Eagle project is stalled because Natural England, a major funding partner, is, like all public sector bodies, having its budget hammered and can no longer afford to assist. Most of the local opposition to the release proposal came from free range pig and poultry interests. Outside the agricultural sector opinions were more positive.

JBNTS