http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12603625
Before you know it, the numbers are down to 120 due to culling...
I personally like ruddy ducks and any kind of culling makes me feel quite depressed, but I suppose it's for the best.
I think numbers must be more than 120 because nowadays nobody really reports ruddy ducks.
I wonder if they are planning to completely wipe the speices out of Britain...
What do you think about the culling - I mean, the RSPB support this and I think it's for the best but oh I love ruddy ducks.... :D
'Dip a dee dah, dip a dee ay, we're not seeing any birds to-day...'
Tern, I think you probably right about there still being more than 120. Luckily the white headed duck is growing in number and France and Spain are also culling so our ruddy ducks shouldn't now cause too much problem.
The subject of non native species is such a minefield. Grey squirrels wouldn't be a problem if they had been eliminated when first introduced, but noone realised. We have other non native species that appear benign (e.g. mandarin) but then some don't become a problem until the population gets larger and that may be the case with parakeet but we won't know until / unless it happens .
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Unknown said: Tern, I think you probably right about there still being more than 120. Luckily the white headed duck is growing in number and France and Spain are also culling so our ruddy ducks shouldn't now cause too much problem. The subject of non native species is such a minefield. Grey squirrels wouldn't be a problem if they had been eliminated when first introduced, but noone realised. We have other non native species that appear benign (e.g. mandarin) but then some don't become a problem until the population gets larger and that may be the case with parakeet but we won't know until / unless it happens .
I agree, and often by the time problems are realised it is at a stage where it is then very difficult to get rid of the invasive species because they have increased in number and spread. Prevention is better than cure, hence some particularly invasive species (mostly plants but also a few vertebrates) aren't even allowed to be brought into this country.
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I can see both sides of the argument....ruddy ducks are an alien species that escaped from peoples' private collections and bred. Unfortunately our little white-tailed ducks then had more competition for resources and the ruddy started out competing them meaning the numbers of our native WTs declined and the RDs increased. We should always support native species as they evolved to live here and the ruddy had evolved in almost exactly the same way in the US where it thrives. However it is OUR fault that it is here and you can't blame the poor little duckies for taking the chance! I personally would rather have the cull and keep our native white-tail, but ruddies are proper cute - but we can see them in private collections if we like.
When a man wants to murder a tiger he calls it sport; when the tiger wants to murder him he calls it ferocity. ~George Bernard Shaw
Hi- it technically is the fault of various european nations (over ? ) hunting the White headed ducks that has caused the problem ; They practically exterminate them then moan that the RD is inter-breeding them into extinction-
Words fail me
S
I hope nothing starts inter-breeding with Herrings..................
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100% agree with you there
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. - John Lubbock
seymouraves said: Hi- it technically is the fault of various european nations (over ? ) hunting the White headed ducks that has caused the problem ; They practically exterminate them then moan that the RD is inter-breeding them into extinction- Words fail me S I hope nothing starts inter-breeding with Herrings..................
Yes, I also agree with this.
Since when have we jumped when Spain say jump?
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Hi-
so why is Malta still in the EU when it doesnt abide by the bird protection laws? Has the RSPBs attitude changed?
seymouraves said: Hi- so why is Malta still in the EU when it doesnt abide by the bird protection laws? Has the RSPBs attitude changed? S
Hi Seymour
The thing about the EU is that it's much easier to get into than to get out of.
Malta wanted in bad-