Bloody magpies!

[Smellydog]

Just been on the phone to witness a magpie sneak in the end of my garden hedge and work along the hedge to take a blackbird chick. I quickly opened a window and shot into the hedge with an air pistol, the second shot made it leave rapidly.
I don't know the state of the chick.
The parent birds are sitting around now and not feeding the chick FFS.
If it's not bastard cats it's bastard magpies the woke neighbours allow to nest in their yard!
What don't people get!?
Stupid country.

 

[Smellydog]

The parents are taking grubs into the hedge and coming out with the same grubs. The chick isn't or can't feed!

 

[Rhodesianjess]

Have a look for the nest @Smellydog,as you know when chicks are a bit older they leave the nest and perch around it, even on the ground sometimes. At least it will put your mind at rest concerning the chicks fate.
Last week I shot a magpie obviously carrying a nestling,no idea what as it dropped it when the shot hit it, falling into growing wheat whilst magpie landed in the hedge.
Agreed with you,swine of a bird.

 

[tony rentokil]

Larsen trap collect needs a stain,,,£5 Bridgnorth

 

[andy R204]

Bandits & treerats I could never tire of shooting them.
Striking coloured,intelligent but wicked with it.
Cats...domestic terrorists.The wife's had her fair share over the years but when the last one went we've never bothered to get another

 

[mike308]

You're lucky here in Wales we are not allowed to shoot magpies.
Loonies running the asylum

 

[Roebuck9]

Yes magpies and squirrels are a pain I have been at war with them for 20+ years I think I shot the last local squirrel 3 days ago on the bird table and shot two magpies on it also two days ago I have not seen any since as they are very wary now as I have shot so many in the past.
I leave the "mort" one in full view on the ground then the partner will come in squawking so I can get another shot off as they are distracted by the dead one and not so vigilant then. best of luck

 

[Smellydog]

Yes magpies and squirrels are a pain I have been at war with them for 20+ years I think I shot the last local squirrel 3 days ago on the bird table and shot two magpies on it also two days ago I have not seen any since as they are very wary now as I have shot so many in the past.
I leave the "mort" one in full view on the ground then the partner will come in squawking so I can get another shot off as they are distracted by the dead one and not so vigilant then. best of luck

Used those tricks myself

 

[hairlesshunter]

Just been on the phone to witness a magpie sneak in the end of my garden hedge and work along the hedge to take a blackbird chick. I quickly opened a window and shot into the hedge with an air pistol, the second shot made it leave rapidly.
I don't know the state of the chick.
The parent birds are sitting around now and not feeding the chick FFS.
If it's not bastard cats it's bastard magpies the woke neighbours allow to nest in their yard!
What don't people get!?
Stupid country.

I were out earlier walking the dog and witnessed a crow well two crows taking a young thrush. I was a bit surprised as it was well developed
It just scooped it up and flew over the road and landed on the house roof with two other thrush’s giving chase

 

[Dunwaters]

You're lucky here in Wales we are not allowed to shoot magpies.
Loonies running the asylum

What effect is the magpie ban having on bird numbers, any before/after studies?

 

[Mike1979]

You're lucky here in Wales we are not allowed to shoot magpies.
Loonies running the asylum

Good old Wales.....The amount of magpies I see now is not good.....

I know there wont be any decent surveys to compare before and after but the vast increase in numbers cant be benefitting hedgerow or ground nesting birds.

 

[mike308]

What effect is the magpie ban having on bird numbers, any before/after studies?

As Mike1979 says no official surveys have been done but on our farm now there are a lot more magpies than before the ban and getting more each year. Less songbirds successfully rearing young. You can watch magpies working the hedgerows.
It's nothing to see as many as a dozen magpies flying about.

 

[Dunwaters]

As Mike1979 says no official surveys have been done but on our farm now there are a lot more magpies than before the ban and getting more each year. Less songbirds successfully rearing young. You can watch magpies working the hedgerows.
It's nothing to see as many as a dozen magpies flying about.

I absolutely get what you’re saying, I’m genuinely interested in what the effect of the ban is on non game farm and garden birds.
On game birds I accept that there’s a need to control them, I’m just not so sure that they have much of an impact on non game species.
They do take a tithe, but nothing that a robust population can’t deal with. That’s my experience. YMMV.

 

[mike308]

I absolutely get what you’re saying, I’m genuinely interested in what the effect of the ban is on non game farm and garden birds.
On game birds I accept that there’s a need to control them, I’m just not so sure that they have much of an impact on non game species.
They do take a tithe, but nothing that a robust population can’t deal with. That’s my experience. YMMV.

We don't have game birds up here. What we have are songbirds and a lot of high ground migrants
There is a long hedge in front of the house and we now watch the magpies working the hedge. Not just one but four or five and they clear out every nest. First and second brood.
When it was one or two yes the population could stand it, but no chance now. Each year we see less birds returning.
And the farmers will get the blame.

 

[jall55]

I absolutely get what you’re saying, I’m genuinely interested in what the effect of the ban is on non game farm and garden birds.
On game birds I accept that there’s a need to control them, I’m just not so sure that they have much of an impact on non game species.
They do take a tithe, but nothing that a robust population can’t deal with. That’s my experience. YMMV.

Its so obvious that more predators on less prey does more damage
How many studies do we need until simple common sense prevails ?

 

[ABL]

I absolutely get what you’re saying, I’m genuinely interested in what the effect of the ban is on non game farm and garden birds.
On game birds I accept that there’s a need to control them, I’m just not so sure that they have much of an impact on non game species.
They do take a tithe, but nothing that a robust population can’t deal with. That’s my experience. YMMV.

The problem is the combination of game bird release without predator control. You could ignore the predator control if we weren’t putting out millions of game birds for the predators to feed on - there’s not enough song birds for them to survive on. But if we keep pumping out game birds over autumn/winter then predator control is a must as without it the song birds will get clobbered by the artificially high predator numbers.

 

[kevtherev]

Lad at work always salutes a magpie I personally detest the bloody things.

 

[jall55]

The problem is the combination of game bird release without predator control. You could ignore the predator control if we weren’t putting out millions of game birds for the predators to feed on - there’s not enough song birds for them to survive on. But if we keep pumping out game birds over autumn/winter then predator control is a must as without it the song birds will get clobbered by the artificially high predator numbers.

Many / most shoots conduct some form of predator control and some of the bigger estates enough predator control for us all - the real issues in my opinion are the "country parks" - the industrial estates with little cabin type cafes where people feed foxes and crows - the motorway type service station - even the town centres - go look at the food waste in the streets after everyone has had a few beers.
And of course those thinking they are feeding birds in their gardens - when many are feeding corvids and rats
Most of us shooting foxes / crows talk of predators "moving in" - they are not ones that most / many of us have allowed to breed

 

[Dunwaters]

The problem is the combination of game bird release without predator control. You could ignore the predator control if we weren’t putting out millions of game birds for the predators to feed on - there’s not enough song birds for them to survive on. But if we keep pumping out game birds over autumn/winter then predator control is a must as without it the song birds will get clobbered by the artificially high predator numbers.

You still have the game bird releases in Wales, but you now have a ban on controlling magpies.
If magpies are having an effect on wild birds there should be a measurable difference in wild bird populations between England and Wales.
What, if any, are the real world results of the two differing approaches to this particular predator?

 

[novice]

The problem is the combination of game bird release without predator control. You could ignore the predator control if we weren’t putting out millions of game birds for the predators to feed on - there’s not enough song birds for them to survive on. But if we keep pumping out game birds over autumn/winter then predator control is a must as without it the song birds will get clobbered by the artificially high predator numbers.

Dissapointing to hear that argument raised by a member on here. It's increasingly pedalled by antis pushing for a ban on driven game shooting.

Do released game birds provide an additional food source for generalist predators in the UK. Of course they do. Is this the sole source of the increase in these predators and by doing away with driven shooting you'll restore the "balance". No chance. I would say most estates involved in gamebird releasing will be at the very least performing fox control. Many will be controlling corvid populations also.

As others have said, human activity, in urban, suburban and rural areas provides numerous, ample sources of food to maintain predator populations at levels far higher than the supposed "natural" levels. This, alongside human activity itself, can have a negative impact on the breeding success of other species in those areas.

You could end game bird release tomorrow and there are sufficient alternative food sources for the predators to switch to with negligible impact on their populations.

My view is that we have an obligation to address this imbalance wherever possible, which includes lethal predator control, not just in rural areas. The best you can hope for is to reduce the predator populations at key times of the year to a level where the pressure on the prey populations allows some breeding success. With the best will in the world, in the modern world we live in, that's probably as good as it gets.