Lapwing nest predation

[Brad93]

Ive just 115 acres I own, theres another fellow across the valley thats had a lot of foxes over the years, but theres many different owners, I cant go around asking permission for other folks to go on their land, its in a very rural area, not anyone much, bothering with it. But a few stalkers on a forestry block nearby.
Next year I'll be retired and will certainly have more time for keepering, ive a full time job and running the farm as well.

When you're retired/have a bit more time, it might be worth setting up a curlew predation group, getting a few of the local landowners together and seeing if you can't persuade a few of them to allow shooting and trapping of corvids on their land.

As I said I'm sure you can find people here who would be more than happy to help with the trapping or shooting.

Unfortunately it is a case of knocking on doors half the time. Same as any shooter trying to pick up permission, except you're doing it from a purely conservation perspective.

 

[Brad93]

A Pine Marten makes a badger or a fox look like a novice, in a release pen.

New research has shown they are great for the red squirrels though!

 

[Ratel]

This has brought on memories of searing hot August afternoons / late evenings after school, bale dust sticking to sweat down the back of the neck & shoulders, hole worn in palm of hand from launching the pike staff, learning to drive the Massey 135 /
165's, drawing a baler at the right speed & pulling the baling twine rope to let go a rook of bales.
Riding the huge swaying stack trailer lifting cables on the way to an illegal beer at the Egerton arms.

You should have been used to it by then. June haymaking would have hardened your hands. Pitching bales 5 high on a trailer, and those from the field hedge run were twice as heavy. Never pitched straw bales as a schoolboy but plenty of wheat and barley sheafs on to trailer then off to form a rick.
You would never have pitched the straw bales from threshing time, and the 12 stone bags of wheat were a bugger.

 

[Ratel]

New research has shown they are great for the red squirrels though!

Until they have killed all the greys. I've seen plenty of red squirrels killed by them, usually stalked on the ground or killed up the first 20 foot of trunk.

 

[Tim.243]

Another topic that’s relevant to disturbance of ground nesting birds is the rise in dog walkers in the countryside.
Lot more about now as say 30 years ago

There are a lot more people than 30 years ago, also with the housing expansion they have to walk somewhere, around 12 million more.

All of this is a product of farming and population changes and that will not decrease.

 

[jall55]

There are a lot more people than 30 years ago, also with the housing expansion they have to walk somewhere, around 12 million more.

All of this is a product of farming and population changes and that will not decrease.

Lots of us have / are making real differences