Round and about

Ogden...1 Tufted Duck,1 Herring Gull ,5 BH Gull,2 Common Gull and 34 Mallard
Shelf Moor....185 Lapwing,1 Golden Plover and 400+ Starling
Northowram...33 Linnets,4 Herring Gulls ,50 Field fare and 5 Redwing.
A grey ,wet and very windy day.

Gulls

Loads of Gulls at Northowram today including one ArgentatusHerring Gull,5 Herring Gull,270+Common Gulls,125 + BH Gulls,105 Pinkfeet west,35+ Lapwing west,2 Linnet,45 Fieldfare ,2 Redwing,15 Stock Dove and a male Fovx being mobbed by BH Gulls...??
Well worth a look through the gulls if your passing something must turn up in um soon.
On wenesday there were 3 Argentatus (2 adults and a 1st winter) and 1 1st winter argenteus.Also the Linnet flock had increased to 21.....

Strange Cloud formation

There was a strange cloud formation over Northowram yesterday,look like a rock formation from the Rockies USA..any one else see it.????

Large gulls

A good move of larger gulls yesterday saw at lest 250 Herring gulls and 18 GBBGulls ssw.14 Linnets in the field and a Grey Heron looking for an easy meal in he fishpond down the road.

Linnets

A small flock of 8 Linnets today was a nice suprise,5 Stock doves and a lapwing.

Dipper x 2

2 Dippers today on the stream just below Coley garden centre,the first time ive seen them this close to home.1 Grey wag,25 lapwing ,20 LTTits and 3 stock doves.1 female sparrowhawk also.

Twite

What a record a winter Twite,,no rings on it as well,Ive been allowed back in the fields as the cow herd has been put away for the winter,and low and behold after one week without cows we get a twite and a small flock of lapwing and Stock Doves...my first Northowram Twite....

Amazing what you find on the internet.

This surely must be the most emotive and most discussed subject on any of the bird forums. One of the most disappointing parts of this discussion, here or on any other forum, is the total silence from the RSPB. Surely the RSPB should not only manage reserves and persecute egg collectors and others but also represent the views and wishes of its members. Recently they seem to have embodied the gun-ho attitude of FERA, not only with the Ruddy Duck but also Eagle Owls, Monk Parakeets etc. They have also been remarkably silent on the slaughter of 2000 Gannet chicks on Sula Sgeir each year. Isn't it time that the RSPB consults its members about these various slaughters, say through its magazine, and then supports whatever the majority of its members wish?

Information obtained from FERA, on March 7th 2011, under the freedom of information act, stated that the total overall cost of the "Ruddy Duck Eradication Programme" was £3.3M. The number of Ruddy Ducks culled was 7165 and they estimated the current population to be in the region of 100 birds. They also state that 35 non-target birds were killed, thse included Common Scoter, Black-necked Grebe, Mallard, Teal, Little Grebe, Pochard, Tufted Duck and Coot. Obviously this list is not complete as I know of a White-headed Duck and a Slavonian Grebe that disappeared during a cull.

Is there anyone out there, officially representing the RSPB, able to inform us and all its members of their latest position in regard to the culling of Ruddy Ducks, Monk Parakeets and any thing else that FERA considers to be unwanted. I also wish to know what they are doing to stop the slaughter of Gannet chicks. If they are no longer representing their members views but following the wishes of FERA and other government organisations then surely their charity status should be withdrawn and perhaps we should all consider whether our continued support is appropriate

Soil Hill

A very brisk wind blew across a sunny and clear soil hill today.9 Snow Buntings,1 Linnet,1 Woodcock,1 Skylark,1 female blackbird,5 BH Gull,20 lapwing (north)1 Kestrel and 6 carrion Crows made for a most enjoyable visit..

The relentless destruction of wildlife continues

Catalonia has allowed the trapping of 60,000 finches this winter, the quota including 48,800 Chaffinches, 6,500 Goldfinches, 3,500 Greenfinches and 3,600 Linnets. This is ostensibly for the local cage-bird trade.
Spain is a member country of the EU - wild birds such as this are protected by law - supposedly

Hen Harriers
The toffs' most unpopular bird in UK; and they're driving it to extinction in England. When its rioting and robbery by ordinary folk , our prime minister and his cronies get all worked up. I don't hear them condemning their mates for regularly breaking the law to eliminate the Hen Harrier from their estates. This is one of the most beautiful and spectacular of our birds and it only survives as a breeding bird in England because of one estate. The species regularly prospects across moorland over much of the rest of the North of England, it only doesn't breed because it is prevented from doing so. http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3030
RSPB: English Hen Harriers 'four steps' from extinction
www.birdguides.com
A 2011 joint survey of the English uplands by the RSPB and Natural England found that only four nesting pairs of Hen Harrier successfully raised young; all were on a single estate in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire. This is believed to be the lowest population in England since they recolonised in
Badgers
It is the government’s intention to kill badgers in 2011 as part of a control to stop the spread of Bovine TB in cattle. This is despite robust and sound science that proves it has ‘no meaningful contribution to the control of Bovine TB in cattle’.
The Government is holding a consultation suggesting different methods and asking you, the general public to tell them what you want to see happen. They have said that they will listen to the replies to this consultation but they have not made it easy for people to reply.
The Badger Trust details suggestions as to how to reply. If you do not want to see badgers cage trapped and shot or free running badgers killed with a rifle – please take the time to reply.
Visit http://www.badgerprotectionleague.com/information.php and use follow their guidelines on replying to the English and Welsh consulations. Time is short - Please Do it Now!
Their lives are literally in your hands
Then there are the maltese shooters shooting birds of prey in the UK,
Three persons were on Monday night apprehended by customs at Malta International Airport in possession of dead protected birds.
The three persons were returning from a hunting trip in the UK.

A joint operation between Customs, Administrative Law Enforcement police, MEPA officials and veterinary services officials revealed a number of protected birds including birds of prey concealed in their luggage amongst other legal game.

The birds were protected by international law.

The persons in question are expected to be arraigned in court soon.

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Cyprus doing what they allways do ,the continued destruction of the Amazon and the ever decreasing POLAR ICE CAPS.and people still say its nothing to do with the human race.....