My final draft letter to the RSPB

[Mealy Cock]

Thank you for your e-mail.

 

I am somewhat perplexed at some of the things you have stated in your e-mails to me. As my wife and I are bird and animal lovers we are somewhat baffled by your comment, “but by feeding birds in the garden you automatically attract all birds closer to view and as a result you will see nature in it rawest form". So what you are telling use don't feed the birds as we will attract BOP. Yet we see adverts telling people to feed birds over the winter.

 

Just to remind you, the Sparrow hawk attack we witnessed happened in the middle of the road

 

You say “In the British Isles peregrines do not migrate, and the majority stay within 100 km of their birthplace.

Then how do you account for the fact they are now living in towns and cities when you stated “areas where cliff-ledges, quarry  faces, crags, or sea-cliffs are available. Recently, they have started

To use man-made constructions, especially tall buildings

 

This is a contradiction in terms if ever there was one.

 

Birds of prey is now becoming a pest and a nuisance, see attached copy of a local Towns news paper.

The Tax payer will have to foot the bill for the repairs, or are the RSPB going to contribute towards

The repairs, after all your organisation are the ones that are protecting this bird so surely you have to accept some responsibility.

 

This is a comment I copied off a forum of a genuine bird lover.

 

I notice that they are saying that the White Tailed Eagle has returned to Scotland. NO. They brought it there. Now there are farmers going out of business because this bird is taking their lambs. Not weak or small lambs, big robust healthy lambs. These felons should be removed so that the situation can go back to how it has been for hundreds of years. And the RSPB should be made to compensate the Farmers for their losses. When they introduced the wolf to Northern America the agreement was that if it killed livestock there had to be compensation. The same should apply in the case of the White Tailed Eagle. I cannot see why they have to mess about with things that do not need to be changed. If they stuck to protecting birds properly, I am sure we would all appreciate what they are doing. Now they are very likely to start a war. I say this because there are a lot of people who are not going to sit back and allow the RSPB to dictate how they are going to live. British People have always fought against unjust laws and I think it is going to happen again.

 

I also looked at one of your links of the RSPB web site; I see that you show a video of some kind

Of trap to catch BOP as propaganda to support better protection for BOP.

 

Firstly I do not support any form of trapping, poisoning, shooting, baiting of any type of animal

Cruelty, but the question must be asked why anyone would want to do such an act, to achieve

What, or to gain! Why have the RSPB not show a fair and balanced view seeing both sides of the story, why don’t the RSPB show the death and destruction caused by birds of prey how they have cost

Animal and bird owners thousands of pounds each year, if this type propaganda was to be show on the TV as a documentary the British Broadcasting Authority would have something to say about the biasness of it.

 

I also ask again, why are there forums and discussion groups, organised petitions!

From all walks of life who see the other side of the coin, joining together to get a change in the law

Or to ask this Government for help, or are all these people wrong and the RSPB is 100% right

In what they are doing.

 

To finalise a piece of British History for you, I had the great privilege to meet a man who

Trained messenger pigeons during the war, his efforts and that of the pigeons help to save many an

Allied lives, they returned home shot at, one bird had and eye missing and still returned home

In all; there were 32 Dicken medals given out to pigeons that is the human equivalent of the VC.

One great I must not miss, Cher Ami. He was on his last mission when he was shot through the breast by enemy fire and still managed to reach home. He had one of his legs shattered.

He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for his heroism and died as a result from his battle wounds in 1919.

 

But do you know what their biggest obstacle was on getting those great birds back to England with those vital messages; THE PERAGRINE FALCON and the Government of the day had the foresight  

To have these killers removed to give them a fighting chance on getting home.

 

There for your comments that an independent study shows that 14% killed to predation is out of date and inaccurate. Quote;  by 1981 and by 1991 most populations were higher than ever before recorded, though not in north and west Scotland (Crick & Ratcliffe 1995).

 

 

Finally,

  

A list of the 46 bird species and one mammal found at Derby Cathedral since 2005, here it is:

 

mallard - teal - gadwall - ruddy & tufted ducks

woodcock - common & jack snipe - dunlin - knot

redshank - lapwing - golden plover

bar & black tailed godwit - whimbrel - turnstone

quail - water rail - little grebe - moorhen

common & arctic tern - black headed gull

jay - jackdaw - crow - magpie - pied wagtail

swift - little owl - fieldfare - redwing - blackbird

song & mistle thrush - great spotted woodpecker

robin - skylark - chaffinch - goldfinch - starling

wood pigeon - feral pigeon - collared dove - waxwing

and one brown rat!

 

 

Please can you tell me what the RSPB are doing to protect the above birds or don’t they matter

If so, why not. My calculations are if there are 1,402 pairs of peregrines and goodness knows how many pairs of Sparrow hawks that equates to, 64,492 deaths by Peregrines alone, based on the

Above figures.

 

I respectfully request that you and the RSPB as a whole need to have a serious look at the amount Of Birds of prey that are prevalent in this country before there rest of the general public wake to the fact that they no longer

See small birds in their gardens because of the RSPB few who think it’s great to watch a bird eaten alive by

These killers, by the way, this type of sport is greatly frowned upon by the majority in this country.

 

Hope you all enjoy the read even if its long winded

 

 

 

 

[rick]

well done mate.

[grizzal]

yes well done m8,wonder what they will come back

with this time

[demolition man]

nice one

[DOVEScot]

Brilliant

[spinner jim]

IT will be interesting to see if they reply ,i wont hold my breath.

[willow]

Micheal , can you keep all copies sent and recieved as i think once we get something set up we can send them to the Scottish Parliment 's envirnmental Dept .It is not thr RSPB we have to change it is the laws that Parliment make to help the RSPB to put a protection order on BOP . It is not a just a pigeon problem it is a bird problem as Micheal has pointed out in this brilliant letter , You are doing a great job Micheal we will make a difference even if some think we will not , collectively we can do it . Avril

[Guest thunderbird]

Micheal , can you keep all copies sent and recieved as i think once we get something set up we can send them to the Scottish Parliment 's envirnmental Dept .It is not thr RSPB we have to change it is the laws that Parliment make to help the RSPB to put a protection order on BOP . It is not a just a pigeon problem it is a bird problem as Micheal has pointed out in this brilliant letter , You are doing a great job Micheal we will make a difference even if some think we will not , collectively we can do it . Avril

what is the scottish palermant stance on birds of prey is it the same as our govermant????

 

 

[lightning fast]

what is the scottish palermant stance on birds of prey is it the same as our govermant????

 

 

 

I think everyone on this site and also friends of fanciers should copy this letter and send it to the RSPB and there government the more they receive the more it might wake them up, especially from non fanciers I will also send this myself if this is ok

[The Navigator]

Cracking mail, hats off to you.

[racingsprint]

great reading mate my dad let his birds out yesterday within 5 min 2 peregrines in about them cock high hen low all birds home  these birds r a menace and somthing should b done or its going to kill the sport nice to read about birds getting medals carry on the great work and u hve my support thanks again

[Fair Play]

I wonder how many BOP won medals during the war or how many lives they saved will be very interesting to hear their reply if at all. Well done mate

[Guest bigda]

there  was a story today in the sun warning people of an a escaped eagle owl in swinton area wilts     its say cop are  on the look out and have warned  pet owners  hope the people of swindon don't report it

[Guest vander mungo]

I wonder how many BOP won medals during the war or how many lives they saved will be very interesting to hear their reply if at all. Well done mate

 

probally the german ones but we can beat them to

[glenrandal]

dont relay on the rspb doing anything to protect the song birds and pigeon fanciers we have got to  do what we have to do..........

[hazza84]

excellent letter mate!! im new to the sport and have my first lot of ybs now and just starting training!!!! As it happens ive lived in my house in a town now for 5 years and never seen bop other than the odd kestral!!! But sat in with me ybs 2tay and something made me look out and i noticed a female sparrow hawk sat watching my lofts!!!! So something seriously needs doing or people like myself and other fanciers will be made to either give up due to losses of birds or will have to take matters into their own hands!!!! Me personally well my birds cost me alot same as all other fanciers so ill prtect whats mine!!!!

You have my full support with this

[Guest wattle]

dont relay on the rspb doing anything to protect the song birds and pigeon fanciers we have got to  do what we have to do..........

 

true, true, but good letter.