What the RSPB said next "Laughable"

[Mealy Cock]

In answer to a lenghthy e-mail I sent, this was the reply from the RSPB. Have these studies been carried out

anyone know.

 

I understand it can be distressing to see BOP feed, one cannot really

pick and choose the birds that visit the gardens of the UK, 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. Even

though sparrowhawks feed almost exclusively on small birds, they do not

affect their overall numbers. Songbirds produce far more young every

year than would be needed to maintain the population.

 

All these extra birds will die of starvation, disease or predation

before the following breeding season and there would not be enough

territories or food for so many. Sparrowhawks simply prey on those birds

that would have died anyway.

 

 

Some pigeon fanciers are concerned that the increase in the numbers of

birds of prey, particularly peregrines and sparrowhawks, is posing a

significant threat to their hobby. Peregrines and sparrowhawks will kill

racing pigeons and can cause injury or disruption to flocks.

 

However, three independent studies into the reasons why racing pigeons

fail to return to lofts concluded that, while the proportion of pigeons

lost to birds of prey can vary according to region, the numbers are

small compared to other causes. An estimated 86 per cent of the pigeons

lost each year fail to return for reasons other than predation by birds

of prey.

 

Pigeons fail to return to their lofts for a variety of reasons. A UK

wide study by the Government's UK Raptor Working Group found that:

 

straying and exhaustion accounted for 36 per cent of losses

collisions with solid objects like buildings and windows - 19 per cent

of losses

collisions with overhead wires - 15 per cent of losses

predation by birds of prey - 14 per cent of losses

shooting, entanglement in netting, poisoning and oiling - 8 per cent of

losses

predation by mammals, including domestic cats - 8 per cent of losses.

An average loft in the UK houses 73 racing pigeons - the research

indicates that a typical owner will lose 38 pigeons each year. Of these,

just over five would be killed by sparrowhawks and peregrines while 14

will have strayed, gone feral or died of starvation and exhaustion;

seven will have died in a collision, six will have hit overhead wires;

three will have been shot, poisoned or oiled, and three will have been

eaten by a mammal. Both Pigeon and Dove numbers are doing well and are

not declining.

 

Kind Regards,

 

[Guest Tooshy Boy]

THEY ARE TALKING A LOT OF RUBBISH,

[OLDYELLOW]

cracking news just another 2 to be eaten by bops and im scot free for rest of season , never had a pigeon hit a window yet , hopefuly might get a few bops hitting my window tho never had a cat take a bird since i was 18 , re song birds have they noticed that alot of song birds such as sparrows ectra are developing white feathers ???? hmmmmm this suggests lack of pigment due to the gene base decreasing , wild pigeons and doves are doing great as the bops eat pets as much easier prey

[Mealy Cock]

Yes and I am constructing another e-mail to them now as they have not answered my questions

Like why! have Peregrines moved into towns and citys, because their own habitat is over populated

[Guest bakes]

wouldnt suprise me what made me laugh by feeding garden bird in our garden it will promiote more pobs what a load of rubbish never use to have problems until they started to keep on addeing more and more pob back into the wild thats the real answer why us pigeon flyers are being hit to often due to numbers of sparrow hawks goshawks pergrines being put back into the wild and like anythink the more around the easyer it is for them to pair up and breed to add more pob into the areas and the public believe this they keep on saying o promote the local pob in your area pay us this amount each what ever and we can make them even stronger the public dont no the stack loads rspb and rspca release each year onto farmland if they new that jo public wouldnt pay into these so called charitys if anythink there lieing to them to get money as we all no and they no theres way more than there was years ago but they keep on fobbing people of by saying there in discline.

 

[OLDYELLOW]

ask them what are they actively doing to get birds to recover from extinction from red list , and will they stop reabilatating bops that would die of in winter and leave them to nature as released birds dont fear man and are a menace to bird owners and game keepers

[Guest Owen]

Could you give me the e-mail address for the RSPB. I have some questioins to ask them.

[Guest Tooshy Boy]

WASTE OF TIME

[Guest bakes]

ask them what are they actively doing to get birds to recover from extinction from red list , and will they stop reabilatating bops that would die of in winter and leave them to nature as released birds dont fear man and are a menace to bird owners and game keepers

 

agree ask them about the song birds and garden birds that are in decline why have they gone to low numbers its not climate change its todo with mass numbers of pob we use to have a good group of goldfinch's bullfinch's greenfinch's use to come to our feeders we put out for them and ive seen with my own eyes male sparrow hawk wipe more or less everyone out now me or the misses will fill our feeders up beginning of week and will still be full end of week the only thing thats makeing songbirds tits,robins,sparrows in decline is constant attacks from pob due to over population of them haveing them to have to kill more to feed them selfs and there off spring what really p's me off is they no this but they keep on saying its climate change and keep on takeing money from the public to promote this.

[Guest madpup]

WASTE OF TIME

 

people who do nothing are a WASTE OF TIME ;D

[Guest bigda]

tell him he could be right about  hitting windows,  and wires, and dying of exhaustion ,so would he  after getting chase up and down the land with the amount of   peregrines  there are,   but  the fact is the peregrine is after them  causing  them trouble.   can he imagine the scare a bird gets  when  its   flying   for its life  from  a peregrine,   they are wanting to introduce other killers,  hope  he is in the  middle of  the  park when the wolf or grizzly bear  make  him,   run for his life  

[Guest stb-]

tell him he could be right about  hitting windows,  and wires, and dying of exhaustion ,so would he  after getting chase up and down the land with the amount of   peregrines  there are,   but  the fact is the peregrine is after them  causing  them trouble.   can he imagine the scare a bird gets  when  its   flying   for its life  from  a peregrine,   they are wanting to introduce other killers,  hope  he is in the  middle of  the  park when the wolf or grizzly bear  make  him,   run for his life  

 

Hope the baza trips nd falls when its chasin him  > > >

[Rebus]

When a pigeon is killed by hitting a window it is because it is trying to escape from a sparrowhawk and flies into the window thinking it is a open space and a route to cover and safety.

[Guest bigda]

the story now so  far is adding up all the percentages  it comes to 48% of the pigeons not making it home from the races is due to the peregrines.    as all  what they say affects them on route by getting chased

 

 

straying and exhaustion accounted for 36 per cent of losses

collisions with solid objects like buildings and windows - 19 per cent

of losses

collisions with overhead wires - 15 per cent of losses

predation by birds of prey - 14 per cent of losses   then again add the 36 per cent that makes it  84% that peregrine is to blame   and there must now be two many of them  

 

[Mealy Cock]

May I suggest  that all that post comments and facts of their own experances e-mail the RSPB the more we can bombard

these people the better.

 

I have an old maxim; throw anough  crap at a wall some of it will stick.

[clayton moore]

If the bop are only eating those birds likely to die anyway why is the same maxim not applied to injured bop.Allow these to die also.

[greenlands]

Hi Mealy Cock,can I ask who signed the email on behalf of the RSPB and has Owen asked can you give me their email address.

Lindsay.

[vanlink]

I seem to remember this study being endorsed by the rpra and correct me if i am wrong but i think it was the x general manager saying it.

We all know its wrong. You are wasting your time trying to talk to rspb you will not get through to them. We all also know that they are a sham and do not really care about birds. I would say that alot of pigeon fanciers have pigeons because they care about birds which is why we see nature in a different way.

 

What has happen to the RPRA hawk data collection thing, i thought they were going to take this to someone?

[Guest spin cycle]

the story now so  far is adding up all the percentages  it comes to 48% of the pigeons not making it home from the races is due to the peregrines.    as all  what they say affects them on route by getting chased

 

 

straying and exhaustion accounted for 36 per cent of losses

collisions with solid objects like buildings and windows - 19 per cent

of losses

collisions with overhead wires - 15 per cent of losses

predation by birds of prey - 14 per cent of losses   then again add the 36 per cent that makes it  84% that peregrine is to blame   and there must now be two many of them  

 

IMO bigda is close to the truth. last year, at this time, i lost close to a dozen to a hen sparrowhawk....now i'm more vigilant and restrict/vary open hole more....but she's still here as she was sitting on an aviary the other day and i expect i'll loose some more...but its something i have to live with. my losses to her were greater than i lost racing...but equal to the number i had to cull at seasons end. now this is the bit i'm going to get 'slaughtered' over IMO our yb teams are to big...we're rearing large numbers to try and win...they're not allways getting well enough trained...and even if they are the losses are often still  big (look at the 1 loft returns). but the real sting is that if the ybs are not lost many are culled or older birds culled to make way....until we address this issue we will not have a 'leg to stand on' with the rspb. peregrines are a slightly different matter as they probably make racing impossible for some and we can argue against artificial nest sites. ok hard hat on(evil)

[willow]

I was having lunch with a game keeper today , they are also sick of ducks ,phesants etc being taken by hawks right before their eyes on a shoot .There is a guy in Dundee at the moment who is pleading guilty to putting poison down and killing i think he said it was 2 BOP , he is expecting to go to jail as they will make an exception of him . If there were not so many about people wouldnt need to take this into their own hands to protect their livestock and livelyhood as this guy breed phesants .So what is the alternative if the RSPB wont listen , We must work with them to try and help them see what is happening and if more people make the public aware of what is , then eventauly they will have to . Well done to Micheal for writng directly to them also .Avril