Song Thrushes.

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

Has anyone seen a Song Thrush, or better still indications of nesting activity of this species this year?:???:

I am extremely worried by the fact that I have seen only one Song Thrush this year, and that was only a brief sighting when one flew across the road ahead of me while I was driving a few weeks ago.:-(

For all of the wildlife protection agencies we have in the UK I think they are failing to avoid the loss of many once common bird species in the UK, particularly though the Song Thrush!!

I have mixed views regarding the cull of Ruddy Ducks in the UK in order to protect the White Headed Duck in Spain, but can someone please tell me why I haven't seen any number of Song Thrushes in the UK?
The answer is no, because we are more concerned about the demise of a Duck species that doesn't even breed in this Country.:x

From the lack of information of sightings and breeding activity it seems to me that we way too close in losing a once common garden bird in the UK because we are missing the point.

Over the last four or five years I have noticed a significant rise in the UK population of Mistle Thrushes, and over the last two years Blackbirds have done extremely well,:grin: but it seems to me that the Song Thrush is way to close to becoming a faded memory.

My own garden is heaving with Snails, but there are no Song Thrushes to make use of them, why?

Paul.

[Rogerb]

hiya paul very good point mate . as you know we moved in hear apox 9 years ago we always heard the song thrushes singing out the back and out the front all we have now is an abundance of blackbirds they have also become very tame over the last couple of years is it that they have pushed the thrushes out ? blackbirds ar very territorial once the get a foothold and can be partial to snails :-? mr b

[Waxbillman]

hello Paul i recently seen a family of song thrushes near me so all is not lost,

i think its a combination of this that makes the songs decline so badly, and perhaps mr b has made a very valid point are they becoming out-competed.
i have just e-mailed the RSPB to ask them about song thrushes, though my chance of being answered is low as i found my self ranting about cats and their stance on them, D'OH!!!
its says that the song thrush is now on the red list...

Matthew

[kenny]

hi paul /matt/mr b
i saw one the other day as my picture shows but i didnt see any signs of its partner mat be the only one about.i think its all these slug pellets and beer traps killing all its food supply thats caused it to decline well we would die off if there was no food!


ken8-)

[Waxbillman]

i blame it on CATS

[kenny]

hi matt
could be mate,i have 3 round my garden i have to think of a way to keep em of me aviary top now.....i think i will get one of those f******g big water pistols


ken:twisted:

[Waxbillman]

hello ken,

get a bloody mink trap, that'll sort the buggers

[kenny]

hi matt
i keep letting the dogs out but me wife plays up f**k if they catch them i like the way they jump when the dogs chase them up the holly trees:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

ken

[Waxbillman]

:lol: :lol:

[chris]

hi paul,

i've seen a few song thrushes about, not many though. also saw the first mistle thrush of this year on our fence today

Chris;)

[kenny]

hi chris
nice one sounds as if there are a few about still, though not as many as we would all like
ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies, at least the Song Thrush has been put onto the red list, but I would like to know what the various protection agencies are doing to ensure they will be removed from this list in years to come?

Matthew and Chris I'm pleased that both of you have seen a number of these birds, but it is still worrying that they are declining in huge numbers elsewhere.:???:

Roger your point on the increase of the Blackbird population is a good one, but I can remember both species being on a level pegging as garden birds.:(

But on a lighter note, Ken your use of the English language is taking a turn for the worse,:roll: you naughty boy.:lol:

Paul.

[kenny]

hi paul
sorry mate,just venting my spleen i know i have used a few near naughty words but i will curb my enthusiasm and cut it out and just leave it to matt from now on!:lol:


ken

[Rogerb]

what you say is true paul . it is so sad that we cant say the same today :cry: the demise of so many of our native species of birds reptiles amphibians mammals ect is down to us mankind we destroy so much of their habitat so we can have what we want . and when we have what we want then a few of us say oohh iv not seen this and that for a long time how sad are we ? :oops: hopefully with the help of local bodies in all areas of this island we live on we may be lucky to see more of our native species back where they belong but as you and I know it wont be for a few years yet , its still worth waiting for aint it :grin: MR B

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken and Roger,

Ken,

Right now I feel like venting something regarding the state of our hobby,:mad: but I will be a good boy for a change and post something more appropriate tomorrow when the time is right.

Roger,

We always use the act when it is too late attitude don't we?:roll:
'The powers that be' never act within the time frame when things can be corrected with very little impact, but choose to act when the odds are stacked against them.:shock:

There are noticable problems with certain populations of birds and other animal species in the UK (and many other Countries), but measures towards preventing their loss wont be put into place until it is too late to prevent this becoming a reality.
We (the Human race) should have learnt our lesson way before now from the various animal species lost forever because we acted way too late to prevent their loss to our Planet!!

Paul.

[kenny]

hi paul /roger
this has always been one of my favourite adverts for the environment i know its from the u.s. but it applies everywhere to every country

http://www.devilducky.com/media/39384/


ken
:evil:

[Waxbillman]

hello all

i got a reply from the RSPB today regarding the decline of song thrushes, it reads as follows.

some of the decline was certainly caused by hunting of the migratory portion of the UK population. Song thrushes are essentially divided into three on the basis of behaviour and most UK breeding birds migrate to southern Europe in winter. A smaller proportion of the population is sedentary and it is possible these birds are now the most dominant proportion of breeding birds given there has been a slight sign of recovery in recent years. However, it may be too early to say whether this is a good sign because all wild bird populations fluctuate in smaller cycles from time to time and this could simply be a good period. Interestingly, there is a huge influx of wintering birds from northern Europe but these birds do not breed in the UK. The other threat to song thrush populations is certainly the over-use of slug pellets although it is not clear just how serious this is.


Matthew

[kenny]

hi matt
i thought it would have something to do with slug pellets,people dont know the harm they do by putting them down i just leave mine to the hedge hogs .........and the song thrushes if there were any

ken

[Waxbillman]

hello Ken

whats gets me is that i have seen videos in garden centres saying they are not as toxic as salt, be that as it may they will still kill wildlife.
fortunitly the worst brand was taken off the shelves are couple of years ago

Matthew

[kenny]

hi matt
where those the ones in the green metalic looking tubs

ken

[Waxbillman]

hello Ken

yeh something like that i think, it was well known anyway

Matthew

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

I don't think the recent decline of the Song Thrush in Britain is due solely to the use of Slug Pellets, my own concern of Alan Titchmarsh and his love of decking does worry me though.:roll:
Having said that, I have a garden here that is overun with Snails and no Song Thrushes to take advantage of the bounty of food available to them, why?

I think the problem does lie overseas, but are our own protection agencies prepared to act before it is too late in losing a once common bird species of UK gardens and woodland?

Paul.:-(

[Waxbillman]

hello Paul

as i pasted further up, the decline is due to the migratory thrushes dieing out, they don't seem overly concerned by it.

sounds like you garden has its own ecological niche, that will no doubt soon get explored by summut or other

Matthew

[kenny]

hi matt/paul
you will probably be overrun with hedge hogs come the winter if you have plenty of slugs going free thats if they can find there way into your garden.......and if there are any left mate

ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

As far as I'm concerned it's getting worse,:-( despite the lack of Song Thrush sightings from our members and others who aren't members, the BTO seem to think that the UK Song Thrush population in the UK is increasing.:roll:

The fact is this, anyone involved in the BTO's survey who saw one Song Thrush last year and then was lucky to see two this year would indicate an increase of 50%.
Could this be pure luck in their sightings, or has the population doubled?

I believe that the former is far more likely, the figures from the BTO have far less credibility than ever before.

Our Government should act upon information from real people instead of the agencies hoping to gain a larger grant from one year to the next.

At the end of the day a once common garden bird is under serious threat of becoming extinct in the UK and without possitive action from the correct agencies this could become a reality in no time at all.

Paul.

[Waxbillman]

i saw a pir of song thrushes at my Great uncle's the other day, they were nicking cherries in the next-door's tree

Matthew

[kenny]

hi matt
great stuff,so there are still a few pairs about.mostly in yorkshire though they obviously know where they are better off!


ken

[Waxbillman]

lol yeh, i saw another one today!

Matthew

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Matthew and Ken,

At this rate you two could set up an eco tour to view the UK's largest concentration of Song Thrushes in Yorkshire,:roll: there is some good news from Dorset though, a pair of Song Thrushes have been visiting Alan and Vera Brown's garden for the first time in all of the years they have lived there.:D

Paul.:wink:

[Waxbillman]

great!!

i saw another one at my other uncles garden, eating a fallen apple.

Matthew

[PAUL HEARN]

Good news Matthew,

I'm still hoping that someone is going to see more than one or two at any one time though.

Paul.:wink:

[Waxbillman]

you never know Paul

this winter, we may get a load through

Matthew

[PAUL HEARN]

Yeah and then shot out of the sky as they pass over the Continent.:mad:

Paul.:?

[kenny]

hi paul
you are right mate,no wonder there are no thrushes about......



More than 22 million birds are shot legally in Britain every year, as part of a European toll of well over 100m, a new survey claims.
The full total across Europe includes as many as 30 million songbirds such as thrushes and skylarks, hunted in countries such as Italy and France, according to the report from a radical German anti-hunting pressure group, the Committee against Bird Crime (Komitee gegen den Vogelmord).
The group said the killing represents the "systematic annihilation" of the bird population in Europe, although mainstream bird conservation organisations did not share this view.



ken:x

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken,

Very sad statistics mate,:sad: this make a mockery of the UK's 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act regarding the protection of our native birds, for them to be shot out of the sky during their migration over Continental Europe is way out of order.:roll:

The RSPB should make more use of their resources in collaborating with Continental Countries in protecting our migrating birds from being shot in the name of sport.

Paul.

[kenny]

hi paul
what gets me is why do they shoot em in the first place what possible use is a dead beautiful bird going to be to anyone!


ken:twisted:

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken,

At the end of the day it comes down to the simple levels of sport in some Countries, but these birds are also valued as food in other Countries.

Paul.

[kenny]

hi paul
it beats me ,i wouldnt dream of eating a java sparrow or zebra finch or any thing else that was foreign to our shores,and it amounts to the same thing


ken8)