You're not wrong in most of what you say. I'm a wildlife biogist and still actively working in the sector which makes me very familiar with the (often depressing) statistics. Whilst Badger numbers have increased markedly, they remain very territorial animals and numerous setts visible from one place could indicate lots of things. They have different types of setts they use in different ways. The only way to be sure what's going on is either to take samples for DNA analysis from latrine pits or to undertake a long-term bait-marking study. Either way, you spend a lot of time poking around in some of the smelliest poo going. Welcome to my worldOvenpaa wrote:Markedly so and not just the Woodcock, there are certainly UK species of birds higher up on the list than the Woodcock. Lapwings are in serious decline and they are not even being shot at, having said that modern farming methods are not helping nor are land based predators, although I did see a significant flock of lapwings fly over just to the south east of Louth a few weeks ago, we all agreed we had never seen so many Lapwings in the air at one time. Sparrows and even Starlings are all suffering and that is before even considering UK mammals.Plecotus wrote:So has the deline in the distribution and abundance of the species.
At the other end of the scale there has been a huge increase in the numbers of Buzzards and Red Tailed Kites over the last few years. Personally I like to see Buzzards on the wing or in the case of around here, usually sitting on the top of a hedgerow. I am not so keen on Kites. Regardless of what people say about Fox or Badger, numbers are on the increase. We stood on the edge of a field the day the Lapwings came over and the person with us pointed out the locations of 11 Badger sets within sight of eye.
Curlews, I see them maybe only 2-3 times a month now, in fact I see more Marsh Harriers than Curlews. I could go on....
Much of the decline in the avian species you mention is down to changes in agricultural practices and other entirely human activities. There is sound evidence that predators, both terrestrial and avian, can cause problems with ground nesting bird species such as Curlew and Lapwing but very little to suggest that these same predators make any contribution to the deline of many other species of conservation concern. In amost every case, the delcine of a species is never down to one factor in isolation.
The species that are doing well are frequently, generalists who can adapt and work around the landscape scale changes that humans introduce. Many raptors are more or less generalists and the main reason for their population increases has been a significant reduction in deliberate persecution as a result of changes in the law in the early 80s combined the the banning of organochlorine pesticides, like DDT and Dieldrin, which cause eggshell thining and consequent poor reproductive rates.
I've been involved in various projects around the Wash and further south into Norfolk over the years. If you have any interest in wild birds, it's a great place to live. Most of the stuff I've been involved with has been cannon netting waders, as part of ringing studies looking at population and migrational changes with the work most frequently undertaken in the winter. Catches can be huge over young cabages and similar at high water when the birds get pushed of their intertidal mud feeding grounds.
It's often argued that habitat management on pheasant shoots is beneficial to other species and, at one level , this is certainly true. The problem comes from releasing huge numbers of what is, at the end of the day, a non-native, omniverous species into the wild. Pheasants at the high densities found on many commercial shoots will eat every insect, yound reptile and probably many other things at a rate which is far from sustainable. Pheasants too will eat eggs and eben chicks of small, ground nesting birds such as Wood Warbler.
I've little problem with most quarry shooting in the UK but I'm afraid Pheasant and (Red) Grouse is a different matter.
