For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1822588
Bill McCarthy wrote:Nearer your area, not an eagle but nevertheless gruesome - don’t know how to attach reference but on YouTube - “ Birds Kill 200 Lambs on a Single Isle of Wight Farm” ). I couldn’t watch it all. Acceptable loss ?



If you'd like to start eliminating ravens and rooks you might stand a chance of fixing that one, the difficulty is always getting a balance. Eagles will predate on gulls, rooks and ravens so might even be part of the solution. The key issue is understanding the likely balance between predator and prey. Animals short of easy prey will inevitably resort to harder prey.
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By nallen
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1822594
johnm wrote:That should mean that we wouldn't miss a few taken by the white tails


My back-of-a-fag-packet* calculation suggests that a white-tailed eagle eats 150kg per year. How that splits between fish, carrion and fresh lamb is another matter -- but let's assume a third is lamb, so 100kg/year/breeding pair. That's a lot of lambs if you happen to be the farmer whose flock is right next to the nest, so not surprising that said farmer gets royally hacked off -- but amortised over a region perhaps not a stupidly large amount to pay for a bit of rewilding.

*What will we do our calculations on when cigarettes have faded into history …?
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1822604
Bill McCarthy wrote:Nearer your area, not an eagle but nevertheless gruesome - don’t know how to attach reference but on YouTube - “ Birds Kill 200 Lambs on a Single Isle of Wight Farm” ). I couldn’t watch it all. Acceptable loss ?


Here you are, Bill (Just copy everything after but not including the = sign on the youtube link and paste it in the youtube link top of this reply page)



P.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1822606
@PeteSpencer Thanks for posting that, it's extremely interesting and not a little disturbing and I can see the concern that adding white tailed eagles carries the risk that they'll join the corvids rather than control them. Very difficult.....
#1822654
I must add that I am not directly affected by the Eagle but it is a major issue in the west highlands - it’s in the Scottish farming press nearly every week. The predators here are the fox, buzzards, Gulls, crows and jackdaws. A sheep, if it has rolled over on to its back puts it at instant danger - the crows have learned that it can’t recover its position and will firstly peck the eyes and tongue out then attack the soft tissue areas of the rear and belly. The only remedy is to dispatch the still alive ewe with the .22.
#1822680
Out a walk this pm (no ealgles seen, just a Hen Harrier (?) and an otter)I was reminded of descending Beinn Mhor on South Uist in 2018 when SWMBO grabbed hold of my arm and clung on with all her strength as an eagle swooped in front of us, flared and landed. 'I thought it was going to take me', was the exclamation. :shock: Rather than laugh as I said don't be silly, I found myself agreeing it looked capable of having a go. :shock: It was intimidating!
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By ROG
#1822724
All these problems are the result of an ever increasing world population.--taking up resources and space.
I can never understand the types who brag about how many children and grandchildren they have.as if it"s clever.
#1876491
@eltonioni, isn't that just a justification for human behaviour, by a human?

I'm not even sure keeping animals prisoner can be justified by claims of saving the species. If their habitat has gone and the future of a species is captivity, for whose benefit is keeping them going? Is it not humans selfishly justifying our actions for our benefit?
#1876496
@Miscellaneous you are right, and I still feel guilty and would prefer them to be squishing pumpkins on the veld (or wherever it;s called), but the elephants made me smile and I wanted to share :)