There were also about 2000 grey geese, mainly pink foots, on the fields N of the Haul Road, outside my recording area. I spotted one bean goose form the hide and was reliably informed there were at least two. I went for a better look at them (and to look for a reported merlin) from the end of the road, I had just gotten out of the car and started scanning when this happened.......
And why did they all fly up?
Because this whazack in a microlight came flying over. Microlights are a bloody menace, they always put everything up when they come over and with BTO/RSPB etc telling us to avoid disturbing feeding and roosting birds during cold weather it's just not on!
When I worked 'on the bay' there was some kind of a agreement with the local microlighting club that they shouldn't fly over the reserves on the bay and we used to report offenders to the club. I took this guys number down so will be giving them a call tomorrow.
Another thing got me thinking today, there was a gang of menacing looking marauding magpies at Druridge today, moving around the reserve looking for bother. If even a third of this lot hang around and breed, imagine the dint it could put in the number of lapwings getting away this spring. I wonder if NWT have a predator control policy on reserves? That's two phone calls to make tomorrow....
81 long-tailed tit
5 comments:
At this time of year Iain Magpies group up before pairing off. The large gangs are always chasing and squabbling. I saw a dozen at Amble the other day....No doubt the local pair will win and the others ( maybe last years younguns?) will be driven elsewhere...
Don't get me started on those lawn mower powered idiots ! Every summer they are over the Long Nanny tern site causing mayem, despite an agreement that they won't do it.... thats schedule 1 disturbance in my book....
Don't worry about the Magpies - nature has it's own way of dealing with them. Check this out: Magpie gets it!
Stewart - there were three pairs of magpie nesting on the patch last year with two pairs of carrion crow, the poor lapwings don't stand a chance!
Tim - excellent video, shame it doesn't show the end, the related one showing the sprawk drowning the magpie in a garden pond was impressive too!
I had a gang of 32 Magpies at Holywell last night.
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