Ruddy ducks and the grey squirrel....

[peregrine]

American invaders them both. The pretty, and quirky ruddy duck sadly, has all but been blasted out of our binocular vision, by men with high powered rifles. All this duck slaughtering, to help save another similar duck...IN SPAIN !
Why can it be then, that the other invasive Yank, the grey squirrel, has been allowed to drive the native British red squirrel to head further and further north ? And in ever decreasing numbers. I've seen red squirrels a couple of times on visits to Kielder forest, they are beautiful creatures, but I shouldn't need to seek them out, they should be in every local park, cemetary or copse. On my last visit to Kielder in March I read that grey squirrels also take birds eggs, which I didn't know, maybe reds do too, it didn't say. But I've been dismayed at the lack of action to protect our native red squirrel, there have been culls, but not big enough culls. There should be a MASSIVE cull of the grey squirrel, if DEFRA can wipe out the ruddy duck population to help save a bird in Spain, then why not do more to help the plight of the British red squirrel.

Grey squirrels should be shot.

[Jamie]

Hi,

why not start first with Little Owls and Pheasants? Also flat worms are causing problems. Then there is the American Crayfish making a mess of the rivers. We also have the Canada Geese and general feral Geese and ducks - perhaps they should also be shot?

Makes you wonder why they wait for species to become a problem before starting to shoot them. Would it not be best to shoot all the Ring-necked Parakeets before they become a problem so they only have 100's to shoot rather than 1000's.

While I am thinking why not shoot all domestic cats as these kill millons of garden birds every year?

Perhaps it would just be easier to get to the root of the problem and shoot all humans as they seem to be behind all the mess...

Regards,
Jamie

[peregrine]

At last, the stirrings of a debate, discussion or even disagreement. Pity more people who read this forum are not more forthcoming. I agree with you about cats though, and I haven't even started on crows, magpies or herring gulls !
By the way, you forgot the evil collard dove 
And also Jamie, the fish who ignores the worm doesn't get caught. Nice bite.

[Jamie]

Hi,

i left things like the Collard Dove that got here naturally alone. I guess the list is very long including Mink, Wallaby,various deers etc....

Regards,
Jamie

[peregrine]

Going back to my original post Jamie, did you feel comfortable about the ruddy duck cull ?
My analogy of comparing it to the grey squirrel population, was over a genuine concern for our native red. So what is your view, do you think the grey squirrel should be allowed to drive further northward unabated ? And why is it that a Spanish duck can be helped by DEFRA, and little is done to help the British red squirrel ?

[RCT]

Hi,

why not start first with Little Owls and Pheasants? NOT REALLY DOING MUCH HARM   .Also flat worms are causing problems. LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY.Then there is the American Crayfish making a mess of the rivers SAME. We also have the Canada Geese and general feral Geese and ducks - perhaps they should also be shot? I'LL BE FIRST IN THE QUEUE!!

Makes you wonder why they wait for species to become a problem before starting to shoot them.AGREE Would it not be best to shoot all the Ring-necked Parakeets before they become a problem so they only have 100's to shoot rather than 1000's. IN THE PIPELINE MAYBE

While I am thinking why not shoot all domestic cats as these kill millons of garden birds every year? OH YES

Perhaps it would just be easier to get to the root of the problem and shoot all humans as they seem to be behind all the mess... BIT HARSH, TECHNICALLY NOT POSSIBLE AS AT LEAST ONE WOULD HAVE TO BE LEFT.

Regards,
Jamie

GOOD BITE BY THE WAY!

[Ian Bond]

Tasty worm this one Peregrine.

Personally I would shoot anything American (or perhaps I should rephrase that as any American animal living wild in Britain, so as not to cause offence)
I wouldn't be too unhappy if some Western European species were introduced to Britain when their absence is only because they didn't get across the land bridge quickly enough (so bully for Eagle Owls).  I don't think the British fauna has evolved in the past 9,000 years to the point where our species can't compete with the species that they currently compete with on the continent.   It amuses and annoys me in equal measure to see the handwringing that goes on over such as Edible Dormouse, which are a protected and declining species in Europe and for which the British population might contribute significantly to its viability as a species.  ( as was the case for both Mandarin Duck and Chinese Water Deer, though they are not western European so the situation is further complicated).

Of course I should point out that it is highly illegal to introduce any non-native species (even from the EU!) although it is not illegal to advocate their release (so I'm alright there)

What I worry about even more than American species are Eastern European species as these are often close enough to our native species to hybridise with them which is a more insidious threat, though this threat isn't confined to eastern european species as Ruddy Duck and Sika Deer demonstrate.

Based on the above, my solution would be to cull the Ruddy Duck but to then introduce White Headed Duck (before Spain runs out of wetlands)

Ian

[Jamie]

Based on the above, my solution would be to cull the Ruddy Duck but to then introduce White Headed Duck (before Spain runs out of wetlands)

Hi,

I definately didn't support the Ruddy Duck cull and I still think it is a waste of money. I read a lot about it previously and there was a lot of disagreement between the two sides with many Ruddy Duck and White-headed Duck experts saying the cull was not required.

I also believe from what I read that the reason the White-headed Ducks are so rare in Spain is because the Spannish hunters shot them. Perhaps culling the Spannish hunters would have been a better idea than culling our Ruddy Ducks.

Also when the White-headed Duck was on Teesside it was not shy and retiring as the literature makes out letting the Ruddy Ducks bully it. It was definately the boss - at one point I saw it chasing 6 Ruddy Ducks at once round Saltholme. Its also ironic that this white headed Duck probably lost its life to the cull via mistaken identity (it definately losts its tail this way!)

Regards,
Jamie