Re: RSPB/SNH slaughter of hedgehogs stopped by antihunt laws, now find loophole to blast hedgehogs instead.

In message <bk1qg11tn39p3ervmnsotvvlc00ff96dvv@xxxxxxx>, amacmil304@xxxxxxx writes 
On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 23:30:24 +0100, Malcolm Kane
<malcolm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In message <9kppg1tgn9u23b93m4h4passt2gltgk7l5@xxxxxxx>,
amacmil304@xxxxxxx writes

On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 07:50:54 +0100, Malcolm Kane
<malcolm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In message <lqang193vgodgmut9c81k8ii6jo6b3u4ap@xxxxxxx>,
amacmil304@xxxxxxx writes

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 18:57:40 +0100, Malcolm Kane
<malcolm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In message <6hmmg15um3s4agqrf1m3rcl8in4o8711lv@xxxxxxx>,
amacmil304@xxxxxxx writes


When they come out of hibernation they eat the eggs of internationally
important birds - including the lapwing, redshank and ring plover -
which breed in the islands.

Are these birds not as internationally important on the mainland? 

Angus I would suggest your above statement show (again) your lack of
understanding of wildlife and conservation.

As I understand it the populations are internationally important due to
the percentage of the total population gathered there.

The large numbers traditionally gathered there because of a lack of
predators such as the hedgehog.

Some clown then made a mess of things by artificially introducing
Hedgehogs.


What about the birds on the mainland?

If they're in fewer numbers, surely they are in more need of support
than the ones on the island.


Angus you make a fuss about removing predators from places that are not
their natural habitat - what would you say about attacks on them all
over the country?

They should not be attacked at all - wherever they are. 

So why are you arguing that they should?



The point is the birds naturally developed large colonies in safe
places. Man made those places unsafe and is now trying to redress the
balance.

Over time they will in the face of predation. 


No.  That is why the populations on the islands are internationally
important those in the presence of hedgehogs have not been able to grow
to these sizes.

But you said there were more on the islands.

Don't be deliberately silly there are more on the islands because they built up numbers when no hedgehogs were present. That is why there is such concern over the reductions being brought about by hedgehogs.




They have had all history to do it and haven't so to
say they will is a little ambitious don't you think.


History hasn't finished.  In a hundred years time who knows what one
will see when one looks back.

You and I will see nothing. 100 years from now is not history. If the Australians had know what rabbits had been like in the future I am certain that they would have removed them before they started to cause problems. It is the horrors of what might have happened if the situation is left alone that the removal is aimed to prevent.


As mainland populations evolved in places presumably at least safe
enough for the birds to attempt nesting the hedgehogs are not an
introduced none natural effect.


If they do that on the mainland they will eventually do it on the
islands.

Oh Angus will you stop pretending that you can't grasp the situation. It is the NUMBERS which have developed on the islands in the absence of hedgehogs. No doubt some small isolated colonies would hang on on the islands if the hedgehogs were left BUT this would not be what nature had intended. Nature had the islands with no hedgehogs - all that is being done is restoring the natural situation.


Showing your lack of knowledge again Angus.  They haven't on the
mainland which is why the islands are internationally important because
of the large percentage of the world population gathered in one place.

You just said they did on the mainland and now you say they haven't.

Haven't built up to the large percentage of the world population that has on the islands. Heavens man is your comprehension so poor or are you naturally difficult. Don't answer that I already know.

If as you claim the effort was to favour one species over another then
yes somebody would be pushing for something to be done on the mainland.
They are not because nature is taking its course.

It would take its course on the islands.

Yes but its course would be bad for thousands of birds and the situation would not be natural. Why do you want bird populations to suffer and an unnatural situation to be reinforced?


It couldn't because the situation isn't natural some clown introduced a
predator which nature had not put there.


Rubbish. The predator is on thte mainland and you say that the birds
evolve to nest in safe places.

No Angus I said if you need it spelled out for you some birds (a much smaller number) manage to find a few places and/or escape the predations of hedgehogs. The huge numbers found a place free from these problems and chose to develop colonies there.

If the hedgehogs aren't removed the islands will have reduced populations on a par with the main land and the world population will be hugely reduced.

It is strange you are complaining about a tiny reduction in the population of hedgehogs but don't seem to mind a huge reduction in the populations of birds!





The hedgehogs are
not natural to the islands.


Neither are motor cars and many other things introduced by humans that
are damaging the the natural environment.  Why not ban them all and
stop picking on hedgehogs?

Because they don't actively go out and prey on hedgehogs.

You're confused again. I didn't say they did.

No you didn't I was answering your question. Sorry I had forgotten your comprehension problems. To put it simply for you. Cars etc. aren't banned because they do not go out into the nesting colonies and actively hunt birds hedgehogs do.








Or is it that the islands want more birds to attract tourism? 

No they want to keep the birds alive in the area they (the birds that
is) chose.

Are you drunk again?

I have never been drunk but you seem to know a lot about it.

You certainly seem to be at around 11pm. 

Only because that is when I mainly post and you don't like having the
facts put to you.

What facts?
All those I put in this original post and have had to repeat as you have pretended you didn't understand.


--
Malcolm Kane
.

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