Birdloss
Charles Boycott
only to find that the bird population seems to have plummeted. I refer to the
common garden birds such as tits,robins, blackbirds etc. Having studied
hedgerows both here and in Wales for the last thirty years, my theory is that
loss of food for these birds as a result of very poor hedgerow management by
farmers, local authorities and highways department has led to the demise of
these common birds. This is mainly because their autumn and winter larders are
being lost. If this is the case would it be possible for members of this
website to unite and put pressure on the government to adopt much tighter
controls about hedgerow management? I look forward to everybody's comments
about this subject
--
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Charles Boycott
peter kook
"Charles Boycott" <boy...@boycottc.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
> would it be possible for members of this
> website to unite and put pressure on the government to adopt much tighter
> controls about hedgerow management?
Highly unlikely, as they never unite to agree on anything ;-)
wavegirl
> I have recently moved back to Devon having spent the last 14 years in Wales
> only to find that the bird population seems to have plummeted. I refer to the
> common garden birds such as tits,robins, blackbirds etc. Having studied
> hedgerows both here and in Wales for the last thirty years, my theory is that
> loss of food for these birds as a result of very poor hedgerow management by
> farmers, local authorities and highways department has led to the demise of
> these common birds. This is mainly because their autumn and winter larders are
> being lost. If this is the case would it be possible for members of this
> website to unite and put pressure on the government to adopt much tighter
> controls about hedgerow management? I look forward to everybody's comments
> about this subject
>
I thought there were groups that were fighting to save the hedgerows? If you
can get some details on some organised campaigns I will see if there's
anything I can do to help.
--
If there is any part of my posts you don't like, might I suggest you
killfile me straight away. Do it now before you forget.
Bill Alexander
> I have recently moved back to Devon having spent the last 14 years in
Wales
> only to find that the bird population seems to have plummeted. I refer to
the
> common garden birds such as tits,robins, blackbirds etc. Having studied
> hedgerows both here and in Wales for the last thirty years, my theory is
that
> loss of food for these birds as a result of very poor hedgerow management
by
> farmers, local authorities and highways department has led to the demise
of
> these common birds. This is mainly because their autumn and winter larders
are
> being lost. If this is the case would it be possible for members of this
> website to unite and put pressure on the government to adopt much tighter
> controls about hedgerow management? I look forward to everybody's comments
> about this subject
>
A subject close to my heart Charles,
I prefer to call it the 'essential wildlife corridor', a term filched from
Andrews and Rebane.
I have been very impressed by the quantity of hedging remaining in the West
Country,
and by the varying styles,especially our local 'Devon' which uses a base
formed from a framework of stone and boulder.
Overall in the UK there is a healthy trend to reinstate hedging,
but I remain terribly disappointed by the bad timing and depth of flayling.
There seems to be a growing trend,(NPI) especially among contractors to trim
as near to the deck as possible. There is no shame in leaving a 'rough'
hedge, it is to be complimented.
You can HEAR a well managed wildlife hedge, long before you reach it,
yes you are right, that one throwing out the cacophony of sound.
It is important to vary the trees and shrubs to encourage invertebrates
within the hedge,
these inhabitants feed on the myriads of crop damaging pests, therefore a
bonus to the farmer,as well as the larger wildlife.
I would readily recommend Farming & Wildlife ISBN 0 903 138 67 0 @ £21.95
by John Andrews and Michael Rebane (RSPB)
this is a useful source for any farmer truly interested in good wildlife
management.
Alan Gardiner
"Bill Alexander" <Pitl...@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:9vlt2f$g6ss8$1...@ID-112384.news.dfncis.de...
in many places quite without any need.
There is definitely signs in Hertfordshire of new hedges being planted which
I am sure will be of benefit to all kinds of wildlife.
Alan
GillCatton
I actually think that slowly but surely, the hedge situation is
getting better, at least the vast majority are now being trimmed
largely outside of the bird breeding season and there are best
practise policies available for both planting and management now that
never used to be around. Ecologists are more frequently getting a say
in developments and regeneration / landscaping and can advise on when
to manage hedges and what species to include in the in them, and
things are slowly getting better, they couldn't have got much worse!
Larry Stoter
One of the main problems, where hedges border roads, is that it is the
local highway authority who is in charge. From personal experience, they
seem deaf even to their own council ecologists.
I exchanged a series of letters with the local highway authority a few
years back. To get them to consider anything other than 'visibility' for
road users (=car drivers) was impossible.
I, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, suggested that they could save themselves a
lot of money by giving up completely trimming hedges on many country
lanes - if the road was reduced to a single lane and visibility much
reduced, car drivers would be forced to drive at more appropriate speeds
without any incovenience to all other road users.
Regards,
--
Larry Stoter
Michael Saunby
"Charles Boycott" <boy...@boycottc.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:9a050ae3e96a7e5efc9...@mygate.mailgate.org...
Wales
> only to find that the bird population seems to have plummeted. I refer
to the
> common garden birds such as tits,robins, blackbirds etc. Having
studied
> hedgerows both here and in Wales for the last thirty years, my theory
is that
> loss of food for these birds as a result of very poor hedgerow
management by
> farmers, local authorities and highways department has led to the
demise of
> these common birds. This is mainly because their autumn and winter
larders are
> being lost. If this is the case would it be possible for members of
this
> website to unite and put pressure on the government to adopt much
tighter
> controls about hedgerow management? I look forward to everybody's
comments
> about this subject
>
We moved to Devon a few years ago and found that it took a year or so of
feeding to actually get the "garden" birds out of the hedge into the
garden. The numbers around the house, an old farmhouse, are up a great
deal now, but the species were all present, blue tit, great tit, coal,
sparrows, etc. and of course with many large oaks nearby woodpeckers
too. And of course once the numbers of small birds in the garden are
up, there's sparrowhawk too.
Excessive hedge trimming is a problem, I'm sure, but another thing I've
noticed is that once you get beyond the lanes into the interior of farms
there is a different problem, hedges are often not maintained at all,
they get tall, the trees shade the hedge out, it gets big gaps,
livestock just walk through and before long where there was once a hedge
there is simply a row of tall trees. Rather than hedges farmers are
quite happy to rely of electric fences except where they meet a road, or
a neighbour. Government seem more concerned by the look of the
countryside than its function, so beyond the areas the public can see,
nothing much is done. Out of sight, out of mind.
Michael Saunby