Rspb Killing Merlins?

[Blakloks 5]

Somebody told me that the rspb had been known to kill merlins to protect their nesting avocet chicks. Anybody heard of this? I heard they culled seagulls but that was new to me

Edited May 26, 2014 by Blakloks

[bell 3,503]

Wouldn't have thought Merlin would be anywhere near Avocet at key nesting times.......might be wrong but wouldn't Merlin be up on the moors ?.....

 

Bell

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

Ask " Somebody " to provide his evidence, mate. If " Someone " told him, it's forgotten. If he can cite a verifiable source? We're looking at all out war!

[gonetoearth 5,144]

They wouldn't kill a kestrel that was taking little tern. Chicks.

[Blakloks 5]

It was on a scottish game keepers association posts on Facebook about a gull cull to prevent air strikes the rspb where against and I posted they had a cheek considering they've done it and somebody else chipped in about the merlins getting it for nabbing avocet chicks I asked when that happened but never got back to me just wondered if anybody had heard about that?!

[Ideation 8,216]

They wouldn't kill a kestrel that was taking little tern. Chicks.

 

Aye, they wouldn't destroy the kestrels nest either, and instead, let one really common (albeit very nice) wee bird, wipe out a load of extremely rare sea birds, who if ye or me had touched, we would have been "proper f****d".

[Lab 10,979]

 

 

They wouldn't kill a kestrel that was taking little tern. Chicks.

Aye, they wouldn't destroy the kestrels nest either, and instead, let one really common (albeit very nice) wee bird, wipe out a load of extremely rare sea birds, who if ye or me had touched, we would have been "proper f****d".

Aye but the rule is "hook beak and you must bow down too it".

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

It was on ..... Facebook ..... and somebody else chipped in ..... I asked when ..... never got back to me .....

 

Mmm. Wouldn't really stand up in a court of law then, would it?

 

Sorry, mate. Can't really add anything to this then. One way or another.

[charlie caller 3,654]

 

 

They wouldn't kill a kestrel that was taking little tern. Chicks.

Aye, they wouldn't destroy the kestrels nest either, and instead, let one really common (albeit very nice) wee bird, wipe out a load of extremely rare sea birds, who if ye or me had touched, we would have been "proper f****d".

Aye but the rule is "hook beak and you must bow down too it".

 

You got that right pal.

[Mr Wilkes 2,915]

They wouldn't kill a kestrel that was taking little tern. Chicks.

Mmm... ...but they did breed better the year after...i wonder why ..

[The one 8,397]

Can't see them killing Merlin's there pretty rare , think they would just grin and bare it

[wirral countryman 2,110]

I'd be very surprised if anything along them lines went on mate, they just don't like killing anything if my dealings with them are anything to go by, About 15 yrs ago I was asked by a guy who I'd known for years that was quite high up in the RSPB to meet him over at Shotton steel works,Deeside, there they had a reserve on the cooling lakes, large pontoons that the terns had always used to nest on along with other seabirds, but this year in question they'd decided to nest on the sandy banks around the marshland by them, he had asked me over to look for signs of fox, earths, cubs, etc, I duly arrived as said and was escorted by security through to the hut they used as a base by the lakes, I met the committee of the RSPB and whilst they made me a cup of tea I had a good look around, I never had to go far before I found an earth with dozens of rare terns wings and feathers scattered all round abouts, and clearly holding cubs, a further search and I found many, many more dead birds everywhere, I reported back my findings and showed them the dead birds telling them I could shoot most or all that night or dig the earth and take care of the problem easy enough, they hastily arranged an emergency AGM of the full committee to vote on the matter, to my surprise it was voted against as they said it was just nature, there were only 20 breeding pairs of these terns and none had reared young, so there is some idea of how they think, they bought a very large farm I used to control the rabbits and fox on to make a reserve in Burton, the first thing they did was got rid of me, never seen them hurt or kill anything deliberately, WM

[PLEDGEY 493]

 

RSPB accused of hypocrisy - Telegraph <-------click on. Not Merlins, but still interesting.

[Grinder 102]

I know that place like the back of my hand WCM .... I have written permission for digging on there... There is a lovely earth if you look across to flint and see a small mound in the water it's only accessible when tides out ... The rspb don't actually own it.... It's on a very long term lease, but the hunting rights don't go with it :-)

I did kill the mink there for the rspb with dogs.... The warden was gee ing the Lurcher on as the teriers flushed him from the reed beds lol " got the b*****d " was his cry ! Made me giggle

[cragman 2,635]

I control rabbits and mink for the RSPB and have been known to sort out Canadas. At local level they also keep the fox population down. There are people working on their behalf that look for signs of predators, footings, droppings, scats etc. There's a big push to save the vole where I work so mink are discouraged from getting a foot hold, which is a good thing.