The birds cometh

[IDB1]

wow never knew!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7825467/Wallaby-colony-living-in-Cornwall.html

typical RSPCA - bunch of incompetents

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said the animal charity is often called to capture escaped wallabies, but it is rarer to find examples of them living in the wild in Britain.
She said: "Wallabies are quite hardy so they do survive quite well. They are breeding as well so they have been doing fine. It has been going on for several years and they have survived some pretty cold winters.

They've only been making a go of it in numerous counties for close to 80 years...

 

[marin man]

wow never knew!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7825467/Wallaby-colony-living-in-Cornwall.html

So it wasnt in my fevered imagination then cyfa.....lol they are cute

 

[marin man]

yep ian rspca.....bit of a joke....trouble with them is most of their inspectors only left school last year....

 

[cyfa2809]

they look like they are going for a number 2!
but yes cute adn quite interesting i find, that they are in our country, would never had suspected it!

why are the starlings scared to breed?

 

[marin man]

Yes ian enlighten us....I know of some men like that.....when you meet their wifes you can understand it......

 

[IDB1]

Something about the increase in the number of predators in towns (mostly cats)...

I only glossed over and now can't find the forum I got it from because I was on a wallaby mission :roll:

 

[cyfa2809]

wallaby mission

 

[marin man]

A wallaby mission huh.....first time I ever heard that phrase....only on retrobike off topic

night night ian...if you find it post it up

edit*great minds think alike cyfa.....

 

[IDB1]

Lata potata. . . .

 

[IDB1]

Ok.. seems predation doesn't matter but farming does.. and I can't rustle up any tangible info on them being 'scared' to breed.. I'll carry on Googling another time

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... _55466311/

Scientists think the causes of the decline involve farming practices that have poisoned insect prey with pesticides and chopped down grassland habitat. Other farmland bird populations too are reeling from the impacts.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdgui ... ation.aspx

since the 1960s their population has declined across much of Europe, including the UK. Loss of permanent pasture and mixed farming, and increased use of farm chemicals are probable causes of starling decline in the UK.

http://www.birdcare.com/bin/showsonb?starling

These are not easy birds to survey in the CBC but the steady index until about 1980 dipped then and has halved — the five-year BBS index (1994-9 has gone down by 13%. These remarkable losses by such a common species seem to be happening over much of North-west Europe and are of considerable concern. On intensively farmed land it is thought that the lack of suitable invertebrate food for the chicks is causing poor breeding productivity. Recent losses are very worrying — is the Starling going to disappear just as quickly as it arrived two centuries ago?