The impact of ignorance on our wild things

DURING the past few weeks our wildlife locally has endured big changes – temperatures have fallen, a few frosty nights have accelerated the change.

All of a sudden many species of garden birds re-appear in our gardens. Where have they all been? After an exhaustive breeding season also going through their annual moult, they require a bit of peace and quiet to regain first class condition.

That will help them to survive the rigours of winter. That is a real testing time for them.

Our mammals – from deer and fox to mice and voles – are now exposed because autumn has taken care of the foliage. Predators have the advantage.

Old Brock the Badger has the best idea – he only comes out of hibernation now and again. He has gained plenty of extra fat by gorging on worms and invertebrates and on wild fruits and berries.

Birds of prey, buzzards, kestrels and the sparrow hawk, can be observed on a regular basis as they hunt for prey.

The banning of the chemical Dieldrin, which devastated their populations a few decades ago, is having an impact.

The buzzard has become the commonest of them throughout Teesdale. Why? I like to think that the shooting fraternity have become educated to the fact that they do not prey on their subject, pheasants or any other game bird. Their main prey are rabbits and to a smaller extent carrion. Hopefully, in the future, it may apply to other birds of prey.

I have stated my opinions in the past on wildlife in respect to the introduction of animals that roamed the British Isles centuries ago.

I read in the media of the escape of a European lynx. In no time several sheep were discovered that had either been killed or badly injured.

No way should this introduction be put into action. I only hope the farming community put the utmost pressure on. It’s a serious business when you have stock that has the possibility of being attacked. Stock equals pound notes.

Another recent article that caught my attention concerned millions of pounds being spent to clear hedgehogs from an island in the Hebrides.

I believe the introduction came about by someone thought old Hodgy was a lovely creature and it would be nice to have them there.

They were introduced through ignorance.

The Outer Hebrides are home to one of Britain’s rarest birds, the Corncrake, and also many other ground nestlers.

With there being no predator, the hedgehogs multiplied, eating all these birds eggs. Since the start of early 2000, more than 2,000 hedgehogs have been removed. The cost has been more than £2.5 million.

Expensive, yes. The rate at which they were multiplying means that in no time they would have wiped out the bird population. This just shows that an innocent action can lead to devastation of wildlife.

Before I go, can I ask you to please keep your bird feeders clean because they can spread disease if not.