tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post6835744031858875484..comments2024-03-19T00:13:22.599+00:00Comments on LETTERS FROM SHEPPEY: Hiding the Nasty BitsDerek Faulknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05140363868104172311noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post-53343355013984485972013-06-04T07:28:59.810+01:002013-06-04T07:28:59.810+01:00Derek, I love your blog as it is written with very...Derek, I love your blog as it is written with very simply but with loads of genuine feeling. I think Sheppey is a very special place which I want to visit more and your blog inspires me to do that. My interest is bird photography. All power to your elbow an pen.Richard Watsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05610933162315191460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post-59217478390262541422013-05-22T22:18:27.813+01:002013-05-22T22:18:27.813+01:00We also agree in our family that Countryfile is of...We also agree in our family that Countryfile is often barely worth watching except for Adam's Farm and we all await that item. It shouldn't be like that. We need to know what goes on to produce our food, where it goes and why, how much it costs and what our losses are. <br />Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214625209353322810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post-18514510219581723202013-05-17T13:30:04.355+01:002013-05-17T13:30:04.355+01:00You are totally right Tony and I'm pleasantly ...You are totally right Tony and I'm pleasantly surprised to see us on a similar wave-length.<br />Too many wild-life loving people nowadays get their education on that subject from watching the likes of Springwatch and Countryfile and as a result, end up feeding the squirrel, feed the fox, feed the Magpie. Also, many really good naturalists also refuse to accept that some of the best people at saving habitat from destruction are the shooting fraternity. Its a sin too far to admit that that is the case. Derek Faulknerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05140363868104172311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post-2267923282680911192013-05-17T10:09:05.669+01:002013-05-17T10:09:05.669+01:00It is obvious that our countryside is now incredib...It is obvious that our countryside is now incredibly low on numbers of wild animals, be they insects, mammals or birds. During a holiday in the USA I was struck by how many water birds were on very pond or lake nad how many species of mammals were easry to see. This is despite the fact that hunting is a very popular sport. It is probably in fact because of this. Habitats are preserved and there are careful controls on hunting. There is a mistaken belief in the UK that we are animal lovers and therefore a haven for wildlife, whereas in fact the woolly thinking exhibited by many people has allowed a progressive destruction of the countryside while they happily feed their squirrels and believe they are seeing true wildlife.Tony Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516463619239374331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post-18833680274631344602013-05-15T06:05:24.780+01:002013-05-15T06:05:24.780+01:00Thanks you guys, its great to be able to swap comm...Thanks you guys, its great to be able to swap comments with people. <br />The whole theme of my posting was to emphasise the point that no one, even the one TV countryside programme, seems to accept or mention the fact, that real, balanced countryside management involves the necessity to control a number of pest species. That these pests such as corvids and foxes have been allowed to get to numbers that are overwhelming threatened species because a large number of countryside lovers, get some of their knowledge from the likes of Countryfile and the RSPB, who never mention what goes on behind the scenes. As a result on many of their blogs, you can see them react to any suggestion of killing pests by saying that nature will balance itself out naturally - that's never been the case, over-dominant species have always been needed to be kept in check. I just wish those who seek to educate this modern generation of countryside lovers would give a properly balanced picture of things. Its ironic that I can learn more about some aspects of countryside management these days by reading the Shooting Times, than I can by reading Birds magazine. Derek Faulknerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05140363868104172311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post-25331777709770362732013-05-14T23:20:34.223+01:002013-05-14T23:20:34.223+01:00Derek I enjoy reading your blog warts and all and ...Derek I enjoy reading your blog warts and all and have certainly learnt an awful lot from reading it. As you say some of the things that take place in the country are good and some bad. At least by you writing about them we are given an opportunity to choose which we want to read. Cute and cuddly or the real world ?<br />Keep up the good work.Mike Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04886648998858394079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post-6531526354743453412013-05-14T22:51:13.497+01:002013-05-14T22:51:13.497+01:00To be fair to Springwatch, they do often show pred...To be fair to Springwatch, they do often show predation warts and all, last year's event was filled with young birds that had starved, died of cold/wet and some were eaten by predators (sadly, not always wild, native predators, but that's one of the real problems affecting wildlife now). Of course, the presenters all differ in their approach!<br /><br />Not sure I agree with you that bloodsports are necessarily part of population management, but there is of course truth in what you say that sometimes some kind of (more efficient) management is necessary (eg tern colonies and ground-nesters such as Lapwings are particularly vulnerable to a clever predator in the same location). <br /><br />Joe Bealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17401084318374479723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post-74367314631163257082013-05-14T21:48:12.113+01:002013-05-14T21:48:12.113+01:00Thanks for the comments Marc, appreciate them, but...Thanks for the comments Marc, appreciate them, but I wasn't down, just peed off with the repetetive and cuddly bunny nature of so many blogs. But I will be keeping it up, flying the flag for the real and mucky boots side of the countryside. Derek Faulknerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05140363868104172311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6367416329197066280.post-56473006425716082492013-05-14T19:53:22.672+01:002013-05-14T19:53:22.672+01:00Derek, I should have read this with my violin, you...Derek, I should have read this with my violin, you seem a bit down. I always like reading your blog and my knowledge of Sheppey is second to none now. Keep it up mate, its a good read.Marc Heathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02550045001915567414noreply@blogger.com