British Wildlife

[Guest]

whilst driving around this pleasant land, you tend to see an abundance of wildlife, Foxes, Blackbirds, (male and female) Thrushes, Magpies and various other birds, some Birds of prey. What i have noticed within the Fox community, is how scrawney they have become, i`ve seen more meat on a butchers pencil. Are there so many, that food for them is scarce? I know they have turned their hand to scavenging, eating various dead animals from the side of the road, as do the Magpies, crows/ravens. I know when i used to colloect Gas pipes from the Gas yard on Deadmans Lane in Derby, there used to be loads living between the pipes, the pipes being sat on sand mounds, so as not to roll away, i digress. Has anyone else noticed the abundance of wildlife this year? and if so, are they in roughly the same state as the wildlife that i have seen.

I also noticed this morning, a nice Black and White Cat,(no, not postman pats either) that some nice person had run over one less to worry about.

Another thing that i have noticed also, is that Pigeons seem to be more Dumber than they used to be. They mince around in the road, and decide that you have to slow down and drive round them.......wrong!, if they`re too dumb to move, they`re on the menu for the next fox that happens by. Your comments please

[Gary_amsterdam]

can't speak for britain, but here in amsterdam all we have are pigeons

[chrisfow]

Although I thought it not possible, pheasents have become even more stupid than they used to be, refusing to take to the sky even if a car is going at them at 40mph.

Foxes round here, when seen, look medium built. Maybe in the towns it is a lot different, but out here in the sticks they are few and far between.

[AequitasBellum]

Not a single pigeon, fox or pheasant to be seen in my neck of the woods. Just possums and feral people. Both of which are stupid and seem happy to be run over.

[Wholley]

In my neck of the woods,
Possums,Mourning doves,Secrets,Blue Jays,Chipmunks,Black Bears and the odd Panther or two,last of which got into it with my dogs.Panthers 0.Dogs 1.The fight was something to behold.
Wholley.

[Andy O'Pray]

Save Canadian wildlife. THROW A PARTY!!!

Gary, isn't that young lady in your avatar ever satisfied?

Aye - Andy.

[df2inaus]

In about 6 square km of scrubland just behind my mother's house near Toronto:

Mammals: Rabbits, Raccoons, Foxes, Coyotes, Beaver, Snakes, Deer, Eastern Grey Squirrels (grey & black), Red Squirrels, Skunk, Groundhog.

Birds: Cardinal, Robin, Blue Jay, Hawk, Sparrow, Finches, Dove, Owl.

[Hyperlithe]

While driving through the Lincolnshire countryside on my way to Waddington airshow:
2 barn owls,
numerous small mammals
1 very large black creature, bigger than an alsatian, but looked like a cat.
It disappeared into the hedgerow in quite a hurry, but i'll never forget it.

[Mince]

Yeah I've noticed foxes are very scrawny (and usually limping) these days. They look like orange bags of bones.

[got1]

My local river has lots of "wild life". They can be seen injecting, boozing and throwing themselves of the bridge to cool off. You also get "two legged rats" as well.
The other wild life includes kingfishers, herons, the usual ducks and the odd Roe Deer.

[Spannerman]

Lots of increase in population of birdlife locally, I am a member of the RSPB and wood pigeons and collared doves are in the top ten of most UK Garden birds in 2004, these have never appeared so high up the chart on previous counts.

I have noticed more badger setts around in the last few years and the foxes that I see on rare occasions, seem about as lean as they have always been. I know the deer population in the 6 forests of Suffolk have has grown significantly (especially muntjac) in the last few years too, the Forestry Commission are trying to organise a cull to keep the numbers down as they are very destructive to saplings.

Otters are positively thriving all over the UK again and thanks to Philip Wayre at his Earsham Otter Trust for rejuvenating the species back to our rivers.

[El Prez]

Nurse and I just watched a big dog fox wander across a recently mown field this evening. looked healthier than many I've seen of late. Collared Doves are called 'Cushy Dooos' in NE Scotland; ours are not long for this world, bastards wake me at 0445 every day.

[Peds]

Just a handy hint - if you are driving along the road and hit a pheasant, it is illegal to pick it up as it qualifies as poaching.
If the guy in front of you hits it - its roast pheasant for dinner! The law is powerless.

I have noticed buzzards and kites getting more common, which is super. Lovely birds.

[Tab]

We seem to have more than out fair share, the one thing we now have to watch for are wild Boars. Bloody things go nearly 400 lbs and tusks that will rip you to shreds, most of the time they avoid you but when thay have there young about then tread very carefully. They will also eat small lambs and other things of that nature, in this part of the world there has been a population explosion of Boars, yet the Ministry say they are looking into it. Also we have have a large number of Vipers which are always biting the dogs, right pain it is, for the dog and your wallet.

[Mince]

Perhaps there is a difference between the country fox and the town fox. The latter is a very mangey specimen.