Sir
I note with concern that there is ample evidence that birds from Romania and Bulgaria are already visiting our fair shores. Bird ringing recoveries demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that poor birds flood in to Britain from eastern Europe in search of an easier life. These ecological migrants, as we should call them, are even now, mixing with our own British birds with no known consequences.
Ducks are some of the worst culprits, with Bulgarian or Romanian Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Pochard and Tufted Duck all potentially sitting on a lake near you at this very moment. Something should be done about it.
Lapwings, Black-headed Gulls, and even Starlings visiting your garden, may also reach us at this time of year from these distant, and I think rather sinister, Balkan haunts.
These birds may look identical to us, and have similar needs, urges and feelings, and they may mix unnoticed in our avian community (some misguided and ill-educated folk may regard them as just the same as us), but they are foreign and obviously represent an insidious threat to our British way of life.
Surely it is time that Theresa May reinforced our border security.
yours splutteringly
Colonel Lagopus l. scotica
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Interesting to note that Lagopus scotica will never receive full species status even with independance. The New Grouse of the World book shows 15 sub species with which this is one of them. Not one is called Red and all eat willow. So the habitat managed for our bird should be concentrating on willow management not heather to bring the bird back to what it should be eating!!
…and all those damned Yankees…I thought we got rid of them in 1945…something about a few Atlantic storms I am hearing. If I should see any, I shall tell them exactly what I think.
Shouldn’t bother too much about all the damned Yankees Ian, those ruddy, stiff-arsed invaders are in the process of being repulsed. Next up, their pox-ridden, destructive national compatriots from the Carolinas perhaps……
…or maybe those damned clever Mandarins?
Well, I understand why the birds want to leave. We visited the Danube Delta two years ago and the wake of the boats full of bird watchers was eroding the banks – think Venice lagoon. Let us welcome them with open wings – that has always been the British way.
I don`t really understand the tone of this post Mark. Is it to mock those who are opposed to immigration, (not on racist terms, but environmental terms, as I am) ? By accepting that it is OK to invite more people to swell the already swollen population living in Engand (especially), you are also accepting further despoilation of habitats for new houses – greenbelt, river floodplains, heathland even, everything in fact that we, as conservationists, are trying our hardest to prevent. More traffic pollution, more energy being used, more landfill, more water needed from somewhere other than our northern reservoirs ? The list is endless if you stop to really think about it, and truly frightening from a conservation point of view…
Lancastrian – ‘if you really think about it’ then unless opening our borders increases the birth rate there will be the same number of people living on the planet. I guess I ought to move to Romania.
You will not find it so funny when they start eating all the swans!!!
Jack – welcome! I’m sure the Queen will be happy to share.
What a load of right wing racist tosh Jack, when my parents were invited to this country by someone who eventually called for our return the Daily Mail ran stories of how black folk were stealing swans for christmas, guess what it never happened! Fast forward to when Polish people came here the same paper ran exactly the same story “Polish stealing Swans” etc, sure some might poach the odd carp from the lakes but never swans, I trust none of venture abroad for holidays and have to wonder how many Brits are currently soaking up the sun on the beaches of Spain
Just to be clear it has happened and continues to do so but it is nothing like as widespread as the press are making it out to be. What maybe more problematic is eastern European people angling for coarse fish that go to the table. This is not technically illegal but is frowned on because most waters are artificially stocked. The wider implications are that fish-eating birds and mammals could get the blame erroneously or be scape-goated because certain waters are insufficiently policed. Angling without rod licenses almost certainly goes way beyond the eastern European community, by the way so it would be wrong to paint an incomplete picture here.
Romania has the best remaining meadows. Brits are now free to go out there and make a living if they so please. In fact probably a good idea for nature conservationists to get there before the friends of NFU go and trash them.
Ask my kids about open borders. They love the idea when they finish school of working and travelling in Europe without barriers. Nice little provocative post MA.
I’m truly impressed by your comment DBS, even on the subject of immigration you manage to get one in on the NFU. (!)
Debbie Archer has been trashing Hungary for years
Well quite brave post allowed really as anything like this can be turned by some as racist and a illuminating reply that Mark could move to Romania,think you are needed in the UK so best to stay in Northants,after all Peterborough which in the 50s was home to masses of Asians and Italians will soon be home to lots of Romanians and have you thinking you are in Romania anyway,it will save you the travelling as they are simply coming to you.
My gripe is that I do not care really what areas rspb go into but by diversifying trying to pick up members they are likely to pinch them from other charity’s who desperately need them and if people were going to join then serious people about joining would already be members.There will of course be lots who brag about joining for one year at half price and goodies thrown in then never renew,what good are they to collect as members.
All the charity’s I can think of do what it says on the tin,for instance Water Aid who only concentrate on water,so rspb come on get rid of the bird bit and stop trying to fool us with all this patronizing c**p about everything is connected.We all know that and it applies to every charity and every thing in life as well.
Change the name it is misleading.
Dennis, I understand the frustration behind this comment especially as I have volunteered beyond the RSPB in conservation. However, I am not sure this idea makes sense because it is almost like trying to say the RSPB should apologise for successfully attracting members. I can think of a dozen charities I would love to support without going outside wildlife and into ecology and as a birdwatcher, I should support a minimum of the RSPB, BTO, WWT and the Wildlife Trusts. However, I am a much more general zoologist and with varied tastes so I would like to support the IOSF, sharks (2 charities run in the UK), the Mammal Society, Cetaceans (again 2, arguably 3 UK-based charities), Buglife to name just a few. I have every intention of supporting at least some once my current job contract settles to its post-Xmas steady-state but I cannot promise you I will shun the RSPB because they are ‘too popular’. That is like saying I should give up supporting Manchester United (substitute Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur or even AC Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris St Germain if you wish) because they are popular enough already. For a recent BBC-commissioned survey for Springwatch, I made the point that I like Nick Baker and Chris Packham. This does not mean I automatically dislike any of the other presenters but the moment we pick a favourite in anything means we rank all the others by default.I have even publicly criticised Simon King for faults as I see them but I do not dislike him. Thus, it has to be the same with conservation charities and the only antidote is for the alternates to spread their word more effectively and not blame the RSPB for being popular,which seems quite illogical if you reduce it to this argument. No offence intended, BTW.
Ha ha,hard luck guys only one go on the dislike button is allowed.
The owls are not what they seem