No funnily enough went to St Helens comp where it was filmed - plenty of kestrels flew in the field behind it - took the dog walking down there every day
There's not many things I'll take your word for but when it comes to nature and wildlife there aren't many people as knowledgeable as you
I moved in to my current house 26 years ago and have a garden that borders woodland. I feed the birds regularly and have been rewarded with many visitors. I started to keep a list of species that I could see either in or from the garden, i.e. birds feeding in it, or on the green in front of the house or flying over. So far in 26 years I have clocked 57 species. I get the occasional sparrow hawk, usually taking a blackbird. The real pest though is magpies. In summer they are a constant threat to the many nests in my hedges and it is very distressing to see them emerge from the Leylandii with young birds wriggling in their beaks. Even worse, if they don't fancy eating the young right then, they just kill them and leave them. I'd like to find a way to keep them out of the garden. I suppose the easy way would be to slot them with an air-rifle but I'm not sure just how legal that is. (Protection of Birds and all that, plus discharging a firearm near housing.) For now, I just content myself with racing out yelling like a maniac when they land. It's not a permanent solution to keeping the magpies away, but it has certainly discouraged the neighbours from getting too friendly. Any more sensible ideas than mine would be gratefully received.
******* wick wi 'em where I live at west green, they've been nesting at the front and back of the house for the last 5 years , sithi.
Beautiful birds, they all have a superior look on their faces, all birds of prey. "Don't mess with me, pal." Yesterday we had four buzzards hovering over our house, two parents and their two kids. They live in the top of a tree in the field next to us. They were all mewing like cats whilst flying.... you certainly know when they're around.
They still are in certain environments, they carry disease which is secreted in the guano. It can cause nasty respiritory conditions. And it stinks!!!
Talking abart birds of prey - nice to see an OSPREY over Broomhill Flash today. It then drifted darn to Old Moor - guys there had great views of it fishing. And all this in a Barnsley that not many living in Barnsley know anything about.
All wild birds are protected. You would have to obtain a licence to control magpies if it involved killing or trapping them. You are permitted to use scare tactics to deter them but as it is an act of nature that you are seeing rather than a pest problem I imagine you just have to suffer it. You could install netting which stops larger birds getting in. Speak to Natural England about the legalities of it.
Release a non native species into the wild (effectively) with no camouflage or streetwiseness (made that word up ) and then complain that a natural predator thinks it's party time at McDonalds......yep ....protect the fancy pigeons and kill the hungry sprawk !
