Getting my goat this week is the fact that the countryside can be an unsavory place, as well as a beautiful one, and I am periodically reminded of this whenever I see Larsen traps on a local large landowners' land. For the unaware Larsen traps are a legal method of trapping, for the purposes of pest control, corvids by using a decoy bird in the trap to attract other curious individuals who are then also trapped. They are legal in England as long as certain criteria are met which include providing a perch, shade, food, and water, plus the trap must always be visited at least once every twenty four hours to despatch the unfortunates caught and release any bycatch. All very unpleasant and whilst legal one wonders exactly how much pest control this actually results in.
I grew up in the country and still enjoy fishing and whilst I do not shoot have no issues with people who do, apart from the idiot classes with more money than sense who stand still in various places while game is driven over their heads. Indeed there is far more skill and fieldcraft exercised in wildfowling or shooting game using a pointer or spaniel than you will see in the typical birder. I am also a passionate supporter of national hunt racing. Notwithstanding these statements I do not believe in control because it has always been done that way, nor because it is perceived to be of assistance to ground nesting birds, and can this actually be demonstrated?
In one of my favorite books John Marchingtons' "Sportsmans' Bag" he recounts how, when Woodpigeon cartridges were subsidised in the 1950's, in an effort to prevent crop damage, the net result was an increase in the number of Woodpigeon surviving the winter to breed the following spring. So what evidence is there that Larsen traps' are an effective method of crow control?
In any event I find it unpleasant to scan the levels and see these traps as invariably I do at this time of year. So what can I, or you if you care, do about it? The answer is lobby your MP to stop this practice. What you cannot do under any circumstances is interfere with a trap as in doing so you would be committing an offence, and neither can you leave a public right of way to check that a trap is legal. If you see a trap that you believe is illegal you should report it to the police or the RSPCA and allow them to deal with it.
Anyway enough said on that subject and on to happier things. Highlight of the week was a new moth for the garden in the form of the Brindled Beauty pictured above on the night of the 15th, the fact that this is not an uncommon moth makes it a little surprising that I have had to wait over ten years to add it to the garden list! On the same night my first Double-striped Pug of the year was also trapped as was the micro Monopis obviella. A nil catch on the night of the 18th was followed by just a single Early Thorn on the night of the 20th.
Butterflies are also picking up with my lunchtime walk around the industrial estate in St Leonards producing Holly Blue on the 14th and Comma, Brimstone, and Large White on the 21st.
Back on the levels the WEBS count on the 19th confirmed that winter is well and truly over with the only duck present being Mallard. Spring arrivals continue to trickle in though and Cuckoo, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, and 7 Sedge Warblers were all singing at various points. Redshank remain on site as do at least 10 pairs of Lapwing that I could see and a couple of Snipe.
Finally a couple of mammal sightings in the form of 11 Fallow Deer on the edge of Manxey level on the 18th and a Brown Hare on Down on the 19th. Take care out there and keep it real.
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