‘The Cull of the Wild’……Sparrow-hawks….
by Bernie Bell - 10:17 on 01 March 2024
‘The Cull of the Wild’….
I regularly post information from Hugh Warwick, mostly about hedgehogs. In this piece Hugh takes part in a Q&A session about his most recent book….
https://www.nhbs.com/blog/author-qa-with-hugh-warwick-cull-of-the-wild
I’ll now interject my tuppenceworths…..
First of all – the subject of the title – culling invasive species – takes us to Hugh’s memories of North Ronaldsay. Here are mine…
https://theorkneynews.scot/2017/09/11/bernie-bell-a-visit-to-north-ronaldsay/
Orkney’s most recent invasive species….which, co-incidentally, is accompanied by something about hedgehogs….
http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=16248
Animal rights….
Hugh Warwick makes the point that…
“We need to recognise that these animals being killed experience pain, joy, fear and hope.”
Having read that, I read ‘Taraka the Otter’ – Chapter 4, in which Henry Williamson describes the pain, terror and distress of an otter cub caught in a trap, and of its mother trying to free it, help it, defend it from the dog and the man.
I’m thankful that, in Britain at least, such traps are now illegal.
They didn’t even need the otters as food. They resented them eating what they wanted to eat, when there were enough fish for all. The humans then proceeded to pollute the rivers so that there aren’t enough fish – which is a whole other discussion.
And…..from m’blog 30.9.’22……
“Thinking of a holiday in the Faroes? Maybe think again….
Some previous background info. and ‘discussion’ in The Orkney News….. https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/01/15/what-price-trade-links-with-the-north/ “
And…why is it acceptable to injure a wild goose and leave it to die, but not acceptable to injure someone’s pet parrot? Rhetorical question....
https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/12/06/a-response-to-the-dumping-of-carcasses-on-an-orkney-beach/
I think I bit off more than I can chew!
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Sparrowhawks….
I've noticed that Sparrowhawks have a way of chucking themselves at things.
I’ve seen a Sparrowhawk fly straight at a hedge, or a bush. There’s no careful swooping about as with the Harriers or the Owl – it’s always straight at things – Whoosh – BAM!
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