Notable Recent Sightings

05/03 Firecrest 1, Lake Vyrnwy
05/03 Short-eared Owl 1, Lake Vyrnwy
14/01 Pink-footed Goose 1, Dolydd Hafren
03/01 Waxwing 20, Meifod; also 5 Welshpool by canal on 01/01. Last: 6 Bwlch-y-Garreg 17/03
23/12 Waxwing Newtown College, first arrivals 04/12, 47 on 23/12, 67 on 01/01, 30 on 04/02
09/12 Cattle Egret 1 roosting with 8 Great Egrets and some Little Egrets, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
02/12 Waxwing 21 Guilsfield, 12 Montgomery, 1 Welshpool, and 1 on 01/12 Llanfyllin
16/11 Dotterel 3, just west of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land
16/11 Great Grey Shrike 1, on edge of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land, last reported 19/01
15/11 Waxwing 25 or 30, just west of Lake Vyrnwy along the Dinas Mawddwy road
08/11 Great Northern Diver A juvenile was found near Anchor, rescued and released
30/10 Black Redstart 1 in garden at Hendomen, near Montgomery
06/10 Hawfinch 5 in treetops at Powis Castle, by main car-park
04/10 Cattle Egret Dolydd Hafren, a flock of c.30
29/09 Red-flanked Bluetail Dyfnant Forest: a county first
23/09 Manx Shearwater 1st year bird grounded in Llanfyllin; released at coast
03/09 Cattle Egret 10 at Cors Dyfi, rising to 32 on 05/09
01/06 Turnstone 1 at Caersws with Little Ringed Plovers
03/05 Wood Sandpiper 1 at Dolydd Hafren
18/04 BLACK-WINGED KITE 1 video-ed at Glan Mule, near Kerry: a likely FIRST for UK
07/04 Black Redstart Female on Carno roof
07/04 Little Ringed Plover Llandinam Gravels
25/03 Osprey Female 5F 'Seren' arrived back at Llyn Clywedog
25/03 Pied Flycatcher An early migrant near Llanfechain
22/03 Hen Harrier Female in flight near Berriew
15/03 Sand Martin 5, Dolydd Hafren
15/03 Golden Plover c.50, Heldre Hill, Long Mountain, nr Welshpool
05/03 Whooper Swan 1, between Caerhowel (Montgomery) and The Gaer, with Mute Swans
05/03 Pink-footed Goose 1, Caersws, with Canada Goose flock
05/03 Jack Snipe 2, Caersws
05/03 Hawfinch 24, Powis Castle, feeding behind orchard
28/02 Pink-footed Goose c.25, flying north over Welshpool
26/02 Merlin 1 male, chasing Meadow Pipit, Long Mountain near Welshpool
26/02 Pintail 3, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas, 1 since 14 Feb
14/02 Hawfinch 1, Powis Castle car-park, very vocal
23/01 Jack Snipe 1, Moel-y-Garth near Guilsfield
17/01 Brambling 80, in beeches at Pen-y-Waen near Cefn Coch with Chaffinches
07/01 Hawfinch 2, bathing in puddle, Cwm Lane, Castle Caereinion
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A reprieve for Badgers

Today is not only a good day for badgers in parts of Wales but for democracy too as the result came through that three high court judges have ruled against the proposed badger cull in North Pembrokeshire and a parts of Ceredigion. It is clear that the Welsh Assembly Government have made serious errors in their interpretation of the science involved in the case involving badgers and bovine TB. Clearly there are grey areas which the Welsh Assembly Government need to address before they can have any hope of progressing further with their proposed plans. The judges rightly recognised the disquiet amongst the British public at the thought of such a controversial cull taking place in such a popular area of Wales visited by many tourists. It is clear that the long term cull which has taken place in Ireland has been ineffective and the call there now is for a regime of vaccination in cattle. This surely must be the way forward for Welsh farmers. I imagine there will be many in the farming community who will be extremely aggrieved by the decision of the judges today and some may indeed take the law into their own hands and clandestinely kill badgers at every opportunity but let it be said that in law the badger is a protected animal and that there are citizens who will be willing to testify against such unlawful actions should they arise. Lets hope that common sense and restraint will be exercised now and that a scientific solution will be found to the serious problem of bovine TB. I urge farmers not to make the badger a 'scapegoat'. I personally have the highest regard for the farming community and I'm convinced that it is only a matter of time before a solution is found to this problem in the meantime I ask that the badger, one of Britain's most ancient and endearing animals, be left in peace to live out its daily life without the intervention of man.
I must commend the Badger Trust and the South and West Wales Wildlife Trust and many individuals besides for sticking to their guns on this issue it certainly restores one's faith in the democratic rule of law.

Once again I beg forgiveness from the birding community for mentioning this matter on a bird blog but I'm sure many of you will know that one of the staunchest opponents of the proposed badger cull is none other than our own renowned badger man Gareth Morgan from Newtown. He will undoubtedly be very pleased indeed with the news received today.

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