Notable Recent Sightings

29/05 Pink-footed Goose 1, over Welshpool, photo'd on 09/06
01/05 Red-throated Diver 1, Llyn Clywedog
07/02 Whooper Swan 44, Lake Vyrnwy
31/01 Whooper Swan 51, Haimwood, Llandrinio
17/11 Firecrest 2, Castle Caereinion
07/11 Barnacle Goose 1 among Canada Geese, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
07/11 Hawfinch a few, Lake Vyrnwy, also Bramblings
01/11 Short-eared Owl 1, Cefn Coch Wind-farm
01/11 Great Grey Shrike Gregynog
28/10 Great Grey Shrike Lake Vyrnwy, also 1 on 30th at Eunant
25/09 Gannet 1 juv grounded near Caersws
07/09 Nightjar 1, photographed near Pontrobert
17/07 Quail RSPB Lake Vyrnwy, also heard 20/06 and 08/07
24/04 Long-eared Owl 2, RSPB Lake Vyrnwy
16/04 Purple Heron 1, Cors Dyfi
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
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Killing with Kindness? The argument against feeding birds

A recent research paper* raises the debate about feeding birds in our gardens. These buffets are brilliant for dominant species such as Blue and Great Tits, but have gradually pushed out weaker species - such as the Marsh Tits that stopped visiting our feeder about ten years ago. And then there's the question of disease such as Trichomonosis affecting Greenfinches. It's a thought-provoking issue! 

*https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721003475?dgcid=coauthor

In other news:

OSPREY fishing in the Vyrnwy near Meifod, 20 Aug. 

A late SWIFT was over the Dyfi Osprey Project, 20 Aug. 

Thanks to Stuart Thomas and Will Ferguson for these records. 

2 comments:

  1. Well Simon,tho I can't access the paper , I must say it hasn't affected ours-the Marsh tits are absent during breeding , but back afterwards.

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  2. Kev, here is the link to the whole paper if you're interested. When I posted the first link, I didn't realise it was just the intro. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721003475?dgcid=coauthor

    ReplyDelete