Sorry Marshman, But Here I Go!

[Vaughan]

The otter is now a protected species, since they became almost extinct in Britain owing to polluted water.

If you ask me, they are vermin.  I am not surprised that in the old days, they were hunted by hounds, and mink still are.  Otter hunting goes back to the 14th century and only stopped in Britain in 1977, although it has never been banned.

[Smoggy]

Were the numbers artificially high due to the number of people on boats feeding? I have to admit I've not seen a coot on the southern broads for ages and only seen a few on my local river that used to be quite abundant with them.

[marshman]

I think the coot thing is more an issue of climate change - you can still see large ish flocks on Hickling in winter but I do not think we see the number coming here in winter generally - why fly from Holland and other such countries when their waters no longer freeze to the same extent? Actually seen more moorhens this year, especially on places like farm ponds but 

Many birds, not just water birds are in decline here but who am to apportion blame to otters and other predators - a lot of birds are moving north - we now get birds we never use to see from further south so I guess what we used to see as the norm are going the same way - further north to breed.

Its a complex subject - far too difficult at my age!!!

 

[Smoggy]

Of course for many years the predators were artificially low in number too, as you say no easy answer even if it's a good or bad thing.

[Wonderwall]

3 hours ago, Vaughan said:

I think it is well known that out of a clutch of maybe 10 or 12 ducklings, more than half of them will be taken by pike before they are about 3 weeks old.  After that they are big enough to have a fair chance of survival.  But are the rest now being taken by the otter?  We know an otter can take an adult greylag goose, as there is film of it on this forum, right in the centre of Wroxham in plain public view.

Another thing that is well known about the otter : like the fox, they kill for the sake of killing, not just for feeding.

Almost human like then 😢😢😢😢

[Andrewcook]

Hi, I remember Years ago there was a load of Ducks at Womack now few far between seeing them so what's has to happen them all has someone been taken them at Christmas Time?

[rightsaidfred]

Nobody seems to understand evolution which climate change is all part of anymore, all life forms are constantly changing as habitats and food chains change, nature is very good at regulating itself till mankind interferes and upsets the balance, the biggest issue these days is we keep introducing or protecting species that upset that balance while destroying the habitat of other vulnerable species, the one thing we should but don`t regulate is ourselves.

Fred

[addicted]

When we moored at Brundall Bay marina, each Spring a cuckoo would arrive and stay  in the trees behind our mooring. Every year I used to listen for him,  always anxious to know  he had made it back safely. We are now moored at NBS As the crow( or should that be cuckoo? ) flies, we are only a few hundred yards from where we used to be moored, I was delighted to hear the cuckoo on Sunday and to know he was  safe.

 

Carole