Kill Magpies and lock up moggies.

Ive just seen Bill ddie on the telly telling of the damage magpies do to songbirds and asking "should they be culled?"He went on to say cats should be locked up at night.I got the feeling he didnt have the gonads to include them in the cull.I totaly agree with him and while were at it we'll add the cormorant to the list Bill u funny little man u.

So where are PETA to protest at all these evil blood-thirsty birdwatchers...

I like magpies and cats, I have far foo many songbirds in my garden and they are way too loud. Maybe there should be a scheme for re-locating the buggers to places where they will be appreciated.

We’ve got four cats and two dogs which account for at least a rabbit, a rat and a couple of birds everyday. In the last twenty years I’ve not noticed a reduction in any of the small mammal or bird population. Our lass is into wild birds and she almost spends as much on wild bird feed as I do on maggots, the more she feeds them the more there are. It’s not the predators that’s the problem it’s an environmental problem

Didn't see the programme on telly.
Why the need to lock-up cats at night? I have three cats at home and the only time they catch any birds is during daylight hours, and that's a rare occurence.

I feed three cats,not strays, they live in the same street,pampered is not the word,the big ginger one "fat`s" howls all night if I don`t let her in,but you cannot keep a cat in if they don`t want to be in,and catching bird`s is instinc, and as Richard says,rare.

I like cats. At least they don't crap on your car like birds do. Perhaps Bill Oddie is one of those wierdo's like McCartney. I wish my cat would catch more birds.

I've always loved cats. I have a great respect for them as a species. Nothing in the mammalian world has as much power as a cat.

I also love wild birds with a few exceptions, Magpies and cormorants!!

The demise of many of our wild bird species has, in my opinion, not been as a result of cats, but rather those evil farmers who chuck all that poison on the land, killing of much of our natural insect life which is the food of many of our wild birds.

i think you'll find bill oddie was saying that they DONT need culling. cats also kill far less birds than "road kill". we need to stop intensive farming and plant a few more hedges to help birds recover.

I'm not a big fan of cats although for some reason they seem to like me,I am however sick and tired of picking up cat shit from my garden.

The magpies in my garden take several songbirds every year(mostly blackbirds),but the magpies are in turn predated on by the crows.

What's wrong with cat crap?

It's good fertilizer you know,

Best of the lot is lion crap.

A friend of mine once stopped his car in the Kruger park and consigned several big fresh, stinking lion turds to a plastic bag to use on his garden.

You should have seen his hydrangeas the following summer!

And by the way - Jumbo turds are even better. But you've got to get there before the dung beetles get them.

ron think ur going off the point a bit next you will be telling us how to plant out a garden!!

The more birds you attract to your garden, the less chance cats will get them.
Too many eyes.

Talking of farmers,the latest thoughts are that for many years they have been ploughing too deep and as a result killing the worm populations in their fields,therefore, affecting soil improvement,and I suppose, creating the need for additional fertilizers..?
The recomendation is that they only need to turn over the top 4 inches!

Dave spotted it It wasnt a idea from bill odie ,he was just asked to put his views about magpie`s being culled and cat`s being kept in at night by Kate Humble.From what i seen he was against the cull but if it was possible keeping cats in at night might have an effect if the whole country did it.He seemed to be on the side of if you want more songbirds you need more wild places for the them to thrive and with them you will see an increase in all crow family ect.
This pleases me as ive always seen odie as a top bloke and enoy his tv programmes even back to the goodies.

I have watched magpies rip young blackbirds apart when still alive,but nature is red in tooth and claw,cruel but a fact.I agree farmers use to much chemicals you don't see the same number of insects around as 20 years ago.So all birds which feed on insects suffer,you hardley see swallows, house martins,and swifts in the numbers you used to see.But the magpie and other corvids have taken advantage of all the open rubbish tips and road kills to increase in numbers so you could say nature is out of kilter.As for cats far to many and the buggers keep getting my pond fish.

Interestingly Magpie the childrens program did a survey on magpie numbers,they were so low,they sent you cards to fill in on the amount you spotted on any day or trip out etc..This was about 30 years ago.Imagine this today you would have to fill in so many cards the post would be in even more mess,but thats another storey.

In parts of australia if you have a cat it has to be kept in a large cage like an aviery.Because of the damsge they are doing to the native species.
bet they wouldnt get away with that here.
worse luck.
bloody magpies are a menace.

i caught the last bit of the program.
did Bill explain the theory behind such a cull?

he did explain what a cull was.

If a cull were to take place, would numbers shot depend on each areas population or would it be shoot as many in a set time period?

I know that Maggpies do prey on wild birds and our wild birds need protection.
However, Is it because the wild bird population has increased that maggpies are so abundant? OR because of mans creation of waste that feeds them too?

If a cull of maggpies were to take place, less wild birds would be preyed apon, thefore more wild birds would be around to feed on insects etc, does the environment at present provide enough for these extra wild birds? If not then there has to be some major research and action taken to create or protect suitable habitats.

If Maggpies were to be culled, would other predatious species take over and have the same effect on our wild bird population?

animals will go where the food is. If we encourage wild birds into our gardens then we also attract predators too. Is it because of this that we SEE more of what maggpies do?

Before we start to cull maggpies, We should look at what the reel problems are first.
We know the problem cormorants cause yet the Law protects them and restricts apropiate action, then theres the Ruddy duck.
Because it Cross breeds. So do fish, do we cull fish that Cross breed. or sheep, cows pigs other bird species, humans?

There is talk to remove all non native species of plants and animals, this may have been mentioned by bill oddie.

Im lead to belive that the introduction of non native species effects our native species and habitats.Or that species from one habitat that migrate or are introduced to another habitat either die or destroy those species allready present.

There was no question of actually culling Magpies,in fact Bill was against it and he did explain what a cull was. The thoughts of the viewer were sought,because so many people wimper on about the amount of song birds they think are killed, by Magpies.
The vote was not in favour of a cull, by a sizeable majority.

As to non native species, there was some mention of this, but the opinion is that this should occur before they are introduced;ie japenese knotweed and pond weeds from garden centres and of course,crayfish,turtles,not to mention grey squirrels and muntjac deer amongst others.
In otherwords don't allow the importation of anything, that is likely to be deposited in the wilds after it's "useful" life has reached it's peek as a pet or plant or is likely to escape.