Wildlife Thread

[fishman65]

That's wonderful Darksky. Deer are such graceful creatures.

With the sparrowhawk, I see it as a natural event. There is a temptation to attach human sentiments to something that is as natural as breathing. The raptor has to eat or it dies, and with a hooked bill, it can't eat seeds or insects. That's two kills in our garden in two weeks.

[Pain]

... There is a temptation to attach human sentiments to something that is as natural as breathing. The raptor has to eat or it dies....

Once while I was out and about getting close to nature, I watched a weasel stalk and pounce on a leveret. As is usually the case when this happens, the young hare squealed and shrieked like a banshee. However, I wasn’t the only one to witness this; a young lady walking her dog on the adjacent public footpath let out a scream to equal the leveret’s, then, spotting me, said “For God’s sake, do something!” I replied “Like what?” She glanced at me as if I was mad, wailing “Well stop it killing that poor rabbit! (sic)” I thought it best to say nothing and continued to watch with interest as the weasel dragged its by-now dead meal away, which was three times its own size, into a thicket of brambles. The young lady gave me a look of absolute disgust before walking away shaking her head.

[fishman65]

That's an interesting anecdote Pain. You could have intervened as the young lady requested, however you did the right thing by holding back.

Back in the late 80s when myself, brothers and Dad were working on an isolated property in the countryside, we had noticed a stoat swimming in one of the owner's trout ponds. It was trying to catch two moorhens with no success.

Later that day we were up on the scaffold when we heard a squeal. The same stoat (I assumed) had a baby rabbit by the back of its neck. I said to leave it but my Dad wanted to step in. I inspected the rabbit which was dead, so left it where it was, assuming the stoat would return. And about an hour later it did.

Intervening is a very natural and human thing to do, but predators have young to feed.

[Pain]

... Intervening is a very natural and human thing to do, but predators have young to feed.

A few times I’ve watched weasels, stoats, polecats and (just once) a mink stalking and killing their prey, but the most fascinating was on Penhill, Yorkshire. I was dozing in the sunshine after having hiked all morning when I noticed a half-grown rabbit sitting motionless near my feet. Close by, a weasel was doing what looked like a dance – scampering round in circles, this way then that, bobbing its head up and down, drawing closer and closer to the watching rabbit. The weasel then stopped suddenly within a foot or two of the rabbit and stood upright, swaying slowly from side to side. The rabbit just sat there mesmerised until, in a single spring, the weasel had it by the nape of the neck. The rabbit squealed and rolled around with the weasel hanging on but was dead within a few seconds, presumably because its spinal cord had been severed (although I’ve heard it said, by folks who know more about these matters than me, that they die from shock). I started to sit up and the weasel just gave me the evil eye before carting off its dinner into the bracken. Interestingly, I’ve never seen any of the mustelids actually eating their prey.

[Darksky]

While yes, intervention is my go to behaviour. I am slowly realising, thanks to Fishman that it’s not always the correct thing to do. You stop the actual kill and scare the predator off…then what are you left with? A mortally wounded bird/animal that must die a slower painful death.

[fishman65]

I am slowly realising, thanks to Fishman

I have this effect on people Darksky, they flock to my banner like moths to a flame.

On arriving home at lunchtime, I stood in the kitchen and heard a fluttering at the window. It was Roger. The little blighter is now harassing me in my own home. So I was standing on the doorstep feeding him. Be careful what you wish for.