* A farmer, who allegedly shot Starlings illegally in 2010, was subsequently granted licences by Natural England to cull the red-listed species over a ten year period.
* Police were called after locals found dying Starlings and lead shot in their gardens. * Natural England maintain that the birds are "potential carriers of diseases" The story begins in 2010..... According to the results of a foi request I submitted to Natural England, in 2010 Avon and Somerset Police received complaints from householders that Starlings were being shot in a local farmyard and that dying birds and lead shot were falling into adjacent gardens. The farmer allegedly responsible for shooting the red-listed birds told the police that he had a licence from Natural England to kill them. However, it was later established that the licence had expired months earlier. Shooting the birds without a valid licence would surely constitute a wildlife crime. So why did Natural England subsequently decide to renew the farmer's licence - for the next ten years? It appears that Natural England sent their representative out to 'discuss' the initial renewal application with the farmer. This is what they say in their technical assessment of that application: "The problem with Starlings and lead shot falling into nearby gardens was discussed by [name withheld] and he was asked to only shoot in the direction of the fields and not towards the village, and to pursue wounded birds wherever possible." Natural England acknowledged that 'pursuing wounded birds' would be difficult where the birds were landing in private gardens. The farmer was told that the Police would not be reporting him for shooting Starlings without a licence on this occasion, but warned him against it happening again. Natural England in their wisdom concluded that the farmer should nevertheless be granted another lethal control licence and duly issued one, in spite of the shocking wildlife crime that the farmer had allegedly committed. This licence was further renewed without fuss for the next three consecutive years between 2010 and 2013. 2014: In 2014, staff at Natural England had a telephone conversation with the farmer who told them that Starlings were still causing him a problem. Based on this, the agency casually issued yet another licence approving the culling of 50 more of the birds. According the data I have, it appears that the farmer did not submit the required licence return for that year, so Natural England presumably had no idea at all how many birds the farmer actually culled. 2015 - 2017: Late in 2015, Natural England received another licence request from the gun touting farmer. In their humdrum assessment of that application, they explain that "The application form confirms the presence of Starlings on the farm, with concerns about the presence of Starlings on the cattle feed, resulting in the cattle suffering from scours. Large quantities of Starling droppings are also being deposited on the metal work in the farm yard." So, guess what? Yes, that's right, Natural England issued yet another licence to shoot Starlings, in spite of the fact that shooting Starlings for the previous five years had apparently had little or no effect in resolving the continuing 'problem'. That licence permitted the shooting of 50 more birds. It's not entirely clear whether a report of action was submitted or not for that year but either way, true to form, the agency decided to issue a renewal anyway, and between January and March of 2016 the farmer was permitted to cull more Starlings, with the approval of Natural England. A further renewal covered the period 28/11/2016 to 31/3/2017, during which the farmer claimed to have culled another 50 birds. 2017 - 2018: Later in 2017, Natural England, assessing the situation with depressing detachment, explained its decision to renew the licence going forward, "The applicant indicates on the renewal form that Starlings are still causing problems .... and [name withheld] requests a licence, start date 1/11/2017. " So they issued one. And then, yes surprise surprise, another one for the following year covering 2018/19. 2019: Last year Natural England summed up its reasons for continuing to licence the trigger happy farmer during 2020; "Starlings continue to take cattle feed from the farmyard at [location withheld] and are also potential carriers of diseases that could be transmitted from Starlings to cattle. A licence to shoot up to 50 Starlings, as an aid to enhance existing scaring techniques should be granted." Ten Years Of Culling A Red Listed Species So, Natural England have been renewing this farmer's licence every year for at least 10 years, despite the fact that his track record allegedly includes shooting the birds illegally and failing to submit the obligatory reports of action taken. Ten years of killing a red listed bird, with little or no evidence that the culls have achieved anything other than satisfying the blood lust of a blithe farmer. Natural England promotes 'Starling murmuration spectacle', while issuing licences to kill them... The farmer himself reportedly maintains that the culling has "assisted in reducing the scale and impact of the problem." But the 'problem' remains - and so the culls have continued on the same scale for ten years. Has it not occurred to the experts at Natural England that perhaps, after ten years of culling Starlings, the problems at this particular farm might have less to do with troublesome birds and more to do with sloppy farming practices? One wonders how other farmers up and down the country appear to manage this 'problem' without resorting to an annual Starling cull. Natural England have noted that there is an RSPB reserve fairly close to the farm where 'many thousands of starlings gather to roost each night'. With no sense of irony, they go on to say that "This public spectacle is being promoted by Natural England, in conjunction with the RSPB and Somerset Wildlife Trust." Lack of common sense decisions It's just too easy to pick, at random, any one of Natural England's licences and find, as in this case, ineptitude and a lack of common sense behind the decision making. Each year Natural England issues thousands of licences, relying on the 'good practice' of licence holders to act honestly and responsibly under the terms of the licence. This system is, of course, wide open to misuse, with often little or no monitoring of the actions being carried out. If this shoddy state of affairs is reflected across the licensing system as a whole, then it casts even more doubt on the competence of Natural England, whose reputation is already in tatters.
111 Comments
Cathryn
3/7/2020 07:57:06 pm
I live in a rural area of Waled and I have not seen a stsrling locally this year.
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LEO RYAN
3/7/2020 08:16:06 pm
Thanks for your hard work uncovering all this. Living in rural berkshire I am to familiar with gun happy farmers and they have been getting away with this too long. One farmer allows a van load to go out in the evenings to kill whatever. This is not right. We need to let them know we are on to them. Thank you Jason.
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Ruth Mitchell
4/7/2020 01:47:28 pm
Just read through all this and can’t believe what I’m reading.
Tim Burke
4/7/2020 08:57:39 pm
Leo, the thing is we're not onto them. Your farmer is not breaking the law. He can have his van load of shooters controlling vermin (pigeons, rabbits, foxes, corvids) and nobody will know what else they shoot. Nearly anyone who hasn't been in prison can get a shotgun licence and with the land owners permission go blasting wildlife. A start would be applying the same conditions as for "firearms" and a follow up would be to revoke licences more freely. The inadequacies of Natural England's licensing is really irritating but a drop in the ocean compared to the inadequacy of our legal protections for wildlife.
Carol Smith
3/7/2020 08:39:25 pm
I think this is horrible. I think the people doing this should be arrested.
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julie macdonld
3/7/2020 10:03:57 pm
Me neither, live in the country, love starlings not seen them this year either.
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Mark
6/7/2020 08:12:10 am
Hi Julie, it is a bit to early to see Starlings in large groups. They will be out in large numbers next month. Not sure what’s going on with this farmer n I can’t see that shooting 50 birds will solve his issue as there are hundreds around him. Maybe he should look at a system where he can feed his cattle without any birds having access to the feed. Surly there must be something. My concern over this article is that it doesn’t give a detailed description of the farmers issues & is worded very one sided. Maybe cattle & calf’s are getting ill or dying due to a diese that these birds carry. I would like more info before submitting my opinion. If you have any info to share or any expertise then I would happily read it. Thanks Mark 6/7/2020 08:44:35 am
mark.
Mrs Penelope Stott
3/7/2020 10:28:24 pm
We live in rural Warwickshire. 10 or 15 years ago we had starlings nesting at two corners of our house and there would be two clutches each year. This has dwindled to one nest, then only one clutch at one nest and this year no starlings at all.
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4/7/2020 06:10:33 pm
I moved into my present home in Woodsetts inJan. 2000.
Tim Burke
4/7/2020 08:36:36 pm
The police are culpable here as well. They could and should have revoked the farmer's gun licence. Incidentally, Natural England are answerable to DEFRA, not directly
Peter zmonck
5/7/2020 11:53:51 am
We used to see lots of Starlings in our small courtyard garden, and regarded them as kind of family. We haven’t seen any, not one, for 5 or 6 years at least now. This clearly explains why. Can we have our Starlings back, please?
Julie Williams
4/7/2020 09:41:35 am
I just want to ask you to keep going with all you do. You are right that this farmer's farming practices should be monitored, and that he should be granted no more licenses to kill starlings because of his record. 'Natural' England have to realise that 'problems' are caused by killing starlings as well as not killing them. Thank you so much for fighting for us.
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Frances Bee
4/7/2020 10:34:38 am
I live in the middle of a rural Suffolk and have noticed a enormoud decline is starlings. I have not seen a starling so far this year.
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Paul Bonett
4/7/2020 10:46:02 am
This is totally unacceptable
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Suzanne
4/7/2020 11:20:24 am
What a disgrace! Shame once again on 'Un'Natural England. Starlings are beautiful birds and are in sharp decline and need protecting not culling. I can't remember the last time I have seen a starling!!!
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Chris N
4/7/2020 11:40:01 am
I live in Bridgend, in South Wales and, like several other respondents, up to 10 years ago, my family and I used to marvel at the patterns formed in the spectacular murmurations shows put on by flocks of many hundreds of starlings, above my house. In my garden, which hosts a wide range of wildlife and bird species I have not seen a single starling in the last two years. On a nearby woodland walk, last week, I was fortunate to witness a murmuration, but I estimated a flock of only about 40 birds. Clearly, starlings are in serious decline. I cannot believe that Natural England can justify giving anyone a licence to shoot starlings. To the farmer, I say put a lid on the cattle feed when the cows are not actually feeding and put a scarecrow by the feeder. It always used to work on the farmland where I grew up.
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Patricia gowie
4/7/2020 11:57:12 am
We are the same. I live in Mid Devon and where we used to have our bird table full of starlings I think I have only seen two this year. Now I know why Natural England are killing them all. I agree with Chris Packham they are not fit for purpose.
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Julia Michell
4/7/2020 12:06:39 pm
Starlings in Cornwall used to be very common, now I hardly see any, clearly, the green light is being given by the actions of Natural England to cull whatever you want and a mere slap on the hand if you make an error, Natural England was a Tory invention and now it is a Tory disgrace
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Amelia Sayer
4/7/2020 12:57:24 pm
My father was a farmer and considered Starlings a pest but never ever shot one, only foxes who were after his chickens!
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Chris Mcgarry
4/7/2020 02:34:20 pm
last year i had lots of starlings in my garden that have been coming for years but this year only half the usual number returned. i love the noisy squabbling rabble and sad it was quieter this year.
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Christine
4/7/2020 04:02:38 pm
Natural England leads you to believe they are looking after the habitat & wildlife, far from it sounds shady, shoddy & NOT TRUSTWORTHY .
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Sue Waton
5/7/2020 07:25:43 am
Jason,
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Annie
6/7/2020 09:29:56 pm
Several weeks ago three starlings turned up in our garden, for me it was like Christmas as I was so happy to see them, we haven’t had starlings in our garden for over 30 years. We used to have a town pier which had starlings but after arsonists burnt the pier down the starlings sadly disappeared. Starlings need our protection NOT culling.
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8/7/2020 11:22:26 am
How many of you who have responded on here actually provide food for starlings . ? I thro bread cereal and peanuts on the floor for them and they feed twice a day on this plus the fatballs which they prefer to seed. I have had two nests in the roof and numbers around here are definitely up. They are a creature of habit however and like easy places to feed . Swallows are in a massive decline .More pullution and pesticides mean less insects and it as a knock on effect to the bird population which we cant do anything about .
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Edward Barratt
24/8/2020 07:14:09 pm
It's a similar story here, though the causes are different. Around 60 - 70 starlings gathering each evening and a small murmuration for the first two years we were here and now nothing at all. This is a new development in N. Essex, marketed as a place of major historical interest but, unsurprisingly, the conservation of wild animals and nature has been totally neglected by the developers. I feel that this would not be happening if more cared about what was happening. We all need to be working hard on this, avoiding the dangerous practice of talking too much to each other about our shared anger and frustration and engaging with others who think differently, whose support we must secure.
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JAMES MCDOWELL
3/7/2020 08:00:19 pm
I am appalled at the issuing of a licence to kill starlings. Natural England's role is to protect nature and the landscape not destroy it. There must be other ways to deter them from staying around and eating cattle feed.
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Derek Locking
3/7/2020 08:02:06 pm
A few years ago we had a flock of starlings in our area (south York's) not a large flock but several hundred. Now if I see one it's a rarety . Why are we killing any?
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Janice Tattersall
3/7/2020 08:04:02 pm
Thank you for your report.
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Brian Price
3/7/2020 08:04:05 pm
In the lakes we used to get dozens of starlings on the wires with their glistening plumage and calls....not one starling has been seen this year....last year there was a solitary bird calling with no reply...”Natural England” my arse....numpties sat in an office with zero idea of ecology flora or fauna.....keep up the good work mate....
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Karen Shakespeare
3/7/2020 08:05:52 pm
Sadly Natural England are overseen by DEFRA and one of their remits is “Wildlife Management “ . This basically means kill anything that upsets farmers , which is any animal , insect or plant that is not being farmed .
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Jeff & Maggie Wood
3/7/2020 08:07:40 pm
We used to see regular murmurations of starlings. Although we live on the edge of a town we have woodland and open spaces around us. It is now some time since we last saw any starlings at all and it is distressing to think that licences are still being issued for their destruction
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Julie Tennant
3/7/2020 08:14:35 pm
It really is disgusting. Starlings used to be common in West Yorkshire. Have hardly seen or heard any for quite a few years. Why can we not just learn to coincide with other species? They cause considerably less harm than we do!
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Dan Clayton-Jones
3/7/2020 08:09:43 pm
I'm appalled by these revelations ! Living in South Wales ,
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Keith wickers
3/7/2020 08:10:02 pm
Very rarely see many starlings in our garden,
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Chris Coombes
3/7/2020 08:13:51 pm
So disappointed...
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Colin G Norman
3/7/2020 08:15:49 pm
I have not seen any starlings for a year.none nested in the usual site and we used to see murmurations.
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inga
3/7/2020 08:16:11 pm
When 5G arrives in your location the bees and birds flee. No more small birds about. Gone. 5G kills you its a soft kill weapon = a weapon that slowly kills you over time but it does kill you. .Youtube MARK STEELE 5G and also youtube talks by BARRIE TROWER. And if you want to see the bigger picture youtube speaker, CELESTE SOLUM
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harry hayward
4/7/2020 10:16:58 am
Please stop peddling this nonsense, you'll have us burning down phone masts next.
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Angus Robertson
3/7/2020 08:18:35 pm
The farmer is obviously some sort of psycho and Natural England his enablers.
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Jon Pain
3/7/2020 08:19:50 pm
I find it incredible that starlings can be such a problem to warrant culling. Another species on the decline allowed to be influenced by a random opinion. Where is the proof of the need, or of the effectiveness of culling, it is absolutely abysmal. Many back gardens are feeding Starlings, and 'down the road' somebody with a gun is decimating them. Absolutely pathetic state.
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Norman Hill
3/7/2020 08:20:54 pm
I own a property on a Devon Dairy Farm, we have exactly the same problem here. Open access to cattle feed that is spread in an open yard fronting the cattle sheds. Hungry starlings arrive by the thousands in the winter & all we hear are gunshots. The farmer shoots with a 12 bore directly into the flying flocks and wounds many birds without killing them outright. We then have wounded birds with broken wings, legs down and missing eyes in our garden. This farmer never did have a license & was reported to the police - Waste of time. Its time that farmers understood that if they continue to abuse our wild life then the subsidies will stop.
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Jayne Horswill
3/7/2020 08:21:47 pm
A mad, mad world...when protected species are officially de- protected!
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Roger A Coleman
3/7/2020 08:24:58 pm
Why is ,Natural England, allowed to continue, they not fit for purpose, and do not seem to care a jot about public opinion.
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Gill Mander
3/7/2020 09:23:41 pm
I live near the RSPB at Silverdale, where there have been some fantastic murmurations. Before they start you can see the “village representatives” flying into Silverdale Moss or the shoreline to participate.
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Julie Taylor
3/7/2020 08:27:49 pm
You can't help but wonder who are these employees of so-called "Natural England". It is becoming abundantly clear from all of these issues around the culling of our natural - and in many cases, endangered - wildlife, that Natural England is not employing people who care about the natural world in England; seemingly, quite the opposite!
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Angela Kinsey-Foden
3/7/2020 08:33:05 pm
Natural England how do u arrive at your decisions?
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Stephen Thomas
3/7/2020 08:39:44 pm
Why oh why are we killing birds ?
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Karen Haywood
3/7/2020 08:41:53 pm
We have lived in a lovely rural area of NE Derbys for 25 years where there is a mixture of woodland, old pasture fields with good hedges and dry stone walls. We hardly see starlings even though we feed wild birds and get plenty of variety. A mile or so away, friends do see plenty of starlings - so this does seem strange. A few farmers around here do have Larsson traps to catch Corvids which they say they do to protect newly seeded ground and song birds! The worst persecution was that of a pair of peregrines nesting in an old quarry. Over the last few years their eggs/chicks have been taken for the Arabian hunting trade where I understand, up to £20K can be paid for young birds. Thankfully, this year, Derbyshire Wildlife Crime Unit has had surveillance on the nest and the youngsters are nearly ready for fledging. Thank you for all you do Jase, it's a sad and sick world we live in.
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3/7/2020 08:42:01 pm
Natural England is clearly unfit for purpose and needs to be replaced with a body that has correct motivation.
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Susan
3/7/2020 08:47:17 pm
This is crazy and unacceptable. The cattle feed should be kept in a secure, dry feed room where neither starlings nor vermin can access it. Large metal feed bins would keep the feed safe. Then there wouldn't be anything to attract the starlings and they'd go elsewhere. Clearly the farm is badly run and unhygienic. If the starlings can get the feed, then so can rats. The farm should be inspected with regard to animal welfare. Natural England should be prosecuted for allowing the destruction of a red-listed bird and their authority to issue such licences should be removed. No-one involved seems to have an ounce of intelligence or common sense.
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Rita Pendlebury
3/7/2020 09:16:02 pm
When you've got over your incredibly ignorant statements about farming, have you though how the cattle would eat their grain if it's locked up where even a mouse couldn't get in, and when it comes down to it, these farmers are producing food for you all, because not everyone who's posted here is vegan, and the biggest problem with starlings is with arrable farmers, or those grain producers who spend thousands yearly to buy seed to grow your grain of wheat, oats, barley, rape, and all your veg, who watch as huge swarms of starlings eat the majority. People have become so opinionated recently, about things they have no clue, but want to change it, TO MAKE THEMSELVES FEEL BETTER. I do think thousands of years and millions of farmers know better than you lot
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Susan
3/7/2020 10:08:04 pm
My comments aren't ignorant. Obviously the feed has to be taken out of the bins to be fed to the cattle, but safe storage is key (as I know from being an equine professional). I didn't think I'd have to explain that! But feeding can be done in such a way that it doesn't attract birds, as I have witnessed on my neighbours farm, when I've been milking the cows! Also, you talk of arable (note correct spelling) farmers, but the original post referred specifically to cattle feed. I don't need to make myself feel better -- maybe you do, but I do have the right to comment, as does everyone else. It's called free speech. What are your qualifications/experience/knowledge of farming, that you think it's acceptable to call other people ignorant, just because you don't agree with their views?
Nigel Miller
4/7/2020 07:55:43 am
Oh do be quiet. My grandparents were dairy farmers in Kent for decades, from the 1920's to the 1970's, and at no point did they resort to killing wildlife. It's people like you that give farmers a bad name, "Guardians of the countryside" my foot.
Patricia gowie
4/7/2020 12:09:08 pm
Stop showing your ignorance. Read Norman Hill's comments, who runs a dairy farm in Devon above and why would you stupidly think we are all vegans. We just appreciate nature which you obviously do not.
Joyce Williams
3/7/2020 08:47:44 pm
So it’s alright to break the law and natural England will then give you a licence to kill more . What do the RSPB have to say about this they are supposed to protect birds!!!! Has anyone reported this to them?
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Jenny Miller
3/7/2020 08:50:56 pm
I get lots of starlings in my garden, I love watching the antics of them from feeding their young to fighting for pole position on the feeders, live and let live!!
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Frances Wicks
3/7/2020 08:54:44 pm
This is absolutely terrible, totally barbaric and unforgivably cruel. Those beautiful Starlings, like all animals and birds deserve their place on our Planet more than most humans.
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Kevin Aindow
3/7/2020 11:59:07 pm
Starlings may potentially carry disease but then so do humans--look no further than Covid 19! So what are we going to do about them?
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Milja Spruit
4/7/2020 04:08:58 pm
Totally agree Kevin, humans are the only problem!
Edward Barratt
3/7/2020 08:58:07 pm
Thankyou once again for this invaluable investigative work. This is an appallingly state of affairs. After the announcements earlier this week, including the proposed relaxation of planning controls, road building etc it is very difficult not to feel very deeply pessimistic about the future. This is a time for action, before all hope dies.
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Robert Pattinson
3/7/2020 09:00:02 pm
I live right near to the West pier Brighton and Hove.The number of Starlings have gone down dramatically in the last few years.They should not be shot
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Tom Scanlan
3/7/2020 09:12:30 pm
Who are these gutless people? Who appoints them? Why do they have so much power?
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Patricia
3/7/2020 09:34:38 pm
It's one of those attitudes, we see all too often of, 'he's always had one, so let him have another', with no thought, whatsoever about what's actually happening at the location of farmer ****************** and his farm. He's a vandal and needs to be stopped now, no more licences to be granted!!!
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Trevor Chitty
3/7/2020 09:42:24 pm
Am lost for words and sickened.Where are these faceless people?
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Ralph Frost
3/7/2020 09:56:48 pm
The problem is that wildlife protection is never at the top of the priorities list. Nearly always at the bottom. Needs to change, one of these days.
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David Gadd
3/7/2020 09:57:51 pm
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/09/26/1958-mao
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Marcia
3/7/2020 09:57:54 pm
We have had 2 starlings in the garden a couple of times this year. First time in 18 years here in Yorkshire.
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3/7/2020 10:15:04 pm
Why didn't NE advise him to use a modern bird repeller or non destructive method?
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Paul glassup
3/7/2020 10:18:21 pm
Why don’t we as a species learn? Leave nature alone to sort itself out, don’t interfere and the natural balance will eventually come.
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Paul
3/7/2020 10:47:24 pm
Starlings are on the decline. The grain of one farmer is no reason to maim and cause a slow lingering and no doubt excruciatingly painful death to a small bird. My cousins in Burgess Hill used to see huge murmurs of starlings but now these are such a rare occurrence it seems to me that is obvious starlings are in decline. I totally agree with another post here that the farmer in question is an incompetent farmer unable to protect his crop and grain or more likely is deliberately allowing the starlings to take grain from his store so he can go out and perform his murderous fetish under the guise of doing so legally with a license. Other farmers use explosives to frighten the birds away but clearly this farmer loves to kill. One thinks an investigation should be made into his behaviour against other living things too.
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Mike R
3/7/2020 11:12:46 pm
I am on the Somerset/Dorset border and for the last couple of months I have been feeding 20-30 Starlings each day. Eventually the adults were accompanied by their young, it was fascinating to watch the adults feeding them.
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Peter Hambrook
3/7/2020 11:17:45 pm
Fortunately we still get plenty of starlings here in NW Surrey, especially in winter. They breed locally, so plenty of young in late spring.
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David
3/7/2020 11:45:40 pm
A concise and objective analysis - by Jason Endfield. Natural England appear to lack the requisite competence to deal with the topic, and equally importantly, provide a publicly accountable report for their decisions. Illustrates a wider problem regarding accountability and governance of public agencies.
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4/7/2020 07:32:42 am
Ihave a load of starling Is that come every day to feed. I put food out every day for them and love watching the young ones being fed. I love these birds. It is disgusting what is happening to birds and wildlife today. I would prefer to live on an Island with these creatures than the human race. Good Luck.
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N Knight
4/7/2020 07:57:53 am
Surely the point of Natural England should be to advise farmers of humane ways to deal with this issue (if indeed it is a genuine issue). We simply can no longer justify senseless slaughtering of wildlife because it inconveniences us as humans. Anyone can just take a gun to a problem but it is very simple - it is WRONG. So Natural England, stop justifying slaughter, think outside the box and do the bloody job you are meant to do. At the moment NE are a disgrace to their name - shame on you for only looking for the easy, but wrong, solution.
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Ian Wolfendale
4/7/2020 08:35:24 am
We're in a rural part of Cheshire, plenty of cover and open fields, ideal for Starlings. We haven't seen one in the garden for 2 years.
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Richard Lockwood
4/7/2020 09:13:08 am
I live in North Manchester,since sping I have seen visiting more starlings than I have in many a year, the main food they are going for are Fat blocks. In saying that I feel we have a natural propensity ffor TPTB desire to kill for just for the sake of it of all life, one word PURE EVIL.
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Wildlife Angels
4/7/2020 09:14:31 am
We told you you are wasting your time
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Roger Roberts
4/7/2020 09:30:48 am
Seems Ive been feeding a flock of Starlings this year. I should think if they are disappearing then someone is trapping and eating them, maybe the Spanish.
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Judith Hicks
4/7/2020 09:43:27 am
The whole problem here is the arrogance of the human race. We continually manipulate the natural world in the name of that which we call ‘progress’. Everything is out of balance as a result.
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Joy Dyson
4/7/2020 09:53:18 am
Thank you for doing what you do. This is just so appalling, the loss of starlings is heartbreaking.
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John Dyda
4/7/2020 09:54:00 am
Given 'Natural' England's ineptitude in all this, perhaps we should all apply for licenses to shoot trigger happy farmers. You never know - we might get some!!
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Anne Llewelly
4/7/2020 09:55:04 am
I live near the Somerset levels where there are millions of Starlings every year.
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Trevor
4/7/2020 10:11:54 am
This is appalling is it not time for the board of Natural England to forced to reveal their connections with farming industry . Rather like MPs having to reveal their business interests. After that auditing should take place to see who is getting this agreement for licensing through !
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Moira Farrelly
4/7/2020 10:15:05 am
Natural England need a kick up the backside for allowing this. We have not seen one starling this year in Surrey, and last year hardly any. Shame on you
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We just sent a few months citing to the starling in our loft . there there every year . last year no chick . this year we watched 4 chicks leave the nest . The amount of work the parent did to get them to this stage . We also used to have a raid by starling most mornings in the garden .But less and less arrive . looks like numbers are dwindling . Also leave crows alone .
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Julia Dance
4/7/2020 10:17:19 am
Thanks again Jason for your tenacity. Natural England is a disgrace and needs to go in such a way that it's institutionalised wrong thinking cannot seep into any replacement.
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Vicky
4/7/2020 10:26:43 am
I live in West Yorkshire and am lucky to live in a semi rural area with a field to two sides. I've always fed the birds and love to hear the Starlings 'quacking' and bickering. Alas, no more, I've not seen one Starling this year and it's heart breaking.
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Steve
4/7/2020 10:48:18 am
Surely there must be people who work within Natural England who could come up with sensible suggestions to problems and drive a change within the organisation. Or maybe employ such people or take advice from such people
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Margaret Williams
4/7/2020 10:58:39 am
About 20 starlings come into my garden for their suet bits in the morning. Babies come too. Who are these murderers who have the power to kill?
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YVONNE
4/7/2020 11:02:20 am
Killing starlingsfor the sake of it and poor farming manage ment is appalling, too many ofour beautiful birds are dissapearing because people like killing. Birds are part of natures eco system and are killed in thousands by natural means being hit by vehicles, cats and other natural predators so if natural England keeps giving out these murder permissions we will soon be missing alot of our natural birds. We used to have a starling murmuration in estate where live but it has been gone for a few years now and i miss watching it,it was sooooooo relaing watching that beautiful display. Trees being cut down for housing and farmer cutting them down for more space. The other problem that arrives then is flooding as the trees aren't there to soak up the water, birds have nowhere safe to roost and sitting outside at night becomes boring, you can't see the stars because of light pollution, there are no birds chirping away as they go to rest for the night. This HAS TO STOP WE are KILLING oiur own planet and for what? more concrete jungles and all those endless empty buildings no-one wants but still they apply for permission to put up a new building waste is so rife empty buildings MUST BE UTILISED before granting permission to build a new one, animals and birds and all wildlife must be protected nature needs it and so do we to SURVIVE
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Christine Burden
4/7/2020 11:26:48 am
I was happy that our local starlings had a very good breeding year- 30+ on our garden and 50 at least up on the nearby windmill.
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elizabeth ormerod
4/7/2020 11:36:29 am
NE must be held to account.
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sam stiling
4/7/2020 12:09:25 pm
I live in Nottinghamshire. 30 years ago we used to have 1000's of starlings forming huge mermerations over the lagoons. Year on year the numbers have declined and now if we are lucky we may see a large flock of maybe 30 but most of the time there are just tiny groups of 5 or 6 birds. I can't believe this is being allowed to happen.
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Trevor Brown
4/7/2020 12:38:22 pm
I live in a very rural area and there is a very large percentage of farmers and farming types who think they can (and therefore do) shoot anything that moves. They think they are above the law (and why wouldn't they as the Police are so ineffective) to the point of if they happen to shoot someone's cat then they think so what, owner should have kept the cat indoors. Natural England are a total disgrace, in need of a vary hard top down root and branch prune, well actually more like a lopping.
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Toni Williams
4/7/2020 12:41:35 pm
This report is utterly appalling. I live in South Wales and we used to have starlings all over the place, sitting on telephone wires etc. Now you are lucky to see one. What is wrong with these people? Clearly they are not doing their job and the name Natural England is an oxymoron, there is nothing natural about the environment they are creating with their crazy and ridiculous decisions!
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Julia Dance
4/7/2020 01:05:11 pm
Hi Jason, I want to send you a donation but cannot get past PayPal. Any suggestions please
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Allan D
4/7/2020 01:17:59 pm
Great work Jason. Staggering what arrogant blood thirsty farmers continue to get away with. Time for everyone to go vegan and give animal farmers the boot. Consign them to history - where they belong.
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Fiona Crabtree
4/7/2020 01:20:27 pm
Every spring Starlings arrive in my garden in smaller and smaller numbers, this year only one fledgling, these idiots at Natural England need to be fired and someone who is actually interested should be put in charge.
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Clive Hartley
4/7/2020 01:23:52 pm
It concerns me greatly that some staff within Natural England are clearly unqualified or unable to properly evaluate the cases they are handling. Starlings are generally an asset to farmers in terms of foraging for leather-jackets etc.. In this instance, NE staff appear to have taken the easy option by awarded a string of licences to cull this red listed bird rather than getting the farmer concerned to make improvements to his sloppy farming techniques. A complete travesty!
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Researching a book on Herefordshire's Home Front in World War 1 I came across a report for October 1915 in the Hereford Times about 'the sport of starling shooting on the Race Course. Three hundred strong birds in five traps were released one at a time. Sportsmen from Birmingham, Bristol and South Wales attended.' The 'competition' was won by a Mr Green of Bristol. At least this barbaric practice is at an end!
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Chris Rodell
4/7/2020 02:11:12 pm
It's a joy to catch up with Rose Coloured Starlings so why the cull when delightful species maybe caught up.
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4/7/2020 05:45:33 pm
I am both sickened and shocked to know this is still happening, whatever is going on ''they have the potential to spread disease'' so does every other being on this planet, I've never heard such a pathetic response from anyone trying to justify mass murder, it's time to clip their wings I think.
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Karen Wilson
4/7/2020 09:27:16 pm
Thank you Jason for bringing this to our attention. I am so angry that this is going on, but for it to be compounded by an inept shootist in this instance, and an even more dangerous body as in Natural England, is a disgrace. I too have seen fewer starlings around our local area for probably the last 3-4 years. Really finding that NE's time is done and a new body needs to be set up with forward thinking people in charge who have creative solutions, real know how, and underpinnng it all, the animals' interests at the heart of everything. Always willing to help campaign for these issues.
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Di
5/7/2020 12:12:43 pm
Thankyou Jason.
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James Albaya
5/7/2020 06:02:38 pm
Where are RSBP ? why are they not opposing such abuse and why are they so accepting of the disconnected morons making these decisions in NATURAL ENGLAND ?
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Bridget Holmstrom
6/7/2020 09:22:54 am
It never ceases to amaze me that people with guns are given licenses to kill birds, and other animals that are on the red list. Having no license in place does not seem to present any problem as there are apparently no penalties for breaking the law.
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ROY GLADWELL
7/7/2020 12:38:00 pm
Unfortunately idiots like this farmer, (who really should be named and shamed along with those buffoons at Natural England in the national press), are those that have the main say in a dwindling countryside.
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Paul Seligman
7/7/2020 01:30:20 pm
There is a lot to be concerned about here, but it is a fact that starlings carry numerous pathogens which can be a serious threat to livestock and occasionally humans. They are very messy birds, which seem to deliberately defecate over and around their feeding areas (more than other birds in my garden, anyway).
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Chris Batey
9/7/2020 09:18:58 am
Useless reply to my email asking them if they authorised killing,why they authorised killing and how many were killed.
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