seagulls behind the Plough....

[IVECOKID]

Where have they gone ?

 

Over the last 5 years or more I gave noticed the decline in following the plough ,has a kid growing up on a farm I loved seeing and being part of this has soon has plough turn over its first furrow there would of been hundreds possibly thousands of Gulls in no time

 

But now you can count on one hand in the northwest but I would love to hear what its like elsewhere.

 

This may sound a strange post unless like myself you have experienced this a phenomenon then you will know what I am talking about .

 

I have a few the theories in my mind ..

 

The increase of landfill sites/re-cycling yards.

 

The increase in Direct drilling onto stubble.

 

Poor soil management ie no Muck getting put back in.

 

Increase use of spraying .

 

Landfill sites seems to be the culprit for me .

 

What are your thoughts ?

 

Ste

[farmer rod]

Where have they gone ?

 

Over the last 5 years or more I gave noticed the decline in following the plough ,has a kid growing up on a farm I loved seeing and being part of this has soon has plough turn over its first furrow there would of been hundreds possibly thousands of Gulls in no time

 

But now you can count on one hand in the northwest but I would love to hear what its like elsewhere.

 

This may sound a strange post unless like myself you have experienced this a phenomenon then you will know what I am talking about .

 

I have a few the theories in my mind ..

 

The increase of landfill sites/re-cycling yards.

 

The increase in Direct drilling onto stubble.

 

Poor soil management ie no Muck getting put back in.

 

Increase use of spraying .

 

Landfill sites seems to be the culprit for me .

 

What are your thoughts ?

 

Ste

There was talk that one of the herbicides used on rape in the 70's did the worms in. That was a fair while back, and I cant either remember the name or whether this was actually true.

 

Stubble burning and direct drilling could have also been a factor, but I would imagine these effects would ave worn off.

 

Another potential culprit is the New Zeland flat worm which is said to munch through our conventional earthworms and has infected some areas, (again not much info, just idle chat)

[difflock]

Funny enough I have wondered exactly the same, could part of the difference lie in the current back-end-of-the-summer ploughing, as opposed to the earlier/older winter spring cultivations.

Slurry instead of FYM bound to be another factor contributing to a lesser no of earthworms.

Or did a few years of rotovating and powerharrowing do the earthworms in?

As opposed to discing and spike harrowing.

[Stubby]

Funny enough I have wondered exactly the same, could part of the difference lie in the current back-end-of-the-summer ploughing, as opposed to the earlier/older winter spring cultivations.

Slurry instead of FYM bound to be another factor contributing to a lesser no of earthworms.

Or did a few years of rotovating and powerharrowing do the earthworms in?

As opposed to discing and spike harrowing.

 

I would go with this answer . Seems to me that you can plant anything any time now . Spring drilling and winter drilling seem to have blended somewhat with modern seed .

[IVECOKID]

Reason I mention Landfill sites is from my experience tipping on there and watching tv documentary's on them they seem to be easy picking for the seagulls and there ARE thousands.

In Widnes they have just built a whopping high roof waste building for Warrington /Widnes bin wagons to quick tip and already its swamped by Gulls .

 

Seagulls getting lazy ?

 

 

Ste

[Stubby]

Reason I mention Landfill sites is from my experience tipping on there and watching tv documentary's on them they seem to be easy picking for the seagulls and there ARE thousands.

In Widnes they have just built a whopping high roof waste building for Warrington /Widnes bin wagons to quick tip and already its swamped by Gulls .

 

Seagulls getting lazy ?

 

 

Ste

 

Kites as well .....

[div_h]

A picture my pal had on Facebook this year

[Tommywommy]

As a farmer and someone who recycles hundreds of thousands of tonnes of organic waste and Digestate to land ever year across the South of England I can confirm there is a massive reduction in earthworms in arable rotation soil. We know more about space than we do the soil beneath our feet ! That's astounding . A farmer I spread for said if he bought his great grandfather back and showed him the condition of our soils they would curse us. It's not sustainable how most arable farming is carried out now. Mixed farming is a lot better.

[slack ma girdle]

Sea gull populations have crashed to such an extent that they will soon become protected species, particularly herring gull.

The main reason is bad diet- eatin too much junk food, which is causing heart attacks and high blood pressure.

You are what you eat.

[Wood wasp]

I miss Peewits or Lapwings, they've dropped off in numbers too. As have curlews