Making the news today....

[Mark Bolam]

2 hours ago, Anno said:

guys all the above is great if only that it has raised awareness, however this just provides a snapshot of where you are at that moment in time, what is required is long term data that can be reviewed and used to make decisions to halt the decline, many opportunities online to get involved.

Buglife Surveys

WWW.BUGLIFE.ORG.UK

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One of the best ways for you to learn more about bugs and help conserve wildlife at the same time is take part in a wildlife surveys.

 

 

That’s exactly it.

 

I do think bugs have declined massively in my lifetime.

 

Birds are weird.

Some populations, especially raptors and magpies, seem to be growing exponentially.

Others are definitely declining.

 

Where have all the thrushes gone?

[Steven P]

Supply and demand, raptors don't feed on bugs but thrushes do

[sime42]

On 30/04/2025 at 10:48, Anno said:

‘Alarming’ bug splat decline on UK cars raises fears for flying insect numbers | Insects | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

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Annual survey of numberplates from more than 25,000 journeys reveals 63% fall in squashed bugs since 2021

 

UK news today, not Marple obviously...

 

That's shit.

 

 

 

Edited May 1 by sime42
*state of affairs

[Mark Bolam]

3 hours ago, Steven P said:

Supply and demand, raptors don't feed on bugs but thrushes do

Why would bugs decline in rural Northumberland though?

It’s sheep and cattle country.

 

No one is spraying glyphosate and herbicides around at any great rate.

 

There are still plenty of blackbirds about.

[Johnsond]

13 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

Why would bugs decline in rural Northumberland though?

It’s sheep and cattle country.

 

No one is spraying glyphosate and herbicides around at any great rate.

 

There are still plenty of blackbirds about.

It’s not just what happens here that has an impact on things in regards birds numbers. As for bugs there’s no shortage in rural Aberdeenshire, not that I’ve actually tried counting mind. The front of my ranger seems to confirm this. 

[Stubby]

5 hours ago, Steven P said:

Supply and demand, raptors don't feed on bugs but thrushes do

The song thrush prefers snails when it can get them . When I was a kid I quite often saw a " Thrushes Anvil " Usually a big flat stone surrounded by broken snail shells . The Mistle Thrush will eat slugs , berries and invertebrates . I only see them in the woods . Song thrushes used to be a regular garden bird in my youth . Don't see one now .  🙁

[sime42]

First time I heard a Thrush I thought it was about 10 different birds. Such is their long, varied, random sounding song. They're like the bird version of a one man band.

 

I think they've just gotten very localised. Round my mum's you can hear one without fail walking along a certain path. And John Lennon airport in Liverpool bizarrely. I was staying in a hotel on the old site recently and heard one there, going on and on. They're unmistakable,; saying that though I wouldn't be able to tell between the normal and Mistle versions.

 

 

[Mick Dempsey]

Mistle thrush has a very harsh almost corvid like call. 
 

Suprisingly big as well. 

[Mark Bolam]

Just that Mick, almost magpie like.

[devon TWiG]

23 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

 

Mate’s lid after a spin last night.

Northumberland.

 

 

I ride a 125 cc bike and the BACK of my helmet is like that !!!😁