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What, the Patagonian Fire Newts, Mongolian Tit-Peckers and Acton Scrunge Worm colonies weren't enough?
Acton Scrunge Worm Tequila Blues is just one of the many songs long time Rs fan and friend of the The Shepherd & The Flock PL Smith will be playing at the Hanwell Hootie tomorrow night.
That thought had also struck me and I was just looking for a link about skylarks' nesting habits to make exactly that point. Nice one!
We might like to make the point to the protesters that they should not be (and should not *have* been) walking dogs on a lead or otherwise near those putative nest sites between April and early August.
I am a bit of a twitcher and skylarks really are pretty rare so I would be surprised if there really are any there. They really are a farmland bird and like silage and cereal fields, or a big area of undisturbed grassland. I can't recall having ever seen or heard any in places where there is a lot of human activity. That probably means there is a pair nesting in our trophy cabinet!
Any Ealing based twitchers here who'd like to go and see if this is actually a load of grollox? Skylarks are very easy to identify (mellifluous song delivered from quite high up in the air).
We've done owls, now it's skylarks. What next? Otters? Dodos?
As it happens there are loads of 'em near me, I nearly walk into them on a regular basis. As you say, they like rough grassland so
(a) I'd be bit surprised if there were any on Warren Farm, somewhere like Horsenden Hill would be more likely (b) if there are any it makes me wonder a tad about the maintenance of what's supposed to be a set of public sports pitches
As you say, thye're not shy and easily detected either through their song or habit of shooting vertically up in the air, it seems a bit odd they've only just bee found.
I've often wondered if the 'Farm' has changed much since I left Blighty's shores... I took this picture of the quaint village of Southall from the changing room block at the 'Farm' in the Summer of 2006
If there are skylarks there, it would be unusual. In a discussion on the Warren Farm Google Groups, one birdwatcher expresses surprise at sightings there. However, as I understand it, Warren Farm is sufficiently underused that it is possible for ground nesting birds to thrive there, and there have been reported sightings for some years (some backed by photo and video evidence).
As to the point about numbers of them … Red status is not an assessment of the numbers of them, it's about the population trend. Red status means a bird has lost more than 50% of its population over the last 25 years, along with a 50% reduction in its range. It's also under threat globally.
Now, if there are skylarks there, then they deserve protection. Sorry. But given what we are doing the world, we can't justify destroying a breeding site to build a football training ground.
Of course, there may very well not be nesting sites there. I suspect that once the relevant authorities get involved they will be fairly clear eyed about it: even bird protection people get very fed up of people opposed to development claiming rare species as an excuse, if there is no real proof of the birds. (I know this because I'm working on a big piece about another species of threatened bird at the moment.)
so if there are ground nesting birds here, I assume we should fence it off from dogs and dog walkers immediately?
No, these are very rare lesser spotted Skylarks, that are only disturbed by anything QPR related but will thrive when being disturbed and chased by BFC dog walkers and their hounds.
No, these are very rare lesser spotted Skylarks, that are only disturbed by anything QPR related but will thrive when being disturbed and chased by BFC dog walkers and their hounds.
aaaahhh - that explains it.
perhaps we could change our kit from hoops to spots next year, and fit in?
training regimes could include lots of arm flapping?
Latest news says that the Skylarks are only there because they are waiting for a council nest. A spokesman for the Skylarks laid out the problems they face in a tweet earlier.
I shall now retrieve my coat and flounce off.
'What do we want? We don't know! When do we want it? Now!'
If there are skylarks there, it would be unusual. In a discussion on the Warren Farm Google Groups, one birdwatcher expresses surprise at sightings there. However, as I understand it, Warren Farm is sufficiently underused that it is possible for ground nesting birds to thrive there, and there have been reported sightings for some years (some backed by photo and video evidence).
As to the point about numbers of them … Red status is not an assessment of the numbers of them, it's about the population trend. Red status means a bird has lost more than 50% of its population over the last 25 years, along with a 50% reduction in its range. It's also under threat globally.
Now, if there are skylarks there, then they deserve protection. Sorry. But given what we are doing the world, we can't justify destroying a breeding site to build a football training ground.
Of course, there may very well not be nesting sites there. I suspect that once the relevant authorities get involved they will be fairly clear eyed about it: even bird protection people get very fed up of people opposed to development claiming rare species as an excuse, if there is no real proof of the birds. (I know this because I'm working on a big piece about another species of threatened bird at the moment.)
[Post edited 13 May 2019 14:31]
If it is true then I think it would be an easy win for the club to delay the development a few months to allow them to nest and could even incorporate a green/living roof into the new building to provide a protected area for skylarks to nest in future years.
If it is true then I think it would be an easy win for the club to delay the development a few months to allow them to nest and could even incorporate a green/living roof into the new building to provide a protected area for skylarks to nest in future years.
Let's also drop 'Superhoops' for 'Skylarks'. It's time Jude took a break anyway.
Nearly August innit. What ‘scuse we gonna fink of next to stop us crackin on wiv work on dah Farm?
Mmmmmmmmmmmm
My hat has melted in this exceptionally clement weather, I’m on a bit of a diet, so you’ll forgive me for no longer expecting to eat my old tit’fer on this one. It’s oh so quiet.....
Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal
Nearly August innit. What ‘scuse we gonna fink of next to stop us crackin on wiv work on dah Farm?
Mmmmmmmmmmmm
My hat has melted in this exceptionally clement weather, I’m on a bit of a diet, so you’ll forgive me for no longer expecting to eat my old tit’fer on this one. It’s oh so quiet.....
There was also talk of the club paying for it by borrowing from the supporters through a Bond issue. That doesn’t happen overnight but it’s been as quiet as the grave on that front as well. Who knows, perhaps it’s all ready to go and paid for!
Just put on a Percy Edwards CD when the council come round.
Calibre of weapons used here far too large - suggest .177 or .22 air rifles and a black plastic sack. For the skylarks, however, catapults and stones will suffice.
Of course. The whole thing has been about delay delay delay until hopefully QPR pull the plug. That's been the tactic. Like you say, come August, it'll be a water vole or some such sht.
Was speaking to somebody at the club a couple of weeks back about that letter that went round and an official start date and they said the reason they were being cagey and cautious about when exactly they were starting (though it is soon) is because they're aware supporters are fed up with all this "jam tomorrow" stuff and are now at the "believe it when we see it" stage.
They also said the club and the council were very keen to be doing everything to the absolute letter - both legal process and council processes - so that nobody can turn round and point out some technicality that then reopens the possibility of another legal challenge. Because then, of course, whether they win the legal challenge or not, it'll just get appealed, appealed, appealed, delayed, delayed, delayed again. So if this skylarks thing is indeed a thing, we've just got to go with it. Worse thing we can do is leave ourselves open to a fresh challenge of any sort.
This is all a large part of the reason our country is literally turning into a giant pile of sh!t.
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