look whats been done tomy feeding station :(

hi all
iv got a feeding station close to home next to a pond used by a fishing club. over the last week or two because the lock on the gate has been broke some people have wandered on to the land used and rented by the club to look at the birds, the fishermen have been moaning obout this and then i find my feeders smashed up and my mate who fills the feeders for me and watches the bird too has had a note put through his door saying the following.( this is a fishing club not a birdwathing club and never will be and whats happend to day take as a warning) please not i have not got a written permission but the owner of the land is well aware of me using the land as a feeding station and has never said he has a problem with me and has spoke to me on numerous visits to the station. i dont know what to do next the owner in question is on holliday for the next month and i dont think it will be a good idea to put some more feeder till then but the birds are going to suffer with no food. have you come across this before and what do you suggest i do


thank in advance chris

link to my damaged station :(


http://www.flickr.com/photos/csjones/sets/72157623520020452/

hi chris

sad as it is, there are mindless idiots about

my view - guns !!!!!

jeff acreman

The police won't care but surely that's criminal damage. I get the police to have a word. I'm guessing the note was hand written?

yes the letter was hand written and by 2 diffrent people, i also forgot to say that my bird table ended up in the middle of this swampy area with my woodpecker pole.

hi Chris, really a sad thing this, a friend of mine happened some similar
Bertl

Some how one or more among the fishing fraternity feel theatened by your presence. I would put a couple of the feeders back up and make a point of going to speak to all of the fishermen that I can. Tell them what has happened and in conversation, make it clear to them that you don't pose any sort of threat to them or what they do. Hopefully they are not employing any illegal control measures against cormorants or other birds.

I doubt it is any comfort, but I get my hides and feeder sites vandalised at least once a year. Unfortunately, it seems to the price you have to pay if you want to engage in a harmless pursuit in the British countryside these days.

sad as it is, there are mindless idiots about

my view - guns !!!!!

LOL! Steady on Jeff, I think that may be deemed just a little OTT.
Just out of interest, what did you have in mind,
One of these perhaps.


Sorry to hear about your site Chris. I had a feeding station wrecked last year and know just how infuriating it can be

there is some one who has said he has shot some cormorants he said he is also going to get the heron that visits the pond he has already shot all the squirals and is now guning for the maggies and its sad as he does have permission from the owner of the land but i dont think the owner knows he is shooting every thing that moves.

i think his name is elmer fudd

As I understand it, you need a license to shoot cormorants, I would take the vandalism matter up with the fishing clubs secretary, then I would contact the land owner and get proper permission from him, explain to him what has happened, he might be able to put a bit of pressure on the fishing club to take more responsibility. If you report it to the police, you will get a crime reference number, you could wave it in front of the secretary's nose, no club would like to be implicated in a crime.

Of course it might not be the anglers at fault, just mindless vandals, some one also knows who your mate is and where he lives, that could be something to go on, all the anglers I know would never do anything like this, most like to see the wildlife around them.

The birds will do alright, they did before we started feeding them, and making quick and easy fly through's for the sparrow hawks

Chris,

In light of the fact that someone was sad enough to do the criminal damage (yes, your feeders cost money and will cost you to replace/repair), write the letter and post it through your friends door, I would report the matter to the police. Chances are that they will do nothing, but they will then have been made aware of the situation, and the potential for further 'disturbance'. If anything else then happens, there is a 'history' on which they can begin to think about acting...

I'd possibly wait until the land owner is back before you think about replacing the feeders, in the meantime if you want to continue feeding the birds, then a small amount of food scattered on the ground would keep them supplied - but don't put too much down that it remains overnight and attracts rats.

Chris
Is there no where else nearby where you can start again - on private land ?

I am affraid its the image that any "conservationists" have earned for them selves.
Think of the big Mink release years ago. That didn't help.
Cheers
John

thanks for all your replies, im going to do nothing till the land owner gets home then show him the photos of the damage and tell him of the attitued of the fishing club then take it from there.

In my humble opinion, speaking as an ex copper, there are two options open to you. 1, inform the Police even if all they do is record the matter it will be of interest, it may be that they are unaware of the shooting of the cormorants and even with the land owners permission the cormorant should not be being shot without licence, A licence cannot, to my knowledge, be obtained for Heron so whilst that is only an idle threat at the moment it will interest the Police. I hope your local force has a Wildlife liaison Officer, he would be the person to ask for in the first instance. The vandalism is criminal damage (if anything was broken) and should be recorded as such, enquiries are limited but the letter may be a tool with which the police can approach the fishing club. The landowner may not be aware that the "shooter" is indescriminate in his choice of prey or of the laws etc.He too should be approached by the Police and advised.
2. If you dont go down the Police road then I think an approach to the landowner is a must, gently pointing out all of the above. A letter to the secretary of the fishing club is also a must. But keep in mind that if you've had no problems until the lock was broken then there's a chance its because of the "other people" you referred to entering the land causing problems.

Oh and I wouldn't mention Elmer Fudd, thats a bit too fishy.

Hope this helps.

just a quick update late on saturday my friend who feeds the birds had a letter pushed through his door, you can see this letter for your selves on the link to me this hole situation is getting out of hand we are now getting physical threats.