We have a couple of pairs of Ravens that fly over our part of Bristol - near the gorge & suspension bridge.
It is great to hear their harsh 'honking' croak as they fly over.

We need more Crows and Ravens back, as they are what predates on the Magpies & Jays (we have a Jay that visits the garden and terrifies the cats!).
But what we really need back is our raptors. I saw a great TV documentary on the Falcons in New York. We could do with a lot of them in Bristol to kill off the flying rats and also some bigger versions (Goshawks maybe?) to see of the bl**dy Sea Gulls.

Our garden Nesting box has remained empty for years due to a plague of grey squirrels in the neighbourhood - they cannot get into it, but will climb up the sheer vertical wall it is on (like something out a Dracula movie) and perch on it - driving any nesting birds away.

I'm all on board with getting more predators back around the UK!  Eagles, hawks, bears, wolves, the whole shebang.

Kite territory here, ironically as its Leighton Buzzard!!!

Owlbears please:

Quote from: Leon on 22 February 2021, 01:37:21 PM
I'm all on board with getting more predators back around the UK!  Eagles, hawks, bears, wolves, the whole shebang.

Got Hawks and the very occasional Eagle up here (Just south of Glasgow).

Bears and wolves succumbed to human hunters several centuries ago.
There are some compelling arguments for their reintroduction, but nobody seems to have solved the "stopping them eating the ramblers" issue.

We ceratinly used to have Kestrels, although I haven't seen one for ages, used to nest on the tunnel vents.

Buzzards, Sparrow Hawk (in the garden yesterday) and Kestrels common here on the Eastern outskirts of Bristol. Red Kites making their way towards us but not seen any yet, which is a shame.

Quite a few Crows around us, ditto Magpies and plenty of Jays in the woods, but absolutely loads of Jackdaws over the past few years, probably around 50+ come home to roost in trees near us. Boy do they make a racket, especially in the Summer when the windows are open.

Sadly all we get here are sparrowhawks on rare occasions.  When we lived in Cornwall we had a full family of buzzards that were always overhead and would sometimes land on the rear hedge to eat. 

Quote from: steve_holmes_11 on 22 February 2021, 02:08:42 PM
Bears and wolves succumbed to human hunters several centuries ago.
There are some compelling arguments for their reintroduction, but nobody seems to have solved the "stopping them eating the ramblers" issue.

Well we've got the boars and beavers, with lynx next on the agenda!  I thought we had a small population of wolves in a confined area somewhere in Scotland but I can't find the article now.  I read the recent piece about putting European bison back in the south-east although my first thought was 'When did we have them in the first place?!'

Quote from: ianrs54 on 22 February 2021, 02:12:20 PM
We ceratinly used to have Kestrels, although I haven't seen one for ages, used to nest on the tunnel vents.

There used to be Peregrines nesting on top of "Paddy's Wigwam" - they had their own webcam. Are they still there? (been a while since I lived in the Pool...)

Wasn't aware of them , i am in the one eyed city. No bird life today but there are often rooks, crows, magpies, herring? (bloody big) gulls and of course pigeons on the rooves of Ridley St.

There are wolves in Shropshire...

Quote from: steve_holmes_11 on 22 February 2021, 02:08:42 PM

There are some compelling arguments for their reintroduction, but nobody seems to have solved the "stopping them eating the ramblers" issue.

Anyway what's the odd rambler here or there? It would make their walk more exiting. Conversation would go from "is that a lesser spotted warbler" or "look at that wild orchid" to

"Blooming heck that's a very large bear / pack of wolves - I bet I can run faster than you! "   

Just make sure you have a suitably decrepit person as one of your fellow ramblers.

Quote from: Orcs on 22 February 2021, 06:04:01 PM
Anyway what's the odd rambler here or there? It would make their walk more exiting. Conversation would go from "is that a lesser spotted warbler" or "look at that wild orchid" to

"Blooming heck that's a very large bear / pack of wolves - I bet I can run faster than you! "   

Just make sure you have a suitably decrepit person as one of your fellow ramblers.

It would certainly liven up my bicycle training.
Until now the main animal hazards have been loose livestock (ginger cows and ostrich).

Remember folks: You don't have to be faster than the predator, just faster than the slowest cyclist 


Great piece on the cascade benefits of reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone.
https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/wolf-reintroduction-changes-ecosystem

Including a reduction of bears stealing pick-er-nick baskets.

It's worth nothing that Yellowstone's area is half that of Wales.

Quote from: mad lemmey on 22 February 2021, 05:29:15 PM
There are wolves in Shropshire...

It is strange to go for a walk in the woods with your girl-friend and discuss what to do if a pack of wolves is encountered; also, to go blackberry picking and have to ensure that if a bear hoves into view, you can reach the car faster than the bear will.  I remain to be convinced that the reintroduction of some of this wildlife is 'a good thing'.

The shropshire wolves are safely enclosed (I hope  ) in about 100 acres. Not sure the farmers around here would be too happy them tearing around the sheep farms!