[Marches Farmer]

The RSPB seems to keep very quiet about th protected and growing number of raptors predating our increasingly rare reptiles.  We found an injured grass snake on the lane yesterday and took it to our nearest small animal vet.  I phoned this morning as I thought if it survived I'd need to collect it and release it near to where I found it.  The vet had taken it home with her last night but it hadn't survived.  She said, though, that the wound appeared to be a rip or tear and suspected a buzzard had grabbed then dropped it. 

[BrimwoodFarm]

Oh, interesting. I hadn't thought about that side of things. There are a breeding pair of buzzards, as well as several owls, on my farmland and I've been doing my best to increase biodiversity. Hadn't thought of the reptile side of things though....which I suppose I ought to if I'm trying to encourage those too.

[chrismahon]

The two creatures that predate young snakes in our garden are the cat and the chickens. I've had to rescue whip snakes many times. The one that got away was rather too big for the chickens though- 1.5 metres long!

[Marches Farmer]

This snake was about 90cm long.  The buzzards on the common land across the valley from us have been increasing at the same rate as the local snake  and lizard population has been decreasing.  A coincidence ....?  We have black adders on our farm and a pair of buzzards tried to nest in the wood a few years ago but we kept scaring them off and they gave up and moved on.

[devonlady]

Without meaning any offence, I think that if humans didn't interfere so much with wildlife, Mother Nature would work out things in the best way. I tell myself that if I didn't put out small bird feed on the land in winter, less song birds would survive, thus less songbird eggs and chicks for the magpies and crows to eat, so less magpies and crows next year.
 It's a dilemma though!

[Jukes Mum]

I think that if humans didn't interfere so much with wildlife, Mother Nature would work out things in the best way.

I think humans have interfered so much that this would not happen without completely removing humans.

[BrimwoodFarm]

I agree. We've changed the face of the Earth, disrupted habitats etc so it's one thing to say let nature take its course...but we've already altered that course forever.

I get what you're saying though, devonlady. Though I think, at the moment, Mother Nature is doing all she can to get rid of the Earth's main pest - us!

[Penninehillbilly]

I agree. We've changed the face of the Earth, disrupted habitats etc so it's one thing to say let nature take its course...but we've already altered that course forever.

I get what you're saying though, devonlady. Though I think, at the moment, Mother Nature is doing all she can to get rid of the Earth's main pest - us!

I'm not too sure about 'us', i think many on here could live in 'relative' harmony with the natural world, but there are always some who support some species over others,  we have some buzzards taken up residence in our bottom fields. I hate them, others are excited about them. 
I supposed man has been interfering with nature since we found we could use animals (and everything else i suppose) to our advantage, always convinced we know best :-(.
I just know I'd rather see the LBJ's then the predators.

[BrimwoodFarm]

Oh, I totally agree [member=22672]penninehillbilly[/member] . I was speaking more collectively. I feel like a different species sometimes when I hear people talking about their life, their disbelief of climate change, the fact they don't care about bees dying and what does it matter if they drop litter.

There are a lot of great folk out there who, I'm sure, could live WITH the Earth. Sadly there are just as many who, often through ignorance, just don't care.