Garden Wildlife UK

WWIII on the 'Today' programme !!
Chap on yesterday who maintained that cats were killing 1.5 billion (yep) birds in Britain per annum and all cats should either be confined to their owner's house or walked outdoors on a lead. All other cats, domestic or wild, should be rounded up and killed (yep).

This morning, 'Today' had Chris Packham to give the alternative view: he opined that "1.5 billion" was absolute nonsense, 55 million was the accepted Best Guess and that birds have adapted over time to produce many more chicks than necessary in order to account for the predation.
To gate/leash/kill cats is a cruel thing, absolutely against their free-roaming nature.

Someone tweeted in that he lived on a farm which was overrun by rats and mice. The purchase of a single moggy cleared the place out as quick as, and he had never seen said farm cat with a bird in its jaws.

Nick Robinson ended the item by saying that he had rescued a 'half-dead bird' from the jaws of his cat - a lovely example of the Beeb's even-handed impartiality in all things ........

We have chewed this over a few times in the past and I think we all agree there is no way you can stop Cats hunting as it is in their genes. All we can do is make it more difficult for them to be successful. When I read how extreme some folk get over this I do worry for their sanity.

That's what worried me all day . That chap was almost spitting with suppressed rage; he brooked no quarter - it was inside or death, no compromise.
He happened to be raging in an American accent which somehow made the item a little bit surreal. Anyway, tomorrow might continue the argument .......
For sure, cats .v. birds always get folkses going

This is one of the five cats who live across the road. It is taking an unnecessary rest in the sunshine on the birds' feeding ground, stamped hard and bald by a thousand little feet

It's got that look

Placi, Kindly inform your visitor that it's presence is not required during daylight hours and to vacate the property. There is a shorter naval term for that instruction but it is not fit for a family forum.

Oh go on, you can tell us ........
Nothing else has worked .

Early spot, kitchen window - the black cat crouching on back fence behind the silver birch, looking upwards. "?", thought I, and sallied forth to remove tbc from the birds' breakfast venue.
After a short discussion we agreed democratically that it would sit where it liked, thank you very much so I retreated to kitchen driven by a combination of cold and no coat.
Immediately a magpie landed in the very adjacent cherry and gradually dropped down, branch by branch, until it was very close, but above and behind, tbc.
The cat stirred itself, and pretending to be dignified, walked along the fence, jumped down and vacated the garden. To loud cheering, the magpie also left, chalking up a Win.

The magpie's gradual, increasing proximity must have affected tbc because the coincidence was too much of a coincidence to be coincidental.
At least now I have learned how to get rid of tbc .......

I imagine the tbc has already had an encounter with the Magpie and chose not to repeat the experience.