70 SEPTEMBER 2019 WWW.SHOOTINGGAZETTE.CO.UKHeadkeeperDavidWhitbyonhisandthe
countryside’s relationship with corvids.The keeper’s viewM
ostif notallof thepanic
andpandemonium
followingNatural
England’scancellationof
thegenerallicencehasdisappeared
andlifereturnedmoreorlessto
normal.Attheendof lastmonth’s
article,I tentativelysuggested
perhapsa limitedcloseseasonfor
pigeonswouldnotbeallbad.We
tendto vigorouslyopposeanysuch
changes,viewingthemas thethin
endof thewedgeandimmediately
turndefensive,regardlessof the
proposals.ThoughI maybacka
limitedcloseseasonforpigeons
whenmanywillhavesquabs,I
statedI wouldnevercountenance
sucha breakforcorvids,andI have
beenaskedwhy,whentheytoo
wouldbesupportingyoungsters.
LongtimereaderswillknowI
havea love-haterelationshipwith
membersof thecrowfamily.Except
forthechough,I havekeptthem
allas pets,beenas closeto them
as anyof mydogsanddelightedat
theiranticsandcompany.I have
alsorelentlesslykilledthemat every
opportunitysinceI wasfirstable
to pulla trigger.I liketo thinkI
knowa thingortwoaboutour
corvids,thingsyouonlylearnwhen
theylivewithyou,observations
gainedwhen you get ‘up close and
personal’.
Foras longas I canto remember,
I hadpetsof theunusualkind.
Blackbirds,thrushes,kestrels,owls,
crows,foxes,a badger,countless
deer,anythingfoundinjuredor
orphaned.Fiftyyearsagotheroads
werealwayslitteredwithwounded
and dead songbirds, today notGamekeepingonlyaretheyfarlessin number,
butpredatorsmopthemupas
soonas theyarehit.Trafficwasan
importantsourceformychildhood
collectionof wings and additions to
mymenagerie.
Myfirstcorvidcameat theage
of aboutseven.I founda nestat the
topof a firtree,thegamekeeper
climbedit formeandI raised
a carrioncalledFred.Hewasa
companionfor 10 yearsormore,
hehelpedmeaccountforso many
of hiscousins,I knowit is illegal
now, but I would give him a rabbit,pheasantchicksa day,deadin shell
chicksfromhatcheswereusedto
feedpastpetsandtheirconsumption
wasstaggering.If thisis multiplied
bya broodof fourandconvertedto
farsmallersongbirdchicksandeggs
then the destruction is devastating.Those who only see
what they want to see
Allmembersof thecrowfamilywill
takeeggsandchicks,butravens,
carrionsandmagpiesarebyfarthe
worst.A singlepairof carrioncrows
ona wildbirdshootwillcreate
sheerhavocamonggrouse,partridge
andpheasantnests,thedestruction
of eggsandyoungrunningin to
hundreds.The‘Packhams’(a term
I usefortheywhoseeonlywhat
theywantto see)willinsistcorvids
havea catholicdiet,andof course
theyarecorrect.Theirwide-ranging
dietis a majorpartof theirsuccess
story,adaptingandlivingoffmanÕs
producehasensureda 12-month,
fullystockedlarder.Thecrows
don’tstarveso readilyin a big
freeze,theyfinda tip,raidlivestock
feed,travelto townsandliveoff
thebirdswhosuccumbto roadsor
thecold.Thosein denialof corvid
damagewillcitea 12-monthdiet
plan,whichwillof courseinclude
everythingfromwormsto waste,
butduringthespringourcrowsare
firmlyfixedoneggsandchicks for
theirever-hungrybroods.
Asbadas crowsandmagpiesare,
ravenstakedeathanddestruction
to wholenewlevel.I hadmyfirst
ravenabout 25 yearsago.Bred
in captivityhecostme£500,
little was I to know that was only“A single pair of
carrion crows on
a wild bird shoot
will create sheer
havoc among grouse,
partridge and
pheasant nests.”tetherhimandsitundera bushwith
my.410.Fredwassoonjoinedbya
magpieNanraisedforme.Magpies
areunforgivingif youmissa meal,
unlikecrowstheytendto dierather
quickly.Fredwaseasyto rear,I
wouldstarthisfeedat firstlightand
fillhimuntilI leftfortheschool
bus,rushhomeandfeedhimagain
throughoutthelateafternoonand
evening.Magpieswouldsimply
notlastthatlong.Thethingthat
willshockanyonerearinga corvid
forthefirsttimeis theamountof
foodtheyconsumeas youngsters.A
young crow will happily eat 10 dead