Is This Why So Many of Our Birds Are In Decline? Losing a Vital Habitat For Wildlife

In this video we look into why we are losing so many of our songbirds in the UK, due to loss of a certain habitat . . .
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#Birds #Nature #Wildlife #TurtleDove #GardenBirds #SongBirds #Habitat #Decline #WoodWarbler #Nature #Garden #GardeningForWildlife #WildlifeGarden #Gardening #Cuckoo #Nightingale #Scrub #Scrubland #Conservation #CountrysideManagement #Countryside

[@irishcottagerenovation9900]

As a professional gardener and wildlife enthusiast I recently left the uk as I was struggling to deal with people’s requests to tidying up TO much and watching councils cutting hedges at inappropriate times, trees taken down because people wanted a view or just didn’t like them without any consideration for any wildlife which might be there. Last straw was Sycamores chopped down in a bat feeding ground, owner didn’t give a monkey’s, tree officer phoned me two weeks later !!! Trees down Damage done. Unfortunately where I have moved to farmers are reclaiming land and removing scrub with big machines slashing trees with enormous machine. I’m lost for the answers now.

[@slashingbison2503]

I have planted my entire house and garden permiiter with hedges for wildlife, western red cedar in the front (30ft of length) so they can nest, and then back (35ft long) of native hedging mixed with hornbeam, beech, hawthorn and holly.

[@lesleyhawkins2547]

A new tragedy is unfolding here. I live on a National Trust owned common in North Herefordshire. The habitat is wonderful. Gorse, bracken, scru.b, woodland, wood pasture, ponds, springs,streams.The cuckoo comes back every year. But this year so far there is hardly any birdsong. I haven't heard a blackbird. I hear an occasional songthush ,robin, great tit. When I open my door in the morning the quietness is disturbing.

[@ChopsyMiche]

I came by to watch but then decided I wouldn't, I knew it would make me feel sad.

[@hazelhendersonhoggan3292]

I could weep at the amount of new builds going up near me in Watton and Norfolk area. Green spaces are disappearing at an alarming rate. Trees being felled at an alarming rate. We really do need our scrub land, they are not wasted spaces. I'm originally from just outside Edinburgh. Even there green areas are rapidly going. It's so sad. We are destroying our countryside

[@crazyjoep2344]

I used to work on Texel (Isle at our shoreline), there's a holiday park that's called Sluftervallei were you can stil find Turtle Doves in very small numbers. The funny thing is I once brought this amazing discovery up to the park manegers and they didn't even know, nor care about them. They say they run a "green park" but ive seen them spray stuff around against insects (spiders/ants etc) and herbs. And of course they would tell you it woudn't harm other animals..but hey we know better don't we.. :( Every poison is bad for nature.

[@oldgold1100]

There is just one scrub field close to me, it's is a rare thing to see now, compared to when I was younger.😔

[@charlotteseden9303]

You just answered one of the questions I had for a while now. In South Africa (where I'm from), there is a dove that does not sound like the doves here in the US. I just realized it is the Cape turtle dove. I just love their sound and really miss it. Anyway, we as humans need to change our way. People also use pesticides so easily and does not think about the consequences. Keep on doing what your'e doing. Hopefully more people will change their way. Since I've been watching you, I look at my dead tree branches differently. I was going to cut them down but now I'm going to leave it. The woodpeckers are storing all of their stash in it. I'm also leaving more areas alone for wildlife etc. Thanks for educating us. 😊

[@deborahflello2316]

The french videos are awesome Joel thank you so much and your statements about habitat loss are so true.

[@markhunter2244]

Excellent video again Joel. I’ve never actually seen a Cuckoo or a Turtle Dove in the wild, but with people like yourself highlighting the dire situation our wildlife is in, I’m hopeful more land owners farmers etc will follow your advice and all these birds become more common.

[@fruit1958]

Great video Joel !

[@janiedunn637]

❤ watching this. I’ve had a song thrush singing away most days since early February. I caught a glimpse of it last week. I’ve not heard a blackbird for ages. I heard the song thrush when it was still dark around 5am or just over.

[@williammallender8391]

Thank you for stating your points, they were so important. I have, over the years, come to the conclusion that things we took for granted when I was young are threatened.

[@macrolly23]

Biodiversity Loss has occurred here in Ireland at an alarming rate, and is ongoing. We have the lowest woodland cover in Europe, only 11 percent of our land is woodland , 90 percent of our woodland is commercial conifers. Our hedgerows, bogs and scrub land have been decimated to due to Agricultural intensification. Our dairy industry is mostly driving all this wildlife habitat loss. Most of our farmers have little interest in biodiversity or nature. They just want paddocks and electric fence wire. Hopefully the next generation will reverse some of the damage done. I own some land i have planted trees and i put in 100 meters of white thorn hedge rows in the last couple of months. In a positive note if you own even a small parcel of land plant, trees and shrubs to benefit wildlife, you will feel better for it.

[@colinjennings8778]

As the saying goes you are preaching to the converted mate. As a nation we treat our countryside like our gardens where everything has to be neat and orderly! When I did my felling and management plan for my woods, I put down 80% natural regrowth with only 20% re stocking as it was a paws site and had a good seed bank in the soil !

[@malcolmbell5266]

I think a major problem the UK has, is over-population. All the scrub land that was around the village where I grew up is now all housing. Add to that the fact the UK can only produce enough food to feed 50% of our current population. I was born in 1962 and the UK population in 62 was just over 53 million, as where today it's almost 69 million. Another great video though Joel.

[@winterfae6223]

I live in West Yorks. The situation in my neighbourhood is pitiful. There used to be so many trees and it was beautiful. In a decade nearly every tree has gone, for no reason it seems. The last straw was my next door neighbour tearing down a magnificent privet and elder hedge which supported many birds and bees. It greatly overlapped my garden and I loved it. They told me it looked better after it was all gone. How does one even respond to such ignorance. I have an apple tree in my garden. Years ago I would see up to around 40 blackbirds feeding on the fallen apples which I left just for them for the winter months. This year I saw around 6. Just 6. It makes me so sad. The government or councils need to do something about this decimation. More street trees would help and re-educating people on how to manage their gardens. This can't go on the way it is.

[@AmirsAllotment]

It is such an important message. I only ever heard the cuckoo in my childhood. Agree they will only ever return if we let habitats regenerate.

[@itsmewende]

I so appreciate all the advice, you know I love being a lazy gardener when it comes to mowing. 2 acres is quite a consuming amount of time, last yr I decided to let some of the way back yard go. Plan to do the same after one cut, it is a bit unruly now, so one and done 😊

[@lfac]

I’ve just recently found some fumarias in my garden, glad to know their importance!