Rabbits.

[Seeker]

Just an off-the-wall post about rabbits. There seems to be a lot more of them this year, it used to be rare (rarebit? sorry) but not this year in Lincs.

Anyone else remember the pre myxomatosis days when rabbits were everywhere?

Also, I don't know a buzzard from a red kite (or a kestrel from a sparrowhawk) but there seems to be a lot more birds of prey around too (bad news for the rabbits I suppose).

[redtrummy]

Rabbits are not as common around here as they used to be - I did, for a year or two have problems in the garden with them, but they disappeared almost overnight. No sign then of myxi. Red Kites are becoming more common, we have them in the local area - very distinctive with a swallow like tail shape. Hopefully there will be a place for us all.

[shiftin_gear98]

Slightly off piste, but I was in Marlow last weekend and they have signs up warning that red kites will pinch your picnic. I wonder if anyone's rat dog has been taken too?

Bloody loads of rabbits here.

[Craig380]

We've always had rabbits around here, but yes, there does seem to be even more than usual this year. They've obviously been breeding like, well, rabbits

And the big raptors like buzzards and kites have enjoyed a resurgence over the past decade or so because they're not being as actively killed by game wardens any more, and because of the reductions in the use of nasty pesticides.

It used to be thought that they were a big threat to game birds like grouse, partridge etc. However while they will take a sick / young / dead one, they usually actively hunt other birds in preference (such as pigeons, blackbirds, thrushes etc). They also eat rabbits, rodents, lizards and general carrion. They're also quite happy to eat worms and insects, they're not fussy. I love to see them, such beautiful birds.

[garynortheast]

Rabbits. Near the bottom of the food chain, food for all the larger predators.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by shiftin_gear98

Slightly off piste, but I was in Marlow last weekend and they have signs up warning that red kites will pinch your picnic. I wonder if anyone's rat dog has been taken too?

Bloody loads of rabbits here.

Marlow is just over the M40 from me - it's our posh neighbour.

The Kites have done so well since being reintroduced here in the Chilterns 30 years ago they've spread far and wide. Although they will swoop down and take a baby rabbit that's not paying attention (hence the signs in Marlow and other places nearby) they keep away from people. Gulls are far more likely to go for your picnic.

There may be more rabbits about but we rarely see squished ones on the road around here. The Kites and the increasingly huge numbers of Corvids (jackdaws, magpies and Jay's mainly) are very good at cleaning it all up...

[johnnyrod]

I used to go the Thame (BOC site) and would marvel at the massiveness of the kites, it's like Q the winged serpent. There are two strains of VHD/RHD going around which are very nasty but so far not as devastating to the rabbit populations as mxyi. Rabbit or viral haemorrhagic disease, really nasty, kills them a bit quicker though so I guess a bit more merciful, if you could call internal bleeding that.