A new raft of predators

As the wild pheasant broods begin to hatch and get on the move, the focus of predator control starts to shift to mink, stoats and weasels

- MIKE SWAN

Well, we can heave a small sigh of relief, because by now most of our wild pheasants will have hatched. The partridges will be through soon too.

We saw our first pheasant brood on 19 May and, by then, what were pairs of wild greys had become cocks on guard while their faithful wives were incubating. By mid-June, the bulk of the partridges should be away too.

Once their chicks are hatched, and the broods of game are on the move, vulnerability to predation drops quite a bit. This applies to waders such as lapwings and curlews too, as well as ducks and geese.

Foxes can still bump into them, of course, but not hiding in the same place day and night is a big help. Also, while crows will still nab a chick or two, they cannot clear out a whole nesting attempt as easily as they can when they find a clutch of eggs. So to some degree, we can ease up on the predation control. The really vital time is now past, but there is still much to do. I will probably keep some fox snares going until the end of the month, just in case, and carrying on with the Larsens will also help.

We should not forget that many of the songbirds we love to support nest more than once in a summer. So while our game is relatively safe, there will still be broods of blackbirds and thrushes that are easy for the crows and magpies to spot.

Late breeders