Massacre of moorhens in Endcliffe Park

[Calahonda 11]

I recall letting my dogs off the lead on a bit of moorland that I knew had no stock in it. A gob on stick walked up to me and started to shout the odds about nesting birds, when I reminded him that it was November he hadn’t got a clue what I was talking about.

[cgksheff 44]

When I was last out at Stanage (my dog was on the lead despite her always sticking to paths and not being a chaser - she's a laid back Collie!) I was speaking to a conservationist and apparently it's illegal to have your dog off the lead when ground birds are nesting.

 

It depends on where you are.

On a Public Right of Way, you must have your dog under control (and on the path).

On Peak District Open Access Land, you must have your dog always under control but on a short lead between March 1 and July 31.

[Chelle-82 10]

Awww them poor little birdies

 

I have two dogs, one who is always off the lead and one who is NEVER off the lead because I don't trust him!!!! It really is down to the owners to be responsible whilst walking their dogs, if you are unsure how your dog will react then keep it on the lead..

 

However that being said, I was out walking with my springer spaniel on the Yorkshire moors when she was a puppy and it didn't dawn on me at that time that she would have the natural instinct to flush birds and this one day she was off like a shot!!! I was screaming and shouting at her (luckily no one else was around to hear me screeching like a mad woman) and it was almost impossible to get her to stop and come back to me but when she did come back she was holding in her mouth a baby bird which she gently put down on the ground at my feet.. It didn't appear to have any injuries and it got up and waddled off back into the heather..

 

This was a lesson for me and I learned from it so maybe this incident could have been a first for the owner of this dog and she/he will learn from it so maybe we should put the torches and pitchforks down eh..

[algorrobo 10]

Update; just been down to the pond today and have seen a pair of moorhens and I think 5 chicks! If this is the same family it looks as if the parents were able to protect most of the chicks from the dog, apart from the one which was swallowed.

What a relief !

My comments on keeping uncontrolled dogs on leads still stand, and yes the pond is only about a foot deep and had it been my dog ( and were I 50 years younger like it's owners) I would have waded in after it myself...

[Teachshef 10]

Update; just been down to the pond today and have seen a pair of moorhens and I think 5 chicks! If this is the same family it looks as if the parents were able to protect most of the chicks from the dog, apart from the one which was swallowed.

What a relief !

My comments on keeping uncontrolled dogs on leads still stand, and yes the pond is only about a foot deep and had it been my dog ( and were I 50 years younger like it's owners) I would have waded in after it myself...

 

Thank goodness not all the chicks were killed.

I would have gone in after my dog too even if she wasn't after the chicks but to tell her off for having bad recall!!

[Eater Sundae 12]

I think anyone who knows their dog isn't 100% obedient to a command (and let's face it, that's the vast majority of dogs) should keep it on a lead around any kind of wildlife or farmlife.

 

I also get so annoyed by seeing people walking ill-trained dogs off-lead in the peak district, around ground nesting birds, despite the fact that there are signs everywhere asking people to put them on a lead. About a month ago, I watched a guy running with two dogs near Higger Tor - one of them was completely and utterly out of control, to the point that it ran out of sight and then got completely confused about where it actually was.

 

As an aside...

 

Many years ago, probably nearly 30, I went for a walk with my then girlfriend (now wife) from High Bradfield. As we left the village we were "adopted" by an old looking spaniel. It happily walked at the side of us. After a while we reached more open countryside with lambs and nesting birds, I was worried so thought I'd better try and keep it to heel, but as it didn't have a lead I had to bend down to hold its collar. Very uncomfortable. It obviously wasn't necessary, as the dog showed no interest in any animals, but I daren't risk it. I would have been mortified if it had gone after the sheep 'on my watch'.

 

Also, as we reached styles, the dog would just stop, as it couldn't get over. I finished up having to lift it over. We also finished up giving it most of our drinking water.

 

Then, as we got back to Bradfield, (luckily we had been on a round walk), it trotted off down a side street. Well, by that stage it was clearly tired out and limping. I had an image in my mind of this dog adopting walkers on a daily basis.

[DerbyTup 10]

Dogs should be banned from public parks.

 

People who can't control their dogs should be banned from public parks.

[Padders 2,833]

 

People who can't control their dogs should be banned from public parks.

 

They should be banned from owning a dog...

[muddywolf 10]

Some ground nesting birds do it tinfoil, not seen any ducks do it .

 

Just saw this and thought of this thread.

https://i.imgur.com/ZbdTHYH.mp4

[robbo12 10]

What is required is for the Park to hire security who should be armed to deal with this

[Pyrotequila 401]

Many unsuccessful troll attempts happening here