Driving home the point

This blog is not going to be as full of words as some as the others, but thanks to my good friend Sastro on Flickr, I think the point I wish to make is loud and clear.


In the Spring, we all like to walk and enjoy our surroundings. We may first enjoy the new lambs

We see the birds building their nests

We all love to hear the birds sing, and we know Summer is on the way. 

We see our rarest reptiles coming out of hibernation to mate.

We notice the glorious colors of the males as they come into season.

 The females spend some time relaxing before they have young to think of..

Our rarest spiders come out of hibernation to feed on pests and breed..

Our migrant birds fly in and enjoy the sun before they breed..

The Beetles emerge to begin their clean up of the environment of grazing cattle..

The first Butterflies begin to emerge from caterpillar

To Butterfly..

The stunning Dragonflies and Damsels crawl out of the water and cling onto reeds to emerge after two years in the water. They have just a few weeks as flying wonders, to safely crawl out the water, dry out and mate before they die. Dragonflies and Damsels are the best pest control, as they eat our pestering biting bugs, and are in turn, super food for a wonderful bird of prey, the Hobby.

We notice the birds laying eggs...

We all go awwwwwwww when we see babies...

Despite the wildlife, we do all love our own choice of pet.. R.I.P Chuckles 2010

Our much loved Gizmo, still with us, and adored.

No matter how much we love them, they can become a pest to the wildlife we all want to see and adore. Gizmo was savaged by an off lead, out of control dog, in front of my son, who is now traumatized for life. Gizmo is ok physically, but mentally he is not the same...


But even if people were to ignore that. What for our children. What should they be witnessing from their own mother's poor control of dogs? With many thanks to my dear friend Sastro.

Six children, all enjoying the great outdoors, all potential witnesses to a murder of a Swan, or a dog on the receiving end if you choose to see it that way.. Not quite the peaceful happy day out planned?


Perhaps a closer view to really hammer the point home?

I wouldn't want to spoil the day in the life of a dog..

Or to come between a dog and a cherished moment with their loved one's

But please, just respect and cherish wildlife as it should be. Owning a dog is choice, wildlife is survival and will be lost unless people open their eyes to what they have. 


Thank you so much, my dear friend Sastro who shared the photos of the Swan being terrorized. I have seen it myself, and couldn't hang around, not in front of my children. I understand how traumatic it must have been to see that, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart. xxx

The balanced view

I have always been a great believer in one thing. If you want people to see your point of view, and understand why you may be passionate, you have to show a balanced view. That is, you highlight the good as well as the bad, so that people understand that you are not some misery killjoy.


 (Just to hammer the point home) Many people just don't want to see Swans attacked, nesting birds forced from their nests, habitats destroyed (even if it is unwittingly) owners ignoring all the signs and the law. We and many others, do not choose to be slobbered on and soaked by wet dog, muddy pawed, barked at, have an uninvited dogs nose joining our picnics, to endure the endless sounds of an owners bad recall,  to be knocked off our feet or terrorised by a "friendly" dog,  a face full of great Dane while watching a Beetle, or a small dog yapping in a nature reserve that states dogs must be on a lead,  when enjoying some family time, some individual time, a rare moment of peace and sanity, or when we may be teaching our children to respect other's space, and they are learning about their environment, which will hopefully protect our nature in the future, so that dog walkers actually have somewhere to go in future other than a concrete jungle!!


To start off, I would like to highlight some points. I love dogs, and I wouldn't want anyone to think otherwise. So I want to state, that part of why I have such a problem with off-lead dogs in certain areas, who's owners have little control, is that I am actually concerned for the dog's welfare as much as the wildlife I adore, and actually everyone's own personal space and choices.


I have spent some time trying to research about wildlife crime, the law on control of dogs, humans too for that matter, and there were some issues even I didn't know about. How many dog owners realise that if their dog disturbs grazing cattle on farmland, their dog could be legally shot? If they get away with being shot, grazing cattle could become un nerved and cause danger to other people walking without dogs. Shocking, but fact. How many dog owners realise, that their dog is an extension of them, and if their dog unwittingly disturbs wildlife, they could be prosecuted? How many people realise that, if their loose dog causes a nuisance to ANYONE else they could be prosecuted?  How may people actually bother to research dog friendly zones?


 I learned the other day that Upton Heath has a dog friendly agility part, designed for off lead dogs to play safe and exercise off lead. The reasoning? To try and cut down the amount of off lead dogs on precious heathland! Also, having spoken to many dog trainers, a dog who has no leadership is a MISERABLE dog, who will challenge authority and eventually get hurt by another dog, teaching them some manners!


I love dogs. I don't want to see them restricted. I would not want to see responsible owners prosecuted, or stopped walking their dogs off lead. One other problem highlighted, is that there is such a huge problem with perception. 


What makes a good dog owner? One that loves their dog unconditionally, spoils them rotten, pandering to their every need, giving them a hierarchy over their own, and treating them like babies? Some dog owners would disagree. A tiny little pampered pooch, who gets picked up at the slightest contact, spells disaster to some, yet the owner of the small dog, would perceive they are doing the right thing by protecting them from the big bad....world? Then you have the owners of the big dogs. Big and friendly, that bound up to anyone they see. Clumsy, bouncy, happy, full of life, just trying to be friendly, but intimidating to some people, who choose not to own a dog. Whatever the perception, the problem becomes a problem if people hold a strong opinion, and there are opposing sides.


So this is my side as it is my blog. I have, and will continue to voice my opinion on what I perceive are selfish dog owners. I don't care if the dog is big or small. The owner problem is the issue, and needs to be addressed. 


So, without further ado, I will tell a story of my dog owner hero of the day. (I will get to the point) First off, I feel terrible that I didn't actually get a photo of this dog and owner, but trust me when I say I was impressed, and I just have to tell the story. 


Morden Bog, Wareham, Dorset. First off, the most sensible dog fouling sign I have seen, even if some dog owners see it as a challenge, not a sarcastic hint. Even so. "Dog walkers, if your dog fouls here, please do not put it in a bag and throw it into a hedge. Your bag will take several 100's years to decompose, and there is no one here to clean up after you, so we would rather you left it" or something like that. Give some dog owners an excuse to dodge their responsibilities they will, but hey, as long as there is a sign right? Instead of them enjoying the sarcastic loopholes, why don't they have a conscience?  Shame the dog owners ignore the ones that actually refer to the law and the welfare of wildlife, but better that than picking up their dogs poo, putting it into a bag and throwing it in hedges etc.


It's quite amazing really. We must have spent 2 hours at Moorden Bog today. A large field, perfect for a good run of any small, medium, or large dog to be free, and foul to it's hearts content. Yet we saw just one dog, and on the way out. A 5 month old spaniel. I could see from a distance, this dog was only interested in it's leader. I have never seen such a good recall, let alone from such a young dog. We walked closer, we could see this dog, just dying to say hello, but looking to it's leader for permission. I couldn't resist, the dog was gorgeous. I gave the cue to it's leader, and the dog was given permission to say hello. Such a lovely dog, that we all fussed over. You might wonder why I said the word "leader" instead of owner. This wasn't an owner, but a friend of the owner, who was doing a favor for a friend, and she told me that she was just re-enforcing the owners wishes. She did so, and I hope with pride.


Now, how many dog owners could say the same? If a person in control of  of such a young dog could have such fantastic control, why can't everyone else? Is it really too much to ask? I'm not about trying to spoil fun. I like to have fun. Who doesn't? Many dog owners have called me selfish, miserable, intolerant and a hater of dogs. I want to put the record straight. It's not the case. I love dogs, and I accept their presence, and an owners choice to walk their dogs. Just why don't these people respect me, my family, the wildlife we explore together? Or anyone else for that matter?

Rogue Dog Owner Blog

How difficult is this to understand?

Right, well first off, I like dogs. All breeds, all sizes. What I don't like is selfish owners, who are ruining our parks, countryside and wildlife. I believe in live and let live, and people can do more or less what they like, as long as it doesn't impact massively on others. I walk many nature reserves, and it's become a real family hobby, for which my children also enjoy. A typical family day out for us, will be a visit to a nature reserve or park, and any spare time I have, I would rather go to a nature reserve than do anything else.


We all respect other people's space. If we see someone with a camera or binoculars, we tread carefully and are quiet as to not disturb them. If a cyclist cycles past, we move out the way. If someone passes the time of day, we pass it back. If we pass people with a dog on lead, they stop to talk, we fuss the dog and chat. If we see a dog off lead, paying full attention only to it's owners, and walking by their side, we accept their presence. If we have a picnic, we take home our litter. It's quite telling really, that my daughter asked me yesterday if it was ok to pick daises, which was on a list from a borough run easter egg hunt. 


So, I have a point to make. That is, many times I have been accused of being selfish. I have been accused of hating dogs, and wishing for them to be banned off lead anywhere. I want to dispel that accusation, and show how they actually impact on the wildlife, my family and others, and explain how the actions of many have formed my opinion.


For such a defensive section of society, why can't some dog owners show us some courtesy? First example. Yesterday, me and my daughter were at a nature reserve, photographing small birds. We knelt down because a robin was on the ground feeding and getting closer and closer. Within minutes, 2 dogs charged through the undergrowth, one Sharpe and one Collie, chasing each other. The owners knew each other, and stopped to talk to each other. The owner of the Sharpe said "I will say one thing, watch your legs, and I'm sitting down because I can see someone getting knocked off their feet and it won't be me" On top of this, the owner of the Collie re-called her dog, and said "I want him back as I don't want him running into that smelly stuff" Totally and quite unbelievable selfishness on so many levels.


First off, the dogs off lead (illegally and within view of a dogs on lead sign) were running through the undergrowth, potentially destroying ground nesting birds, damaging the habitat, quite possibly killing small mammals and frightening nesting birds. Just why would they bother going to a nature reserve if they are ignorant to the damage their dogs are doing?


Secondly, it's very noble to not want your dog to be smelly, but that shouldn't be the reason for recalling a dog. That smelly stuff supports a range of valued and protected wildlife, it's the smelly stuff that needs protecting from the dog, not the other way around, so the same question of just why would they bother going to a nature reserve if they are ignorant to the damage their dogs are doing?


Third point. If they know their dog is capable of knocking an adult of their feet, why would they let that dog off lead in a nature reserve, during the holidays that was having a family day, with lots of children and even toddlers walking about? 


Forth point, these owners could see us with our cameras, but they didn't give us a second thought as to what we were doing, and that their selfishness stopped us from doing what we were doing. They did not respect us or show us any courtesy what so ever, but instead stood talking, and laughing at how their dogs were "so disobedient but mean no harm" 


We walked a little further, and were looking into the hedges at the many birds there. Then another loose dog ran up to us growling and barking, with the owner shouting "It's ok he's friendly" So next question, how do we know a dog is friendly when the owners have no control, and they run up ignoring the calls and acting aggressively? 


The point I want to make the most is, I don't care if your dog IS friendly, we do not choose to have muddy paws on us, to be covered in water after an illegal dip in water or smelly stuff, to hear your endless shouting of a terrible recall, and dogs noses joining our picnic! 


So, I have decided now, to do a rogue dog owner blog where, I will be taking photo's of dogs who are victims of bad owners.


I shall start with this one. During a pleasant Sunday afternoon walk, two middle aged men sat on a green near to a protected lake, with cans of beer whilst they sat and watched their out of control dogs, jumping into the lake retrieving sticks thrown in for them.  Two Swans were becoming protective, and hissing at the dogs. One of the men shouted out "that ****ing Swan better not attack my dog" That was his concern. I saw one dog try to lunge at the Swan, but luckily for the Swan, the dog was slightly out of depth. Families were arriving, and a small child was stood on the edge of the water trying to feed the Swans, bringing them in closer. I was worried for the child and the Swans, a concern not shared by these selfish owners. So this is my first picture. The dog had pulled this branch from the water himself. 

This second shot shows a child about to ride through on a bike, with this dog running towards with this huge branch.

Needless to say, our family walk was cut short. I did not want to see a Swan killed, a child injured, or even the dog in trouble. 


There is another hazard I want to highlight, and I struggle to comprehend the mentality of a dog owner doing this. Leaving the dog's mess behind is bad enough. I believe in sharing, but I really do not want to have a share of  dog poo on any of our feet that gets trodden in my car, and then round my house. 


But worse, if that's possible, are the dog owners that actually pick their dog's mess up, tie it into a bag, and throw it into trees, bushes or on fences. Just simply....why? And just to say, I have heard a defense, and that is there is an absence of poo bins, I will address that. First off, I have seen poo bags in trees, hedges and fences where a poo bin is less than 20 yards away. I have heard, "what about other animals poo?" These animals are native to the environment, they live there, and nature deals with this problem in it's own way. We make a choice to visit nature reserves and enjoy WILDLIFE. Dog poo isn't WILDLIFE. Then they say, "what about foxes and cats in the undergrowth?" Foxes are native and wildlife, cats cannot be restricted, except for cat proof fences which are a legal requirement on a heath, and I can't remember the last time I saw a cat in a protective reserve, unlike loose dogs. Then I direct you to my main point, your dog ownership is your choice, your responsibility. That is from what goes in, to what goes out. You are responsible if your dog destroys a habitat. Your problem if you want to own a dog.


So every time I go out, I will be taking pictures that demonstrate the menace of some dog owners and I will shame them all. I am also going to keep complaining to the borough about it, because it is ruining the reserves and the enjoyment of many. I would not want to stop dog's being able to be walked on reserves, but if owners can't take responsibility I won't stop until they are. So look out for me and my camera, and remember to smile. If you are an irresponsible dog owner, you and your dog will be on my blog. 


This is a song I wrote, Earth Song Style. A light hearted, but serious message behind it though!



What about Smooth Snakes, what about frogs, what about all the life you destroy with your offlead dogs...


What about Nightjars, is there a time, what about all the things you destroy with your offlead crime?




Did you ever stop to notice, your doggy took a shit, did you ever stop to notice, a toddler stepped in it..... erghhhh Aaaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaaah etc




Beach, parks and playing feilds, it's about time, that walking dogs off lead-there, was treated as a crime?


Children are innocent, pick up from the ground, a stone, stick or or a peice of dog shit, left laying all arround...


Signs put up all around, for everyone to see, the trouble with some dog owners, is "that it don't apply to me"


I used to dream, of a nature reserve to share, if only all dog owners would show they really care............Aaaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaaah


Children get told off, for walking on the grass, but you can't even be responsible for what comes out your dogs arse.


Children hey what's that, a Robin, crow or Tit, sorry kids it's my mistake, it's a bag of doggie shit...


Aaaaaaaaaaah Aaaaaaaaaaah

Spring and Summer 2011 my Thoughts

I haven't blogged for a while. I have been stressed out to the max, and the weather has been nice, so I have been enjoying it. I thought I would spend some time going over what I have seen over the past few months, and my thoughts on the weather for the next few months...maybe..:) I take note of how Wildlife behaves, and I try to make a guess as to what weather patterns I think are likely, along with analysis of weather charts.

It starts with the recent Winter. For example, in November last year, before the prolonged Snowy weather, I had a unique experience of a Robin, Squirrels, and Ducks eating out of my hand at Upton Country Park. The wildlife is totally wild there, and it is not something that had happened before in my 2 years of regular walking there.

Robin eating out of hand

Even more noticeable, was that the animals were putting themselves further at risk, to get a share of the food. The Robin was daring, and ignoring the Squirrel's very obvious threatening stance, and the Ducks left the water to join the handouts, again, encroaching on the Squirrel but slightly more wary than the Robin, but understandable because Ducks aren't as nimble as a Robin. A week or so later, cold weather was forecast, but we had no idea how bad it would effect us, or even for how long. We live in a tiny micro-climate here in this part of Dorset, so we can never be sure whether our weather will provide us what is forecast, especially when it comes to Snow, but after the observations I had made, I felt pretty sure something remarkable was on the horizon. We got our Snow, but once it had all melted, I saw no signs that the Winter was going to ever bite back, in fact the opposite. I saw laid back wildlife, with none of the desperation to feed and store as I had seen in November. Early signs of Spring were showing with Catkins starting to bloom late January, and the surprise for me was seeing Bee's in February! So onto Spring!



Bee's in February



Spring 2011 has so far been fairly remarkable in my opinion, due to the Winter dying an early death, and Spring taking over quickly, with an early warmth I cannot ever remember happening before. I thought our May warmth of last year was exceptional, but this year has beaten that by a long way. Three BBQ's under our belts, and a lovely Suntan to boot! I have made a fair few observations so far, which leave me feeling confused as to how Summer will pan out. I shall explain further.

There seems an abundance of insects around. Last year I hardly saw any ladybirds, but this year I have seen several types and in huge numbers. Bee's also seem to be doing well, it's great to see so many big Bumblebees after the worrying shortages last year. Ants, Beetles and flies are doing great, with again, large numbers seen, and the surprise for me is the amount of butterflies seen. They seem to be emerging early, and several different types as well, with Comma, Peacock, Brimstone and Speckled woods doing well so far. I have also seen 2 different types of Caterpillar so far, including a woolly bear being attacked by wood ants! In my pond I have huge numbers of Damselfly Nymphs, and in numbers I haven't seen before in my 4 years of having a pond. The Pond skater numbers are large and mating. My Newts and Frogs are also doing well. Out and about, Adders, Smooth Snakes, Sand Lizards, Common Lizards and even wall Lizards have been seen in fairly large numbers, so that's great!



Minotaur Beetle





Caterpillar



Slow Worm

Female Sand Lizard Basking

Bloody Nosed Beetle/Oil Beetle

Hover flies Mating

 

Onto the birds, Chiffchaffs arrived early, and I've seen a fair few Swallows so far. Last year I barely saw any, so this early in the season, it is great. I have seen lots of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, but barely heard them drumming, unusually enough, but it's still early. I have heard loads of Green Woodpeckers laughing at me as usual, as I try to spot one! I have seen plenty of Buzzards, Kestrels, A Peregrine, and a Hobby. I had the pleasure of seeing the early arrivals of Wheatear, and saw the Guillimots and Razorbills gathering at Durlston. In my hedge in the front garden, I have a large family of House Sparrows that are very active. I have never seen so many Long Tailed Tits as I have this year and the bird song from the Blue Tits and Great Tits seems to outshine the Dunnocks and Robins! Sadly, it does seem to me the Dartford Warbler has suffered from the early cold, but it is still a pleasure to see them when they do pop up.

Dartford Warbler



Fulmer

Kestrel

Guillemots and Razorbills



Wheat-ear





Great Spotted Woodpecker

Most noticeable to me is the amount of Spring Flowers. The flowers have truly thrived. The Blossom, Daffodils, Bluebells etc have had a bumper year. In my garden, luckily for my tortoise, I have the most amount of Dandelion I have ever seen! So many flowers! It seems everywhere you look, there is a sea of colour from a bumper Spring of flowers. With the big Moon we saw, it's really been an utterly fantastic, BUMPER Spring! No need for tons of photo's of flowers, just look outside!

The big Moon of 2011

Close up of a Daffodil

So what does this mean? Well, to be honest, I don't know. We had a BUMPER Autumn followed by an early Winter then early Spring. Now we are faced with a BUMPER Spring and early warmth. I don't believe that the weather is predictable in the long term per se. If it was, common sense would suggest the bumper Spring and early warmth and unusually dry March, would indicate a damp Squibb of a Summer. We have had Australian Floods due to the phenomenon of a strong La Nina. Folk law suggests that our weather mirror's Australia's, in that, if the Australian Summer is poor, so would ours be. The powers that be, suggest the UK is not affected by La Nina, but I'm not so sure. La Nina's indicate a harsh early Winter, followed by average or above average temps. That's exactly what we have seen here, draw your own conclusions. Is the abundance of wildlife in Spring indicative of a warm Summer? Or is wildlife just making the most of conditions while it can..who knows. I for one, am looking forward to finding out in what seems to me to be, yet another exceptional season.

My gut feeling goes for a warm theme. Don't ask why, I can't tell you, but I am looking forward to how this year pans out for my records. In the short term, there is little evidence of any real rain on the way, and despite what you may feel outside today, these slightly below average temperatures won't last. Over the next few days, we will see temperatures average for this time of year. Into the weekend and next week, we will see things settling back down again, with high pressure building, and temperatures slightly above average. My motto for the month, is to enjoy the warm, dry weather when you can!