As we're well into the breeding season yet again, it's a shame that I have to remind some users of this forum of guidelines they should really have read before even thinking of posting in the first place. So, please read the sticky posts!
Whilst posting commoner breeding birds in a general large area or site, without being specific to a location which others may be able to glean where it is, is acceptable, you should give serious thought to posting any breeding birds as to whether it is necessary on a public forum and what may be gained from doing so. Rather than posting on here why not just submit them officially to the GMBRG and put them to some good use?
I am doing a lot of editing currently, removing some schedule 1 breeding birds which should obviously not be posted on a public forum, along the way. So, from now on I'll just be deleting the entire posts, so please don't complain if I do
Also, please remember not to discuss breeding birds etc with anyone via private message and be very careful who you inform of anything sensitive in general; you really don't know who's out there. A prolific egg-thief has just been released from prison and is very probably in our county as we speak. Let's be careful out there
Our requirement to be extra vigilant at this time of year is not without serious need.
Over the past weekend it has been brought to my attention that the chicks from two Peregrine nests in the Chorley area have been stolen.
ANY suspicious activities around Peregrine locations (and of course other species, especially schedule 1) should be immediately brought to the attention of the Police.
Anyone with any information on the potential activities, names, locations or anything else to do with known egg thieves should bring it to the attention of the Police or inform me so I can do so on your behalf.
Agree with Dennis and Ian, this should be at the forefront of our thoughts at this time of year. There has been a recent event which illustrates this perfectly. No posting of any breeding birds on here, we all support Ian in his stand in removing the said posts.
Clearly this post has been missed or ignored by a few users of this forum and I've been giving them the benifit of the doubt so far. Unfortunately, there's no excuse really and posts will be deleted from now on as mentioned in my post below.
It's May already folks and with it the serious business of keeping breeding birds off this forum ensues.
Please read the sticky posts at the top of this forum. I will not be editing posts to remove any breeding bird comments but WILL BE DELETING THE WHOLE THING I'm afraid. I have not the time, energy nor patience to edit someone else's potentially disasterous posts. Remember that NO LITTLE RINGED PLOVER SIGHTINGS (breeding or otherwise) SHOULD BE DISCLOSED DURING THE MAY-JULY PERIOD.
For those who don't understand or agree, perhaps you think I've gone a little OTT with it (as some do ) then please contact me privately and I'll be only too happy to prove to you why I have taken this stance every year since 2008 and why it has been proven right!
Remember, the birds themselves are far more important than our desire to inform other birders of our sightings. If you have a breeding species or breeding records which you believe need reporting immediately then please contact either myself or Steve Atkins privately. Other breeding records will of course be very gratefully received by the BTO for the current atlas work (see the relevant pages on the Manchester Birding website).
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 6th of May 2012 10:40:03 PM
) then please contact me privately and I'll be only too happy to prove to you why I have taken this stance every year since 2008 and why it has been proven right!