affect bonfire night has on wildlife (1 Viewer)

[Steven Astley]

people with pets know the distress fireworks are caused and r often advised to keep them in on that night. But what about the affect on birds, hedgehogs get burned, birds flee the cities, the atmosphere gets polluted etc etc all for effect of sounding like we are in baghdad. I know kids like fires so why not encourage them to instead of searching for old furniture to burn and leaking toxins in the air. Get a scheme going whereby they do a bit of coppicing in our overgrown woodland, thus creating a better woodland for wildlife.

 

[pauco]

Hi BB, thats to much like hard work for the little love's, they would much sooner tie fire-works to dogs cats and any animal that can't fight back, oh ye and throw the odd dog on the fire!!!!!
bert.

 

[Graham S]

The RSPCA has asked pet-lovers to send in videos of their pets being frightened on Bonfire Night. Whilst they`re about it, perhaps they could also request some footage of the slaughter of some of the 55 million birds massacred each year by the nation`s cats.

 

[DKR]

It's like the Blitz round here. Feel I should have a tin 'at on and be taking cover!

 

[helenol]

Well, it doesn't seem to be bothering the tawny owls at the moment, they are still making themselves heard over the raucous din!

I'm sure that someone mentioned once that after the first couple of bangs of a firework - which certainly makes the birds jump - they get used to it, and tend to ignore it. I stand to be corrected on this...

 

[Andrew]

I had been thinking of looking for Owls but after seeing the "Blitz" outside I shall put it off for a while!

(BTW : DKR, If you look like Kylie then there's hope for us single birders! Wahey!)

 

[jpoyner]

I think the effects on wildlife are pretty minimal. A good thunderstorm is probably far greater disturbance than fireworks yet they seem to survive that ok.
I think any Hedgehog resting under a pile of firewood would make a pretty quick exit at the first smell of smoke.
Fireworks were raging here a while ago and our dog has hardly batted an eyelid, still fast asleep on the sofa.
Though get the hoover out and he is thrown in to a state of terror!
As for pollution from bonfires.........this weeks volcanic eruption in Iceland probably put more pollution in the air in one minute than every bonfire tonight in the UK.
I think Nov. 5th. is pretty harmless overall !! (Unless the neighbours kid decides to throw a banger through your letterbox that is.)


JP

 

[ground-roller]

What about the Aldebrough Ivory Gull?
By popular opinion it was scared back to the arctic by the milenium fire works

All the banging this evening did make feel like I was in a war zone as I went from pub to pub
B

 

[IanF]

At least the new firework regulations seem to have done the trick. Last night was the first and hopefully last of any noisy note. I tend to think birds grow accustomed to things straight away if they're not a threat though I'm sure they could have done without the extra disturbance. We have a Great Tit roosting in a camera monitored nestbox and it didn't seem to be disturbed at all.

Maybe I'm getting old but the explosions and that is what they were, seemed far louder this year with poorer pyrotechnics. It would certainly get my vote for them to be discontinued.

 

[Andrew]

So many people bought the sooper dooper rockets that the free display was as good as going to the annual display.

 

[oceans]

Cats!!

The RSPCA has asked pet-lovers to send in videos of their pets being frightened on Bonfire Night. Whilst they`re about it, perhaps they could also request some footage of the slaughter of some of the 55 million birds massacred each year by the nation`s cats.

I totally agree!!
I also took pics last night for the RSPCA....I think doing something is better than nothing. The noise was awful, huge bangs going off past midnight but worst of all are the whistling fireworks, my border collie Jesse shakes all over, drools, hides and no amount of comfort quells his fear nor soothes his ears. But wouldnt it be great if it was just last night...not here I know for sure because weeks ago the firework racket started and last night there were some illegal fireworks for sure that continued past midnight. The law may be put in place but can it be policed?
And in the grand scheme of things these are literally explosives and should be handled by pyrotechnics who do put on very good, longer lasting displays and often the profits go to charity.

 

[alanhill]

I certainly agree that on the whole fireworks are a horrible, noisy nuisance, and have always envied the situation in Ireland where they are banned altogether.

However Derwent May in the Times yesterday wrote in his weekly bird coumn:

"Birds are not much troubled by fireworks, though a rocket stick landing in a bush where they are roosting might flush them out. People watching fireworks in a garden may oblige some birds to seek another roosting place...
Hedgehogs may decide to sleep for the winter in a pile of garden rubbish, so people lighting a bonfire, whether for Guy Fawkes Night or just to get rid of leaves, should beat it first to drive any such occupant out."

Alan Hill

 

[helenol]

At least the new firework regulations seem to have done the trick. Last night was the first and hopefully last of any noisy note.

Maybe I'm getting old but the explosions and that is what they were, seemed far louder this year with poorer pyrotechnics. It would certainly get my vote for them to be discontinued.

According to the new law, when is the latest one should set off fireworks?

It went ok last night, until, that is, some were set off after midnight.

Another point, made by oceans, is how on earth is one supposed to police this?

I certainly think the large noisy rockets etc should only be allowed to be purchased by someone organising a public event - not sure how this would work though. On second thoughts, is it really necessary to sell what could pass for a surface to air missile! Keep sparklers and catherine wheels etc. for Joe Public in their gardens, the rest...stop selling them.

Part of the problem is that fireworks seemed to be used to celebrate any event these days. At one time, it was Guy Fawkes and New Years Eve, nowadays, anything goes.

Grumpy.

 

[Ian_C]

We're looking after my son's 13 mth old Chocolate Lab. and last night when the first bang went off he jumped, as did we all, but then seemed to ignore them if he was inside. Outside he just looked at them and seemed to be taking it all in. Our old LabXGt Dane, Gus, is always frightened. This year we tried one of those dog appeasement pheromone diffusers which has been on for about two weeks now, not a raging success, however, he still shivers and shakes and , as others have mentioned, he can't be placated.

The bangs did stop at about 2300 round here although I could still see some going off in Northampton. Indeed, who is going to police all this? By the time the 'display' is over we've only just got through to the police control room and then it's another 10/15 mins before all the details have been taken, all traces of the bangs long gone.

 

[John Cantelo]

Oh come on! What a lot of kill joys! Very few kids indulge in the sadistic activities describes and the vast majority enjoy 'Bonfire Night' in a harmless way. Any damage to wildlife must be so minimal as to be unmeasurable. I'm sure that the flight of the Aldborough Ivory Gull did more damage to twitchers' hopes than the bird itself. I'd go further and suggest that numerous human inspired activites are far more damaging and thus much more wirthy of our concern (e.g. jetting off on cheapo flights hither and yon to see birds!), John

 

[Steven Astley]

Yep I was being a bit of kill joy. I was just playing devils advocate. Nowadays with more regulations in our nanny state, things are generally safer. I know this year there not been as much fireworks let of before the actually night. But there will always be exceptions.

 

[very boring banned member]

I find it hard to forget what happened in turn of millennium. First television broadcast came from Millennium Island in Kiribati. Bwere Eritaia - remember him? - wished that the world would pay attention to global warming. Eritaia was Kirabati's environmental minister, and he told how Millennium Island had became abandoned and is about to be seabottom in 30 years. Next tv broadcast showed Wellington, where a jolly amount of bonfires were burn into atmosphere.

OK, it is a drop in the ocean, who cares.

 

[David FG]

I had been thinking of looking for Owls but after seeing the "Blitz" outside I shall put it off for a while!

(BTW : DKR, If you look like Kylie then there's hope for us single birders! Wahey!)

I am much nearer, but not single, I fear (no I don't.)

 

[Suricate]

Well Northants must be the hot spot for fireworks, we have had weeks of it and it is without question affecting the wildlife. Why the RSPB dismiss the facts beggars belief and as for the RSPCA, enought said.
If both these Charities called for all the donators to sign petitions then they could be added to the thousands of other sis and petition the Government to only allow Licenced and well Organised Events.
You should hear the ducks at Corby Boating Lake as the barrage is let off. Try Wicksteed Park when their 10 grand worth was set off not too far from their Avaries and own duck and Geese residents.
facts prove beyond a doubt that noise adversely effects wildlife. Every year the roosting birds are terrified not only at Bonfire time bur right through till Feb each year.
Suricate

 

[oceans]

Well last night was bonfire night AGAIN apparently....my dog in my lap again. I thought so and there were crumps well bast midnight!! Tired this morning.
However killjoy huh?
A boy of 3yrs had a firework thrown at his legs was seriously burnt, and a man drunk (yes revolting but none the less undeserving of what happened next) had fell asleep at a bus stop bench and now is seriously ill in hospital after being set alight by 18year old boys by fireworks!! a 25 per cent chance of survival and the burns are to his face and chest! This in my own very small town, that I have heard about.
So does it make any differance that its a human being or an innocent 3 year old or a grown up man just out for fun? I believe Joe Public cannot be trusted with these dangerous materials and yes whilst these stupid people spoil it for many are we really expected to carry on regardless. It doesnt matter how 'big' the subject is wether an island, a peoples or even a whole exstence, to lie indolent and hope for the best is no good.