Mink and Common Kingfisher (1 Viewer)

[Osprey_watcher]

As well as harming birds and small mammals mink can, and do, decimate fish stocks.

 

[gareth_blockley]

Thanks Laura.

The indications of 50% reductions are encouraging in themselves. I dread to think of what damage might be done to achieve similar results by other methods. I suppose that predicted limit of 50% would be primarily due to the mink that would reside in areas unsuitable for otters? Even so, it sounds like a no lose situation. Otters returned to all suitable habitat, mink population halved and likely relief for hard pressed water voles.

Have I overlooked a potential downside?

That with the Polecat spreading aswell the mink shouldn't stay a problem for too long. The Otters and Polecats should naturally refill the niche that Mink have used to their success.
Otters are strictly Riparian but Mink can utilise the land as well as the water, but with Polecats on the increase as well they should keep control of the Mink populations.

Gareth

 

[KnockerNorton]

Mink shouldn't be too much trouble to kingfishers as long as they choose a safe nest site (though not many places are inacccessible to mink). I know of a place where both have been common for decades. Mink can easily dig kingfishers out though. But then so can otters.

Your recent lack of kingfishers is probably more to do with the recent heavy rain increasing streamflows and colour in the water, forcing them to fish elsewhere, or maybe one or both has been take by any predator including sparrowhawks. You'll probably find them back come April.

I don't think Polecats or Otters stand any chance of eliminating mink, as all occupy different niches. Polecats tend to like more wooded country. We must remember that there is a European mink (although ours are american), which lives alongside polecats and otters in Europe, and all three are also found in the USA. Populations of mink have probably peaked though, and we'll see them stabilise at a lower level. Probably too late for water vole in many places though.

 

[Farnboro John]

As well as harming birds and small mammals mink can, and do, decimate fish stocks.

As a small positive note Mink in NE Hampshire seem to live almost exclusively on Signal Crayfish (also oversexed and over here) throughout the summer.

John

 

[screaming piha]

Only the NW Scotland, NW Wales and most of the Scottish Islands are still Mink free.

I've seen a mink near Abersoch: about as far north and west as you can go in Wales. Was about 20 years ago, though, so perhaps they died out (but I doubt it).