# General > Birdwatching >  curlew/oyster catcher chicks

## B0wer

I swear by now we normally have curlew and oyster catcher chicks running about the farm. Haven't seen any this year. Friends down Perth way said their local curlew spotting group had notice a 60% drop in curlew chick numbers - largely because of Corvids snacking on them. 

Wondering if anyone else has noticed a decline in wading chicks and if so do you think the growing corvid population up here might be a factor?

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## orkneycadian

They have done very well over here this year.  I saw in one field, after it had been cut down for silage and picked up, the most whaups and shalders I have ever seen in one place.  This despite the local SNH and RSPB claiming that ground nesting birds are are in dire danger from stoats.  Yeah, right.....

But corvids are a major menace, both to birds and humans.  RSPB and SNH of course will never admit to that, and in England, Chris Packham even attempted to stymie efforts to control corvids.  There are numerous examples over here of RSPB/SNH ignoring real cases of predation (particularly on bonxies or hoodies) and then try and blame the decline in the victims of such birds on human activity.  You couldn't make it up....

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## sprint95m

> There are numerous examples over here of RSPB/SNH ignoring real cases of predation (particularly on bonxies or hoodies) and then try and blame the decline in the victims of such birds on human activity.  You couldn't make it up....


In Orkney, what is preying on the bonxies and hoodie crows?

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## orkneycadian

Sorry, bad composition there on my part.  I meant to say that RSPB / SNH ignore real cases of predation (particularly *by* bonxies and hoodies)

Entirely my fault, sorry about that!

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