3471 hunting

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]as many people know its now the time for migrating birds to pass across the straites of Messina up towards their breeding grounds.In the past many migrating birds have been killed (not for food as most are left laying where they were shot) by Italian hunters.

The Italian equivilant of the RSPB is campaigning to get the Italian Goverment to meet it's obligations under EC law.If you would like to know more then go to their site [URL="http://www.lipu.it"]http://www.lipu.it[/URL]Its all in Italian but a very good site.

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]

Category
General chat about Italy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/02/2006 - 04:10

On our last visit we were amazed at the number of birds - different species- in the small area around our town. The highlight had to be the beautiful pair of hawklike birds which circled every day over the hillside. As we are quite high they were level with us and within 15 feet of our balcony. To quote my fifteen year old son "awesome!"

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/02/2006 - 04:41

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]Jackie its good to know the birdlife in your area is thriving.more than I can say about our garden here!I got up to find a nest of tiny eggs laying on the lawn. Our neighbour's cat must have been out early.I'll get my catapult out !

In our Italian garden there seems to be all sorts of birds and I expect to see little owls and hoopoes in June.

I didn't mean to imply all Italians shoot birds...its just this area of Italy where hunters have always shot migrating birds. Once for food...now for proving their masculinity (?).I've heard that in the National Park hunting is moreor less outlawed although I'm sure the odd wild boar gets killed.Last time we were there we were told about a neighbour who regularly shots them out of his bedroom window...whether he actually has to get out of bed I didnt discover.

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/02/2006 - 08:50

[QUOTE=manopello][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]Last time we were there we were told about a neighbour who regularly shots them out of his bedroom window...whether he actually has to get out of bed I didnt discover.

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

LOL, Becky, sneak in and check his sheets, if they're camo. pattern, probably not. ;) :)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/02/2006 - 08:56

Saw a hoopoe last time I was there, also 2 black kites (or the same one twice) also a few buzzards circling around. There were more smaller birds in my garden this spring than there were last year........wagtails, finches etc so I wondered if the local hunter had had some time off last autumn, although I did still find loads of used cartridges lying around in the garden. Wish I could afford to put a high fence up to keep them out.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/02/2006 - 09:08

Hi Pixie, hope you're well, this year was a bit wet for the mighty hunters, most of them stuck to armchairs, dreaming of yesteryear I think...

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/02/2006 - 10:30

I was hoping that the bird flu had put the hunters off a little. Anyone who says that birdwatching should not be classed as an extreme sport, has not tried it in Italy.:mad:

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/03/2006 - 13:25

[QUOTE=GeorgeS]Hi Pixie, hope you're well, this year was a bit wet for the mighty hunters, most of them stuck to armchairs, dreaming of yesteryear I think...[/QUOTE]

Hi George, Yes I'm fine thanks. Been away from the forum for a while as it was all getting too political for me. Still look in from time to time but prefer not to post on anything but the most innocent of topics. Getting back to the subject.......I hope the hunters have a year off this year too: we had an owl who sat outside our bedroom hooting his way through the night last year (2005) but there was no sign of him this year so hope he has only moved house and not been shot.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/03/2006 - 16:05

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]pixie dont worry too much about your owl they can vary nesting sites from year to year...a barn owl sometimes nests nearby but other years doesn't.

pestisides and pollution can be just as damaging to birds of prey.I totally agree with you about the fence in fact we will probably enclose the garden nearest to the house and put up signs too.

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/04/2006 - 04:18

[QUOTE=manopello][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]I totally agree with you about the fence in fact we will probably enclose the garden nearest to the house and put up signs too.

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]
A friend was telling me that putting up signs does no good, that hunters are within their rights to go on to your land to hunt and there is not much you can do about it. I can not believe this is true, especially after the law allowing you to shoot people on your property came in.