Berkeley Hunt? I should say so…
By Charlie • January 22, 2008 • 15 commentsOkay, hands up any one of you who have ever had a day of their Big Year ruined by selfish, fricking idiots on horses chasing a fox across the flooded fields of one of the most renowned wetlands in the world? Anyone else? That’s just ME then eh…
Yes, today - on the first dry morning this year - I went to Slimbridge, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s HQ, looking for geese and swans. Just as I was settling down in a hide checking through a lovely flock (or more accurately ‘herd’) of wintering Bewick’s Swans a fox went whizzing across in front of me and several other birders, followed by some rangy dogs with their tongues hanging out, who were then followed by two buffoons in orange coats and the most selfishly, selfish attitudes I’ve seen for a long, long time. Up went thousands of birds - including the legally protected swans - which disappeared out to the distant River Severn, while the two morons yelled to the dogs, blew a stupid horn, and frantically dodged the AK47 bullets I was now firing at them (okay I made that last bit up, I don’t actually own an AK47 and machine-gunning someone for riding a horse is a bit extreme and very illegal - but - bloody Hell I can’t stand the so-called “country-loving toffs” who, now that fox-hunting is illegal, insist that they carry on their “traditional” ways by whooping and hollering as they follow the ’scent’ left by Basil Brush as he scampers past…).
Loads of birds, one fox (out of frame) disappearing to the right…
They’re all leaving! What’s going on here then?
You have to be kidding…who’s this prat with the horn?
You want to shout a bit louder mate - they can’t hear you in flipping France you noisy b******
Horse, dogs, moron…no swans, ducks, waders, or geese. Grrr….
Sadly these muppets (and how much right now do I wish I could do a Tom McKinney here and really let my feelings flow) have the right to spoil everyone else’s far less destructive fun, because Slimbridge leases their land from the Berkeley Estate - and one of the conditions of the lease is that the flipping selfish b******* are allowed to canter right in front of the hides and right through the birds any time they damn well feel like it.
So, did I actually see any birds you ask? Well, not very many on the ground but plenty in the air (I added 7 for the year). That’s not why people spend their pounds to go to the usually amazing and innovative Slimbrdge. I’m just going to have to go again and hope that the members of the Berkeley Hunt are indoors having sex with pigs or whatever it is they do when they’re not being bloody pains in the arse…
GRRRR….
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It’s clear why the name was used in rhyming slang …
Charlie, tell us how you really feel!
Well, that just goes to show that I am so damn right when I keep telling you again and again and again: don’t leave your AK 47 at home when you go out birding!
Just think of all the fun you’ve been missing…
Birding Gear Checklist. Binocs - check. Camera - check. Field Guide - check. AK47 - check. Charlie’s ready!
Am I dreaming? I think I need to read this and look at the pictures again tomorrow morning. That is just absolutely insane!
Hunters=scum. As simple as. It’s not as if they’re even doing it for food - they’re doing it for a warped sense of fun.
Hunting is supposed to be illegal but these prats and their Countryside Alliance spokesb**tards ignore the law and they get away with it. Disgusting. I cannot express enough how much I HATE these people.
Incredible. I spend a lot of time at Slimbridge, but I’ve never seen anything like this before. I really don’t know what to say. What can you do with people like this? Just incredible.
Charlie,
Very interested to read your comments on the Berkeley Hunt.
On Wednesday 5 March 2008 we went for a walk in Frampton Mansell. Starting from the little shop with the car park next to it we made our way towards the church and crossed the field towards the canal, all very peaceful. Over Splatt Bridge we continued towards Fretherne Bridge along the towpath. Although we are not keen birders like you Dot had brought her binoculars and I had a monocular. There were loads of birds to look at but not for long, suddenly they were all in the air and clearing off. Then we heard a bunch of yobbos shouting in the distance. Senior management paint balling exercise? Then we heard it, the dreaded horn. Across the flooded fields came the mob following hounds. Two of these idiots were on a very noisy quad bike which, along with a late rider, drove along the towpath where we were obviously in the way. Talk about bloody irrtating. I was rather rude to the lone rider, for which I have apologised. Who does this minority think it is? We were heartened to read your piece since we wondered if we were the only ones put out by these arrogant hooligans. So thank you Charlie.
i so happened to be at slimbridge that day it is absurd!the tosser in orange coat with the horn is an arogant bastard too!u could hear him a mile off giving the other one in an orage coat a real royal roasting!assholes
Fantastic website. Wonderful photographs. Shame about this article.
It is perfectly reasonable, right and proper that people should be able to voice their opinion but is there anything to be gained by resorting to crude abuse of the sort contained in this article and responses. ‘Buffoons, morons, toffs, yobbos, arrogant hooligans, assholes, b**tards ‘ or perhaps just normal people enjoying something you happen to disagree with. I love Slimbridge and have been lucky enough to spend many happy hours birdwatching from the hides and have witnessed the wonderful spectacle when the hunt visit. I think your photographs capture the atmosphere perfectly. Disturbance is part of these creatures life. If you visited the reserve the following day you would have witnessed the usual peaceful ‘avian Serengeti’. The reserve only exists because the landowners have nurtured it for generations to enjoy the occasional bit of shooting. The hunt only visit a couple of times a year. Hardly selfish.
I love birdwatching. I also enjoy hunting and shooting but don’t think I represent some of the descriptions used in this column to characterise people like me (well okay….my wife thinks I am a buffoon). I am certainly not what you have described as a Toff having lived the majority of my life on a local authority estate in a city (although I always think it better to judge the person not their background).
We will continue hunting (within the law) and will always endeavour to be polite and courteous with the people we meet. I am sure you will continue objecting.
By the way. The people in ‘orange coats’ were doing their job and making sure the hounds followed the trail.
Also. I thought it better not to ue my real name/email address as whilst I wish you no harm I am not sure that the reverse is true.
Hi Joe Bloggs. You’re of course entitled to your feelings and I’m entitled to mine (as so are the majority of commenters who apparently feel like I do). I’m quite surprised that you would think that by leaving your real name and email address you’re somehow putting yourself in harm though: I’m against violence, don’t own a gun, I don’t even eat meat - unlike yourself I’ve never shot anything and never will. My name is plastered all over this blog and my photo is there too: if anyone is putting themselves in danger surely it’s me don’t you think. Perhaps that just makes me braver than the average hunter? Who can tell eh…
Charlie,
Thanks for posting my response which obviously goes counter to others that have replied. I was not suggesting for one moment that you or any of the other respondence meant me any harm (although I accept that is how it was worded). However, as I am sure you are aware there are many animal rights extremists that, unlike you, not only condone but use violence against those that do not share their views. Good luck with the site and your writing career.
Hi again Joe. Thanks for all your kind comments about the site. You have been extremely courteous in the face of not only my but also other’s strongly expressed views which I appreciate and thank you for. I will never support hunting, as I’m sure you have gathered, but I would like to go on the record to say that I certainly would never condone violence against anyone hunting legally (unless strictly in self-defence) and would hope that my thoughts here do not suggest or imply otherwise. I doubt whether you or I would ever agree on the rights or wrongs of hunting (and I was particularly talking about hunting at Slimbridge, a Ramsar site and internationally-renowned Reserve), but I would also hope that we could work through our differences over a diet coke/beer in the bar rather than in the pub car-park!
oki i dnt care what you people thnk about fox hunting. it is a tradition that will keep going. “yobbos shouting ” ok i realli dnt no what your trying to say her,,, i thought yobbos are suposed to be in the city. and hunting is apart of the country side along with all the other animals out ther
Jacob, how about using spellcheck and trying again because I really can’t figure out what point you’re trying to make…?