Well, well, well.

Two days kiting over the weekend all in the proposed kiting area (left little eye), where the bloody birds were!! Mr R Smith (the local twitcher) needs to get his details right.



I saw them watching me through their lenses. I only hope they noted how the several thousand birds feeding in the shallows of the incoming tide didn't even move alittle when i rocked up with my 14m2 bird of prey! I blame the falling bird populatioon on the increase of litter and warmer winters giving a larger rat popluation!! Now these wild animals in the dee nature reserve need to take the blame off us!!



Anyway got standing up and even managed a turn, in only 5 to 10 knots.



The dark side is becoming the future

Please have a read of the Twitchers report ..at www.deeestuary.freeserve.co.uk/decgks.htm..In this report it says that a grand total of seven kites crashing over the period of seven months and a total of 10% of the total disturbances by kiters is enoughto reduce the total of migrating birds and to justify restrictions.He also mentions that he would like a total ban from September to March {would this include windsurfing }.I have written to him and told him that when the Twitchers initialy expressed concerns, myself and stuey made a point of talking to the ranger and the beach patrol and suggested that the restricted area should be better sign posted/identified and their response was that no one was prepared to cough up the dough . Also Clive {another kiter / windurfer } was prepared to help form ,West Kirby KIters club , so that they would have a focal point to talk to.But rather than this ,they have just enforced some restrictions without any disscussion with any kiters.Some points they fail to mention ,are that we only sail every other week and only if the wind conditions are right.They also fail to mention what the other 90% of disturbances are.I know this is predominately a windsurfing site but ,by enforcing restrictions they are forcing learner kiters into the "Thick" of the windsurfing area, something we have been trying to avoid.Please have a read of his report and feel free to write to him expressing your own concerns..

Interestingly, both days this weekend the birdies have all been on the designated kiting side.



Doctor Dave, ripping it up this weekend, spent most of his time in the "banned" area.



Doctor Dave did not scare any birds.

Nice one Darkside.



Just sent my email, if anybody wants any ideas of what to write let me know and I'll forward it to you.



Please also see the news article and give any suggestions for meeting up...

Bloody high pressure. Instead of going to the Great British Beer Festival with my chums, I decided to stay home in the hopes of getting some TOW. Instead I'm sitting in a hot sweaty house reading birdwatching reports.



Some observations:



The birdcount Mr Smith presents lists average numbers of ten species of birds, though does not specify why these particular species were selected as being an appropriate measure of the 'disturbance' kitesurfers are alleged to cause. Nevertheless, according to the analysis presented, following the arrival of kitesurfers, average numbers of six of these species declined and four rose. Mr Smith states that numbers of two of the species that declined "are currently on a low point of a cycle" and acknowldeges there is no evidence that kitesurfing is responsible for their decline. So, adjusting for these two already declining species, over a one year sample period, average numbers of four species grew and four declined. Does this suggest that kitesurfing is having a negative effect?



Mr Smith's paper cites nine other publications to support aspects of his paper. Clearly he has researched the issue of kitesufing and its impact on wading bird population thoroughly. I'm therefore rather surprised that he cites not one single reference, piece of evidence or allegation from any published material worldwide that kitesufing has beeen shown, or is even suspected to have any impact on wading bird populations.



He observes that only seven instances of kitesurfing disturbance were logged by wardens, but then suggests "it is very likely that the disturbance is taking place before the tide comes, when the Kite Surfers first set up on the beach and before the wardening period starts". Where is the evidence for this? To me, this is the scientific equivalent saying "of course I have no evidence, but witchcraft must therefore be afoot".



I'm not a kiter, and whilst most of the kiters I have met seem lovely people and are considerate water users, if anything I (selfishly) find their presence a bit annoying because of the space they take up. I know little about birds either, though I do appreciate our wildlife and am glad that there are people out there trying to protect it. I do not know Mr Smith, and so could not suggest that his analysis may be in anyway biased in favour of the bird watching community. However after having read his paper, my view is that to restrict kitesurfing on the basis of the findings in it would be the equivalent of finding some spurious correlation between the incidence of sexual offences and the presence of people in anoraks and carrying binoculars, and then banning birdwatching as a result.



Finally, Mr Smith sensibly concludes that "Before this [kitesurfing restriction] takes place we need to set up some kind of dialog with the surfers." Fair play to Mr Smth (apart from his American spelling). In the best traditions of British behaviour, he's stated his views and then suggested a sensible discussion with those whose activities concern him. So where has this happened? What democratic process or what legitimate community body is behind these proposed restrictions? What expert evidence has been supplied? What body has legal authority to restrict use of tidal waters and what statute or precedent allows this?

well well this is quite a big issue,"still a pound if you r interested",i have read the report and a lot of other statements in the forum and one thing was buging me so i have decided to tell you what was on my mind,it might be complete crap but anyway. ""basc"" does this mean anything to you as a kitesurfer?probably not,but i bet every birdtwichern noes what it means!it means "british assocaition shooting conservation"well what i am trying to say is,the people who get dressed up like rambo with dog and gun bird call and brandy set out before dawn and go out on the marsh just dawn river of west kirdy and shoot certain fowl,snipe,waders live in complete harmany with twicher,i mean does this man with gun and dog not scare the other birds that were mentioned in the report i know there are seasons ie sep to feb for shooting but a bird is a bird is it not,so i dare the twitches to mess with a massive club like the dee-wildfowlers,who have proper commitees and chairmen who meet up on reguler basis and try to ban them,or even basc who work with conservation who probebly put more into than any club in the country,what i am trying to say to the kitesurfers is form a club and quick,it might be to late but these people will stop at nothing to get you banned alltogether ,they have to talk to you if you are a membership,they know you are just a few people and dont give a shit about you,so act .....