Lost my “duck pond” to a subdivision development.

When I used to sail on the Liverpool park lakes ,2 of which have dedicated model boating ponds. The birds which were about ,even the babies often hitch hiked on the slower vessels. The faster ones were ignored unless too close for comfort.They just lifted off a yard and settled again. The birds not the boats😋 The main lakes were "Boating Lakes" with rowing boats but noone moaned about them disturbing the birds. Actually noone moaned about models either. I wonder if it would have been different if the pools weren't dedicated.👍

Score for Ada - italian Motor Launch should be 10/10 not 5!!!

How big is the pond first and is there plenty of room for both, if there is and you run the boat steady I see no problem.👍

Councillors just don't like to admit that they 'Screwed Up'
They're probably mortally afraid that 'The Duck Lady' will bash or poke 'em with her brolly!
What was it the L. Cpl. in Dad's Army always said -
"They don't like it up 'em you know'! 😁

Think I'll send this nit a résumé of how a modern country's administration handles such issues. This nonsense confirms my impression of the somewhat archaic attitudes still prevalent in UK local politics.🤔
Suspect that the 'Duck Lady' still feeds the poor things bread everyday 😲

BTW: Martin, great idea Go for it👍

Which he has every legal right to do. I offer to carve a decent likeness of a raised middle finger he can attach to his boat.

Martin

Well, I got an answer back from the council :-


Dear Mr. *********

Thank you for your email relating to a rejected request from Mr Cooper in 2015.

Your email was raised at the Council meeting held on 13th June 2018, your points noted by councillors who then confirmed the original rejection decision.

Kind Regards

Bob Lunn

Clerk to Urchfont Parish Council


..... what a bunch of p****s 😡 I hope he went & sailed his boat regardless.

As the Secretary of our local club, I have sent an official email to this council wally & directed him to our website, we sail in a council owned Country Park, teeming with heron, grebe, moorhen, ducks, geese & swan, it's unbelievable with his mentality, that he has managed to secure office as a council clerk. 😡

These council so called goody goodys should open there eyes
most model boating ponds have some wild life on them i my self have a rc rat what would she do if she found this on the pond
shot it duck lady you need to go and spend some time and looking ay model boating ponds.

a classic case of power gone to there heads
I plan to send them my input if any other members feel strong enough about this please do the same

I sail at Killingworth and the Q2 Ashington the wildlife don't bother when we sail either powerboats or yachts
(last 2 pictures)

This website urgently needs YOUR input - please let us know about any local news or event by contacting the Clerk to the Council clerk@urchfont-pc.gov.uk
01380 848737
Mr Bob Lunn
Clerk to the Council:
Urchfont Parish Council
14 Walnut Close, Urchfont,
Devizes, Wiltshire,
SN10 4RU

Hi Guys,

May I change the angle slightly? I use the lakes at Oxford, St Albans and other 'park' locations and I am heartily sick of having to put up with other users of the parks feeding the ducks etc from the jetties, platforms etc from which were clearly intended for model boat use. Result? Waterfowl poo everywhere I put the model, TX or tools. Perhaps if they had to feed the ducks by kneeling in duck poo, they would not do it....😆

No not really Commodore😉 But maybe you did?
That was clear with the plastic ducks Ho Ho 😁 but the warden's warning was nevertheless correct. 👍 Bread can kill ducks!😡 Even the bread they threw in the water will get eaten.
Seem to recall an article about RC ducks in one of the model mags some years ago. Around the time RC sharks were also popular.
BR, Doug 😎
PS bread don't do any fish in the lake much good either, for similar reasons 🤔

I think you've missed the point Admiral. The ducks were plastic so I don't think their digestion suffered! We still laugh when we recall the wardens face when he discovered the ducks weren't real !

Hi Commodore, the warden was absolutely right, good for him 👍
A coupla weeks ago I had a discussion with a little old lady while testing my Sea Scout in the Ostpark in Munich.
Despite the signs forbidding feeding the waterfowl, and warning of why, she was feeding the baby swans and duck with bread and pretzels😲
I tried to explain to her that bread was bad for them as it contains only carbohydrates and minerals and not the proteins they need to grow.
The birds simply have a different metabolism, they can't properly digest the bread. it blows up inside them, fills them up and in worst case can stuff them up and prevent them eating what they should do and they starve and die. 😭
Her answer "It's OK when they are in the water"!! 😡
And she was feeding them on the shore.
A further unwelcome side effect is if they don't get 'stuffed' up completely everything comes back out into the water as a vile green sludge 😡
Doug

Hi All, attached is the article as pdf.
You just have to know HOW to 'Nick it' Martin 😉
Cheers Doug 😎

I've just been reminded of an incident on our local pond a few years ago. One of our club converted a duck decoy into a radio controlled model complete with four little ducklings towed behind on transparent fishing line. it looked so realistic that a woman within her two daughters started chucking breadcrums at them. Then a park warden came along and told them to stop as white bread was not good for the birds and it also polluted the water!

We need to show these jobsworths and nimbies that they don't rule the roost. Go sail your boat- but I suggest without the siren!

I regularly visit the Richmond Model Boat Club in Glasgow where there are many swans, coots, ducks and other water fowl on the water but the council provide a very nice, substantial club house for the model boat Club and have regular shows at the venue as well as regular weekly sailing. Urchfont Council must be made up of really stupid people who are control freaks.

In the good old days, the damned duck lady would have been "ducked" in the same pond as a witch!

Martin

Same here in the Ostpark in Munich Peter 👍
We have ducks and swans, geese and moorhens.
They don't bother us if we don't pester them.
Of course the Dad's can be VERY protective when they have the young ones with them 😲 See end of first video!
Have seen some idiots get 'What For' from the locals if they chase the birds, I'm pleased to say😊
Happy coexistence all 😉, cheers Doug 😎

Hi Martin, Cannot understand anybody who thinks that ducks will be 'upset' by a model boat, I sail at BMMMS club water, which is in Clarence park lido in Bury. We have loads of ducks, they have just had their young 'very cute', plus many coot's and geese, and we sail many boats/yachts and we live in harmony with the wildfowl, they do not mind as long as we don't go to near.😊
I think you should get a r/c duck,👍 that may please the duck lady.....

Cheers,
Peter