Well, what a good day I've had. As well as enjoying a visit to the lovely Rainham Marshes reserve it was also hosting the annual Hen Harrier day event - and boy, didn't we get the weather? The official event greeter was at the door:
I really felt for her in what had to be a hot and uncomfortable costume. Looks adorable, though!
This is Peregrine EnChantica. They were singing a most appropriate song for the occasion.
There were lots of these and other banners and placards about.
Mark Avery obligingly pulls on an official T-shirt over his shirt in between signing copies of his book, Inglorious.
Whatever did Mike Clarke say to Chris Packham?
Mark Avery gets the event started. Up first is Charlie Moores of BAWC:
He doesn't like microphones.
All smiles as he gets it sorted! He was a nervous but sincere speaker who earned several spontaneous rounds of applause with the points he made.
The next speaker was Mike Clarke, who revealed he'd grown up in Kent and regularly seen hen harriers in the area in his youth. That's what I call lucky.
They saved the best for last. What a great speaker Chris Packham is - it was a world away from his Springwatch style as he spoke seriously about the plight of the hen harriers as well as the tactics of those individuals who clearly prefer the status quo. He even pointed out that it was pointless to try to upset him as, being autistic, he officially doesn't care what they think! I think that point got him the most applause.
This placard was regularly updated.
He shows off the increase with his 'I'm going to get this to 100,000 if it kills me' expression.
'Henry' gears up for action again. It was really hot by this point.
He actually stayed for quite some time - chatting to people and signing copies of his autobiography for anyone who asked. What a nice bloke.
The lovely Howard Vaughan of Rainham. Gotcha, Howard!
A good day was had by all and the numbers were well in excess of expectations. I'm looking forward to next year....let's all hope we've got more than 3 pairs of hen harriers breeding in England in a year's time.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
It's going well Clare so here's another signature added.
Regards Shane
My Photos in Flickr.
Thanks, Shane - that goes for everyone else who's signed.
82,518 at the moment.
84,339 now on this eve of the Inglorious Twelfth. 100k seems tantalisingly close......
Every day a little more irate about bird of prey persecution, and I have a cat - Got a problem with that?
If anything the momentum's really picking up. We're up to 85,476 now - more than 3,300 have signed today. I wonder what the inglorious Twelfth will bring?
85,867 - Could we dare hope for 86000 by midnight....?
Yes. It's now at 85,916.
Well, it's now at 86,589. What will this annual day of infamy bring?
EDIT: Lots of signatures. We're at 87,292 now. Only 12,708 to go.........less than six days ago it was more than twice that.
87,667 now. Will it be 88,000 by lunchtime?
Hi Clare thete was an article on the BBC news website earlier this morning but it seems to have vanished now.
Kind regards
Jenny
I don't know whether this will work but here's a link to the interview on the BBC Today programme with Chris Packham and Botham.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p044fnlg
Hopefully, this might boost the people supporting the petition.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream