9 August hosts Hen Harrier Day which takes place the weekend before the start of the grouse shooting season. I’m sure you’re aware of the event but it’s a day of celebration and peaceful protest where like-minded people join to advocate the plight of our hen harriers. It’s a controversial subject which sparks much debate amongst wildlife activists and gamekeepers but undoubtedly it’s a hot topic to discuss.
When there is enough habitat in England for 300 breeding pairs of Hen Harriers and in 2014 only four pairs bred, it doesn’t need a conservationist to tell you that something is wrong. This is why ‘Skydancer’ was created (also see rspb.org.uk/henharrierlife/). It’s is a four year project aimed at raising awareness and trying to tackle the looming extinction of these birds in England. They’re having a tough time though as five hen harriers have disappeared this year, forcing the nests to be abandoned and so causing us to lose even more precious chicks.
All the known nests are monitored around the clock but sadly you can’t tell the harriers to stay in one place. Foraging hen harriers and unprotected nests are potentially vulnerable to illegal persecution, which has been linked to intensively managed grouse moors.
In any debate both sides of the arguments should be considered. So in terms of nature lovers we would agree that these raptors need protecting. It would be a tragedy to lose a native species that displays a sky dance that no other bird in the world does. Hen harriers have been described as a national treasure and has as much right as any species to live. I’ve never seen one in my life and many people haven’t, so couldn’t the bird bring some - sensitively managed - tourism to the areas containing them?
Bird of prey recovery can be a huge boost to tourism, as has happened with white-tailed eagles and red kites, but for the few nesting hen harriers which we currently have, it is very important that they remain free from damaging levels of disturbance, which they are protected from by law. A great way to engage with hen harriers is to follow tagged chicks on the Life Project blog.
It’s a fact that they do occasionally take grouse chicks, and their presence keeps grouse 'low' making them more difficult to shoot. Therefore they are in conflict with landowners. They could argue that it’s their land so they can do what they want with it. Grouse shooting is part of their livelihood. A balance, a symbiotic harmony you could say, needs to be made.
This brings me to a positive story- the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project. The Eskdale and Liddesdale Estate owned by Buccleuch works in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the RSPB and Natural England. They’ve devised a way to let driven grouse shooting coexist with raptor conservation.
The rural economy has been supported in this area by managing the moors, increasing the number of grouse and making grouse shooting potentially viable again. But don’t fear, all this occurs with investment into moorland management and raptor conservation. So much so that red grouse numbers increased in the first year to around 45 birds per km2 to in 2014 there being 82 birds per km2. But also in the project area in 2014, twelve Hen Harriers nested with ten being successful, giving a total of forty seven fledged young. This was miles better than two nests in 2013 and one in 2011. Isn’t this that symbiotic harmony? This project is one to watch! You can read more on this issue from Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland here.
Skydancer project: rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/skydancer/
Hen Harrier Day: henharrierday.org/
Langholm Moor Demonstration Project: langholmproject.com/
Leanne