I know that the posting of this blog, at this time in the morning - so late - will slightly irritate some readers who are early risers but I hope that you will cut me a bit of slack after last night's big win.  I refer, of course, to Rushden and Diamonds's 5-1 victory over Bath City.  As you know, I'm not one to complain but... even Bath's single goal was the result of an appalling penalty decision by the referee - we were robbed!

And after yesterday's popular blog about how to measure conservation success and the importance of nesting success and survival which turned, I knew it would, it always does, into a discussion about predator control, we come to another subject of great and lasting interest; raptors and whether people are nice to them or not.

Whereas everyone loves a lapwing, wants to see its population rise, wishes it a long and happy life and wishes to see it have a huge number of babies, the same cannot be said for the hen harrier.  We contend, and there is science to back this up although those studies are a little dated now, that hen harriers' lifespan is artificially adjusted downwards and their breeding success is also discouraged rather than encouraged.  I wonder whether hen harriers wish they were lapwings? 

In fairly recent times hen harriers, although unloved by some, may have felt a bit smug because their UK population level (that's the measure!) has gone up.  It has gone up in those parts of the UK where driven grouse shooting is a rare land use - west Scotland (but not east or south Scotland), Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man (not part of the UK strictly speaking) but not in the north of England (where there should be about 300+ pairs).

The latest UK-wide survey results are now available and confirm the utter paucity of hen harriers nesting in grouse moor areas.  Although grouse moor areas have suitable habitat for around 500 pairs of hen harrier recent numbers on such areas, nesting successfully, have not reached double figures.  

And this time the results show a slightly surprising overall population decline too.

Region/country                     2004                   2010

England                                      11                       12
Isle of Man                                  57                       29
Northern Ireland                        63                       59
Scotland                                   633                     489 
Wales                                          43                       57
 
 
UK total                                     749                     617 
UK & Isle of Man                      806                    646

In Scotland, the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill, which is currently being debated, provides a great opportunity to take new steps to try and help save hen harriers. One option being looked at is making landowners legally responsible for the actions of their gamekeepers.

Later this week, the meeting of the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime meeting will be addressed by Richard Benyon, Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries. We hope that the Defra Minister will agree with us that it's time to take decisive action in the struggle to protect threatened birds of prey.  

More than 70 per cent of people convicted of bird of prey persecution in the last 20 years have been gamekeepers, in reality it's often landowners who effectively force their employees to break the law. We believe that making landowners legally accountable for bird of prey crimes in Scotland and England is a vital step in the road to reducing persecution.

 

  • Hi Gert - I'm pleased - cheers !

    Hi Mark - just the foxes then ?

  • JustAlark - good point.  Wales is interesting.  I wonder, and I will go away and find out (but not necessarily share the snswer back ehre) how 'full' Wales is.  To the extent that heather moorland is needed it may be that Wales is quite full - but I'm not sure.

    trimbush - not a novel suggestion and the answer is 'No thanks' to running a grouse moor for grouse shooting.  

  • The JNCC report puts the destruction of nesting sites as the main form of persecution cuasing HH decline. I Wonder what real work is being done in Wales to help promote and provide for the HH. As the UK's only positive number in the latest census, and considering the absence of grouse moors and presence of good habitat, it would seem the HH future is much more stable in Wales.

    Do we have active programs working to further introduce the HH to suitable habitat in Wales?

  • Trimbush - I did 'laugh out loud' reading your comment!

  • Hi Carduus

    Just a thought - Perhaps the rspb should acquire an appropriately large parcel of land already managed as a profitable shooting enterprise and likewise run it as such – it would learn a bit more about ‘nature’ over time and give us all an insight into how best to run a ‘shoot’ – as it has shown us how best to run an arable farm – maybe the rspb could also farm a mixed beef /dairy unit in the south-west?

    Now that would be a challenge!