As you may have seen in the media coverage yesterday (see here and here), I’m saddened to have to report that a fourth hen harrier nest in Bowland (and the fifth in England*) this year has failed after the adult male disappeared in unexplained circumstances. This is a huge disappointment and heartbreaking for all the RSPB and United Utilities staff and volunteers who put so much into protecting these birds.
I am also saddened that You Forgot The Birds - the grouse industry-funded campaign – have used this news to once again have a pop at the RSPB’s record on hen harrier conservation. This time they are alleging our work to protect hen harriers is causing nests to fail.
YFTB appear to have very up to date knowledge of what is happening on the ground in Lancashire; given the amount of work required to save the harrier, it would be good if they were to share any useful information with the RSPB rather than attacking us, in the interests of conservation, and indeed with the police. The allegations they make are very serious - suggesting wildlife crime has been committed. If YFTB have any evidence to back up these claims, they should responsibly report it to the police, as we would ask any responsible person or group with information relating to a crime to do. Indeed we cannot understand why this has not already been done.
I have neither the time nor inclination to give a blow by blow rebuttal and would rather dedicate my time and energy to the huge amount of work required to save this beautiful bird and suspect that those who support the RSPB would agree. Suffice it to say, it seems sensible to remind everyone that the nests in question failed after the male birds disappeared while out hunting, leaving the females with no option but to abandon their respective nests.
Obviously the real issue here, is the survival of the hen harriers. A wealth of scientific studies, including the UK Government's own reports, indicate the link with illegal persecution. To save hen harriers, we must end illegal persecution. No ifs, buts or maybes. We know the primary constraint on hen harrier populations, so if we are to bring the species back from the brink of extinction as an English breeding species we must focus squarely on bringing an end to illegal persecution. The RSPB and our partners are committed to doing just this.
The RSPB's staff and volunteers on the ground do an incredible job of trying to protect hen harrier nests around the clock.
I saw our Geltsdale team in action when I visited the site three weeks ago. From a hut a safe distance from the nest site where we conduct the surveillance, I was lucky enough to see the nesting pair in action. It was a special moment but it made me angry that in 21st century Britain our dedicated team of staff and volunteers have to watch over these nests 24 hours a day.
This year’s hen harrier season has been a rollercoaster but we remain cautiously optimistic that there will be a handful of successful nests. My thoughts though go to those people who are on the ground, living and breathing this every minute of every day. Their job is one of the most emotionally draining in conservation. They work in extremely difficult conditions and their dedication, passion and expertise is second to none. We all owe them a huge debt of gratitude and I am proud and honoured to call them my colleagues.
With news like this it’s sometimes difficult to see light at the end of the tunnel for hen harriers. But despite these setbacks and despite all the other nonsense we have to deal with, I am absolutely confident we will save the hen harrier in England – it is at the heart of this charity’s mission. It’s the passion of these staff and volunteers as well as all our supporters who have contacted us over the last few weeks, urging us to stay the course, that gives me that confidence.
So, I’d like to finish what has been a challenging few weeks by sending a crystal clear message of thanks to everyone for your support, whether it’s to those out on the hill protecting our hen harriers, or those you that have sent us letters of support to help keep us going. We will stay the course. We will save our hen harriers. And it will be thanks to you and your efforts.
*The nest at Geltsdale failed in similar circumstances when a male disappeared leaving the female to abandon her nest.
Rob
who knows what would happen if grouse shooting stopped with the right (legal) management and financial incentives currently available to grouse moor managers and a more innovative approach to generating income from our uplands. Time after time we get this line trotted out that the fox or crow or stoat will wipe out all their prey species once the gamekeepers are gone and we will lose all this private sector money and effort that supports conservation. GWCT pours thousands of pounds into research that is designed to show that predator control is always the major part of the solution. It has to in order to secure the unnaturally high numbers of gamebirds required for shooting. I can tell you without spending a penny, that if I removed all the predators on a grouse moor, the grouse and waders would do well, at least in the short term. This idyll of flourishing wildlife on the grouse moors is tarnished not only by an absence of predators but also the impact on any other species that threatens grouse productivity - look at the culls of mountain hare in Scotland – and a convenient silence on the negative environmental aspects of grouse moor management. The very attempts to increase productivity themselves are the cause of many of the problems that then have to be "dealt with" ie predator, tick and disease control. And what about the public subsidy for what are very high capital value land assets - £4-5000 per brace of grouse. Grouse shooting contributes about £70M a year to the UK economy. In 2013, grouse moors received more than £17M under the Environmental Stewardship Scheme, on top of other tax breaks and tax exemptions that they receive.
I don't want to ban shooting - I don't understand the pleasure it brings but it is a legal pastime and at least what is shot can be eaten. But the current model of intensive management of land for game bird shooting, particularly for grouse, pheasant and partridge is not helping genuine bio-diversity. The claim that it is somehow “better” and free to the public purse, is only half the picture which the shooting community has to acknowledge. We do need to take out from the debate the class war and hate rubbish from both sides, including the clearly orchestrated attempts to defame the RSPB and belittle its members. We must work with landowners, whether farmers or shooting estates but the continuing mysterious absence of birds of prey from upland grouse moors and threat of continued persecution is not a good starting point for any concord.
IanW