Hen harriers that is!
Yes, welcome to the third part of the 12 days of Christmas. I suppose I could have talked about red-legged partridge, also known as French partridge. But instead it seemed to be a good idea to talk about hen harriers.
Hen harriers are a really stunning bird of prey. Sometimes nicknamed 'grey ghosts' due to the colour of the males. Or alternatively 'skydancers', for their incredible and aerobatic mating displays. The males twist and turn in the air in an wonderful display of their aerial prowess. I've never been lucky enough to see it, oh to have the chance. Here at Frampton we do see hen harriers, but only in the winter when they move to the coast. Milder conditions make it easier to hunt, and at the moment it is quite a regular sight to see one drifting over the saltmarsh. These might be the grey males, but also the brown females and youngsters, who are really tricky to tell apart.
Female hen harrier, by Radio Tonreg
In the UK hen harriers breed in upland areas, particularly moorland. Unfortunately, grouse moors are often in the same place and there is a long and sordid history of persecution of the harriers by some gamekeepers. Lets put this into perspective. In France (yes, had to justify "French hens" somehow!), there are anywhere between 2500 and 4000 breeding pairs of these birds. In England.... none. That's right, not a single one. Despite there being good habitat for them. It really is a shocking situation.
In the forefront of the fight against this and all other forms of persecution are the RSPB's dedicated Investigations team. Tirelessly working to gather evidence against those who break the law, and hopefully to ensure a conviction. If you spot a crime against a wild bird and wish to report it, then email them on crime@rspb.org.uk. I would also suggest contacting your local Wildlife Crimes Officer too, your local police station will have details. if you want to follow the work of the Investigations team, may I also point you towards their blog. Or for other news about hen harriers, the twitter feed @RSPB_skydancer.
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.