Red Kite

I know the feeling ... I am wondering if some kind of local patrol would help - assuming there is enough people willing and able to do it. Assuming, that is, that the birds are being shot. If its poisoned bait there is no way they can be found, other than somebody volunteering the information. But shooting has to take place particular times of the day - or else they risk being heard / seen?

Well in wintertime shooters do like to wait for Harriers at their communal roosts but a gunshot in the middle of a moor miles from anywhere would not raise much concern,locals may get used to sounds of shooting such as someone legally rabbit shooting.

While seeing someone in the vicinity would stop the crime at that moment but it cannot be done full time.To the people responsible for these deeds the moors are like our back garden is to us

The winter roosts may be many miles from the upland breeding areas. The notorious Dersingham Bog incident of 2007 (see http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/conservationists-shocked-by-killing-of-hen-harriers-398472.html being just one example.

It makes me so unbelievable angry .... I honestly thought the situation in the UK was much, much better. Such a crying shame!

More bad news I'm afraid: https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/hen-harriers-surviving-on-grouse-moors-not-a-chance-in-hell/ 

Unknown said:

It makes me so unbelievable angry .... I honestly thought the situation in the UK was much, much better. Such a crying shame!

I am  afraid it is still bad news for raptors in areas controlled by shooting interests. There has been good news in some areas,Peregrine Falcons seem to do well in a few of our cities ( looks the wrong place to me but there is a good food  supply and less persecution),Red Kites have got established in many areas and Sparrowhawks do well in our gardens. The worst areas are in our wild uplands where we have a conflict of interests,not sure what the sensible and workable answer will be.

Keep staying angry Marina we all need to put pressure on somewhere/somebody.

Well here is the dilemma: we are 'supposed' not to interfere with Nature and we are 'supposed' not to make birds dependent on humans. Sparrowhawks are indeed doing well in the gardens but I agree with you - they are not supposed (technically - not that I object) to be there (i.e. in cities). In lots of ways us putting food out for the song birds etc attracts a high population of smaller birds which are then defenceless against the sparrowhawks. In addition to this Sparrowhawks are, in this way, very dependent on us putting food out for their pray.

Peregrines yes - they seem to be ok for now, particularly as in cities they can feed on pigeons, which are around in quite healthy numbers. Red Kites are still a question mark maybe. Btw, we spotted one flying over junction 43 on the M1 (just before the York junction) on Saturday, when heading for Bempton cliffs. We were overjoyed!

The big issue is that the evolving model (more and more wildlife becoming crammed in the cities and dependent on humans to survive - whilst the countryside almost becomes a no go area for them) is not a viable one. If wildlife keeps cramming in cities it will not be long until we see more species being classified as 'pests', amongst others. Plus cities offer limited opportunities for supporting a healthy number of individuals of each species. People may find it 'cute' to have a pair of peregrines nesting eg on Southport cathedral but what will happen when we get up to 10 or 20 pairs? How long until they start calling out pest control and reporting nuisances?

Add to this the changing lifestyle of people. More and more people are favouring synthetic turf (here go the blackbirds, foxes etc) or paving and there is (and expected to be) progressively less time available for people to tend to gardens, let alone wildlife. I've seen hedgehogs disappear from our area over a period of 17 years due to building and new style fencing not allowing them to pass through gardens, amongst others. And the more this happens, the more supported species will decline.

The countryside must become more wildlife friendly. Btw, last Saturday, whilst in Bempton, I've noticed a sign they have up "Safe, Protected and Starving" ... it looks like the sandeel numbers are low and the birds find it hard to survive, let alone feed their young. Yet another example of human mismanagement of the environment.

Glad you managed to catch sight of a Red Kite that area is often good for  them. I had not thought about the  synthetic turf as a problem before but living in a basically rural area grass is not in short supply.

Interesting about the sea birds going  hungry on the Yorkshire Coast due to the shortage of Sand Eels,we are currently on holiday on the Northumberland coast and spending quite a lot of time watching Terns catching food and do not seem to be finding it difficult but that may be locally and is only our observations.