RSPB's biggest conservation achievements?

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  • Also Marsh Harriers. On my one and only visit to Minsmere in the early 1970’s, Marsh Harriers where just about hanging on, as a breeding/nesting bird in the UK. As Minsmere at that time was the only regular nesting/breeding wetland where the Marsh Harrier nested-bred every year. I thought at that time the Marsh Harrier might become extinct as a nesting/breeding bird in the UK. But the Marsh Harrier hung on at Minsmere and slowly but surely started to expand it’s range as that raptor had once been quite common. Bert Axel mentioned in the book above that while the Ospreys return was well known in the UK during that period and regularly mentioned in the media every year, Most didn’t know or how rare the Marsh Harrier was at that time and for quite a lot of years during that time in the 1970’s the Marsh Harrier was the rarest annual nesting bird of prey/raptor in the UK and unlike the Osprey which was mentioned every year in the media, the press and the other UK media never mentioned the Marsh Harrier at all.

    Regards,

    Ian.

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