Following on from today’s earlier blog about the three shot buzzards in Somerset (here), we’ve now been informed that one was shot in Somerset (Chedzoy) on New Year’s Day and died of its injuries and the other two were shot in separate incidents in Wales (locations unknown) and were transported to the RSPCA wildlife hospital in Somerset where they are undergoing treatment.
Thanks to the two blog readers who contacted us with updated info.
Raptor Persecution UK 
So where does Raptor Persecution UK….’And this is an area where DEFRA/Natural England are planning to reintroduce hen harriers because persecution levels are considered low. Three shot birds in four days suggests otherwise’….stand now then?
I imagine they will edit “Three shot birds…” to “Four shot birds…”. Or am I missing something obvious?
I think there were originally thought to be 3 shot in Somerset and the new info is that one was shot in Somerset and 2 in Wales. For some reason Woodruff appears to think that one shot in Somerset is some kind of point. He appears to be saying that one shot in Somerset is OK and that released Somerset Hen Harriers will not fly across to Wales and be shot. There again what do i know he could be saying it is all Corbyn’s fault for all i know.
And those are only the ones we know about Mr Woodruff. I am sure we would all like to hear your take on the 10 bin bags full of dead pheasants, no doubt shot by macho ‘sportsmen’ partaking in the usual New Year’s Day slaughter – not for food, just ‘fun’.
Oh dear….This is ridiculous, and quite silly to be honest, and by people I previously credited much better, following one another like sheep with comments which have derailed the thread.
The big question here in the case of Somerset is, what constitutes an area to be considered ‘low level persecution’ and my query directed towards RP UK was to try to find out of they now had the same response of ‘suggesting otherwise’ that the choice of low level persecution Somerset was the right one for a planned reintroduction of Hen Harriers following some incorrect info re the shooting of three Buzzard now corrected to a single bird.
It’s beyond me why Anand Prasad should choose to accuse anyone of suggesting that….’one shot in Somerset is OK and that released Somerset Hen Harriers will not fly across to Wales’….and his further comment….’There again what do I know he could be saying it is all Corbyn’s fault for all I know’….is silly to the extreme.
As for Tony Warburton’s asking for my take on….’10 bin bags full of dead pheasants’….words fail me, and has no connection with the subject matter in my post.
Let’s get the record book straight here. I subscribe to no blood sport, and for starters, in a perfect world would have the shooting fraternity wiped out for good.
Thanks for the clarification. I may have misinterpreted your comment although i’m still not sure of your point and how it relates to RPUK’s arguments.
If this had been a Hen Harrier which had been shot which will almost certainly be the case if birds are released, it questions the whole introduction scheme. The 2 shot in Wales are relevant as Hen Harriers are highly mobile. The 3 birds shot within such a short space of time is a snapshot of what could happen to released Hen Harriers. I don’t think it is too outrageous to presume that the 2 shot in Wales were not far from Somerset and certainly within the range of roaming juvenile Hen Harriers.
Someone else already pointed out that the reasons for the lowland extinctions have not been addressed in that appalling feasibility study. How can you have a feasibility study without considering persecution?
Your question of what is high or low level or ‘acceptable’ persecution levels should have been answered by that report.
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2017/01/03/hen-harrier-reintroduction-to-southern-england-the-feasibilityscoping-report/
Personally i find the concept of acceptable persecution levels abhorrent. It become clearer and clearer with the demand to kill Buzzards that the only solution, if we want to have raptors free from persecution, is to ban game shooting in it’s entirety.