In response to last week’s news about missing hen harrier Calluna, who disappeared from a grouse moor in the Cairngorms National Park just a few weeks after fledging, there will be a peaceful protest this Friday outside the Scottish Parliament against the continued persecution of hen harriers.
This demo is a spontaneous response, hastily organised by two ordinary members of the public who have had enough. They don’t have a large campaign fund behind them, nor the resources or experience of a campaigning charity – it’s just them, wanting to make their voices heard at the door of power.
It’s very short notice, but if you’ve had enough of hen harrier persecution and you’re able to support these two people they’ll be outside Holyrood between 1-2pm on Friday 8 September.
#StopKillingHenHarriers
Raptor Persecution UK 
What a brilliant idea. I regret I shall not be able to be there but applaud your action. I hope lots of people are able to join you.
I shall make every effort to attend , short notice though .
It is very short notice – but that’s the drawback of spontaneous demos. Pretty sure the two individuals will welcome your support though.
I hope there will also be protests about the non-existence of hen harriers on moorland that the RSPB has guardianship over………….perhaps there is too much disturbance from their followers ?
Environmentalist
For ‘Environmentalist’ read Grouse shooting supporter.
You do realise that a nest on land protected by the RSPB will still be unsuccessful if the male somehow “disappears” when it goes hunting over other areas of land. Feel free to protest though.
Evidence?
Fergus. My sister has a farm in the Forest of Bowland. There is no driven grouse shooting on her land except a part where the shooting rights are owned by someone else.
There are no breeding Hen Harriers on her land.
Do you ‘hope there will also be protests’ there?
Here we go again, DGS is good for waders its good for the economy, and the RSPB members are bird botherers. Well no it isn’t, and no they are not. You “Environmentalist” endlessly repeat the same spurious exaggerated tripe to try and deflect attention from the basic truth, Raptors are regularly and routinely killed on DG moors by criminals with whom you seem to be sympathetic .
Let’s make it clear. The one and only reason why breeding Hen Harriers are absent from English RSPB Reserves is because there just aren’t enough harriers in England to occupy the ‘vacant’ territories. Why? Because bloody gamekeepers have killed most of them. Pro-grouse shooters might think they’ve come to some sort of clever conclusion about this ‘fact’ they have seized onto, but their answer to the question is obviously a non sequitur. There’s also the fact to take into consideration that RSPB don’t own many (or any?) upland heather moors in England anyway, at least nothing of the size that would support a reasonable population of harriers. The vast majority of suitable land is owned by private landowners, providing killing playgrounds for those who regard themselves as the elite of society.
Fergus,
You claim “the non-existence of hen harriers on moorland that the RSPB has guardianship over”.
Perhaps you missed this excellent blog from Ian Thomson (RSPB Scotland) a few weeks ago:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/scotland/archive/2017/08/10/disappearing-raptors.aspx
Here’s a quote from that blog:
“…more pairs of hen harriers bred successfully on one RSPB reserve on Islay in 2017, than on the grouse moors of Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire, Angus and the Scottish Borders put together. In fact, RSPB nature reserves hold 10% of Scotland’s breeding population of hen harriers, with 46 pairs in 2016”.
Great stuff, plan to be there, the one great benefit of living in Falkirk it’s easy to get to Edinburgh even at short notice.
Great work-the more of these the better.
Good on them & you! It’s too far from N W Wales to join you, but my thoughts will be with you
Sorry will not be able to attend at short notice, but wish you all the best. About time the Scottish Government took notice.
Wish I could have made it but unfortunately cannot, this time. I hope that at least some politicians take notice. Good luck to everyone.
Is there an appropriate e-mail address those who can’t attend can send a message to, supporting those outside?
Good to meet everyone outside Scottish Parliament today and well done to those that organised this. Also nice to see Alison Johnstone MSP, Andy Wightman MSP, Duncan Orr-Ewing and Ian Thomson from the RSPB coming along to show their support.