According to an article in The Times today, the English hen harrier population has been ‘saved’ following a ‘record number’ of successfully fledged birds.
Good grief!
Nine successful nests in a country that has the habitat to support over 300 pairs is NOT, in any way, shape or form, evidence of a species being ‘saved’. What it actually is is a clear indication that the English hen harrier breeding population is still being suppressed as a result of illegal persecution. We blogged a bit about this last week (here) when the 2018 HH breeding results were published and we pointed out that, yet again, there wasn’t one single successful nest on a privately-owned grouse moor.
Here’s the article from today’s Times in full:
We could spend some time dissecting this article but we don’t have time. It is worth highlighting the quote from Philip Merricks though, who says,
“Wildlife will only thrive if conservationists work with those who manage the land“.
No, Philip, wildlife (in this case, hen harriers) will only thrive if gamekeepers on grouse moors stop bloody killing them, and if so-called conservationists (Hawk & Owl Trust) stop enabling them to keep getting away with it.
It’s worth looking at the 2018 hen harrier breeding season in context with previous years, just to put things in perspective. Successful hen harrier nests haven’t reached double figures for ten years, and yet we’re expected to believe this is a ‘success’?
We’ve been here many times before – a handful of successful hen harrier nests and along come the persecution apologists to claim it’s a ‘turning point’ and everything’s going to be alright. Here’s something we wrote in 2015 after the so-called ‘good news’ that six nests had been successful. The results from the next two years suggest it was anything but a ‘turning point’.
It’s just pitiful, both the continued poor breeding results and the ridiculous cries of ‘success’ from the grouse shooting industry.
For an alternative view of this year’s hen harrier breeding results, have a read of this article from the Northern England Raptor Forum (NERF). It’s much more honest than anything you’ll see from the persecution deniers.
If you’re as sick to the back teeth as we are of the continued pretence that hen harriers are being ‘saved’ by grouse moor gamekeepers, then come along to a Hen Harrier Day event this weekend and ensure your voice is heard. You’ll find details here.
Raptor Persecution UK 
I share Mark’s exasperation at the fudging of the figures and regret that the Hawk and Owl Trust are either unaware of, or ignoring, the work that Mark has done in trying to achieve a consensus over many years. His patience has finally worn out. I share his view that the intransigence of the shooting community and the continued losses of birds of prey in suspicious circumstances when flying over or close to driven grouse moors indicates that compromise is not possible. There can be no compromise over the illegal persecution of birds of prey and the false facts that numbers of hen harriers (and other birds of prey) are higher on managed grouse moors.
If food producers boasted there had been an increase in the number of peas per tin, based on one extra pea, would we rush to the nearest supermarket to stock up immediately, and celebrate with a garden ‘pea party’? The interpretation of statistics by grouse shooting ‘scientists,’ based on such limited data from one year to the next, is just as ludicrous an argument. Presumably even if the grouse shooting ‘analysts’ were to compare five-year periods, they would be boasting that English harriers had enjoyed a “vast increase in success” of 39% additional successful nests, i.e. 7 more successful nests than in 2009-2013, in the whole of England! That’s only 2% of the carrying capacity of suitable habitat in the country, well within the range of natural variation.
Is it cynical to think that when the focus and heat is turned up on the Shootists illegal ‘management’ techniques, that they take their foot off of the raptor killing pedal a little !! Then they can try and claim brownie points, as they are currently, so that next season they can go back to their old ways, and those ways are very old, traditional criminality in reality. So, forget the absolute rubbish stated in this article regarding the Hen Harrier being ‘saved’ , let’s focus on the survival rate of this years chicks, my hopes are low on more than 50% seeing their first spring!
There is no doubt, having been involved in a small way in part of it that the reason there is no real consensus between conservationists( the real ones) and the grouse botherers is a complete lack of any sign of compromise or honesty by the latter. To give just one example to be told by two representatives of the G botherers that there was “no persecution so there was no problem.” at a meeting discussing that very problem. Now of course they expect us to congratulate them for the success of this years Harrier productivity when most nests were on land owned by United Utilities , Forestry Commission or National Trust and the only nests on a private grouse moor failed, it is claimed when the bigamous male did not or could not provide for either of his females and left. I’ve followed lots of harrier nests and one female being deserted is sometimes normal both is almost unheard of, it smalls badly of Rat!
I cannot remember the last time I was congratulated for obeying the law, one does it as a matter of routine without thought and although this may be different for keepers they perhaps should get used to obeying the law as a routine without thanks. Merricks is just a fool who clearly has no real understanding of the history here, he would be better salvaging what is left of the tattered reputation of HOT by withdrawing from the DEFRA sponsored plan for Brood meddling.
If the grouse lobby want congratulations, how about no persecution for a number of years, shopping the bad guys who won’t change and then with a growing healthy population of harriers and other raptors we might consider them reformed and think about it but not until, I’ll not be holding my breath .
Spot on, Phil.
What next……
Columbian drug lords credited with successes in reduction in numbers of cocaine addicts.
It is well known that the the single biggest reason for hen harrier numbers is persecution by gamekeepers, carrying out these activities whilst engaded in the grouse shooting industry.
Lers not forget killing harriers and birds if prey is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment. Those who carry out this activity are common criminals.
If any members of the grouse industry choose not to break the law then I ackowkedge and welcome this.
Those that don’t (and we know there is a lot out there) are responsible for the demise of their own industry
This post appeared with an ad for a London based pest control company. I was surprised that the accompanying map wasn’t centered on the Hoc (government benches)! We’ll make no progress with BDGS until the Tories lose their majority.
I attempted to connect to the link providing details of Hen Harrier Day, and received the following message: “An appropriate representation of the requested resource / could not be found on this server.” Same message via Google. Strangely I have not received details of Scottish venues from any ornithological source, not even SRSG, which doesn’t bode well for attendance figures, that were poor enough last year. I’m very keen to attend the one nearest to home (Glasgow area) – can anyone advise? I’m sure there must be notification somewhere in this RPUK blog, but no quick search facility and time is running out.
Are you kidding?
Iain, it’s really not difficult to type ‘Hen Harrier Day 2018’ in to a search engine.
Alternatively, get on to social media, it’s all over there.
Ps. The link on this blog seems to be working fine from this end.
No, I’m not kidding. I did exactly as you suggest and got to other links, all of which provided an identical statement. I did find plentyy information on English Hen Harrier Days, but none for Scotland. I know they are happening this forthcoming weekend, but I need to know precise dates and locations in central Scotland. As I stated (did you not read my whole paragraph?), I’m sure you must have published details somewhere in your blog, but I’ve been too busy and pre-occupied to trawl in search of it. You could have been more helpful by just providing locations and dates. I find your opening question a bit disrespectful, and am mildly offended by your implication that I’m a bit thick. I’ll try again, assuming the problem was in my equipment. I was anxious because I’m disabled and need to arrange transport. All fellow raptor workers I’ve asked have no intention of attending, another factor that has disappointed me in previous years. More publicity might attract larger attendances and create a better impression in the public (not just social) media.
Iain,
Go to Google.
Type ‘Hen Harrier Day 2018’.
Click on the first link.
Done.
http://henharrierday.org/
That is EXACTLY one of the ways I attempted. I’ll try again later today. Maybe something in the system ‘went down’ when I tried earlier – wouldn’t be the first time.
Iain, the only HH Day in Scotland is at Grantown on Spey, Highland.
Thanks ICT, you’ve been very helpful. The lack of a HH Day in central or southern Scotland is very disappointing, and I hope next year at least one will be organised. Unfortunately I can’t make it to Grantown on Spey, but I hope the day is a great success.
Good idea. D