The Nidderdale Raptor Study Group, in conjunction with the Northern England Raptor Forum (NERF) is hosting a fundraiser to support the RSPB Investigations Team to buy satellite tags for hen harriers.
In recent years satellite tags have revealed the extent of hen harrier persecution across the UK. In 2019 a damning scientific research paper demonstrated that at least 72% of tagged hen harriers were presumed illegally killed on or close to driven grouse moors (see here).
And a tally of incidents kept by this blog demonstrates that over the last two years alone at least 45 hen harriers, many of them satellite-tagged, are either ‘missing’ in suspicious circumstances or confirmed illegally killed, many on driven grouse moors (see here). It’s my understanding that this number has since risen but official notification is still pending. More on that shortly.
So, in essence, satellite-tagging has proven to be incredibly important in helping to detect a crime that is otherwise too easily hidden (and which explains the grouse shooting industry’s desperate attempts to undermine the science and the integrity of those who fit and monitor the tags).
Yorkshire-based artist Dan Evans has donated this A2-sized oil painting for an online auction to help support the purchase of more satellite tags:
If you’d like to bid on this artwork please visit the auction page here. The auction will close on 23 December 2020. There is also an opportunity to buy signed limited edition prints, with all profits being donated to the sat tag fund.
There is also a fundraising page for those who may not want to buy the artwork but who may still be interested in supporting the effort to buy more satellite tags – you can visit the fundraiser page here
Raptor Persecution UK 
Have donated. It seems to be under the umbrella of the RSPB. I hope the money donated is specific to the NSRG and NERF.
Don’t know what you are getting at! The background to, and objective of, this worthy initiative is clearly stated in the opening paragraph of this blog.
when oh when will the rspb be transparent with the tag data. never – for as long as they fail to do so, my suspicion is that they’ll interpret and use the data to suit their agenda on licensing.
Yawn.
But at the same time, thanks for providing the opportunity to link to Murgatroyd et al’s paper again:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09044-w
If you can’t get beyond the title of the paper, it’s quite telling – Patterns of satellite tagged hen harrier disappearances suggest widespread illegal killing on British grouse moors
If you do read the paper a highlight is this: 72% of tagged birds disappeared suddenly, with the most likely explanation illegal killing on driven grouse moors.
And by the way, these birds were not tagged by the RSPB, and the paper was not written by the RSPB.
Thanks Justin. Read your comments and then donated.
Can you/anyone tell me how much the tags are? Just wondered. Donated.
Roughly £3000 each.
Strewth…thanks!