The RSPB’s Investigations Team has reported on social media that a satellite-tagged hen harrier named ‘Helius’ has ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances in the Bowland area.
Her tag had been functioning well before suddenly cutting out in July at a location on the boundary of a United Utilities Estate between Brennand Fell and Tarnbrook Fell. A police search found no trace of her or her tag.
Helius’s suspicious disappearance is the 10th reported hen harrier case this year, following the suspicious disappearance of hen harrier ‘Shalimar’ who vanished on a grouse moor in the Angus Glens in February (here), and eight other hen harriers either found dead or have ‘vanished’ in Northumberland, Devon, Nidderdale, Bowland and Yorkshire Dales National Park throughout the year (see here).
We’re still waiting for Natural England to provide an update on the status of those eight investigations. There’s no excuse for the long delay in providing post mortem results – some of those cases date back to February and March 2024.
The cynical amongst us might think that Natural England is deliberately withholding the results to swerve any bad press as it evaluates the success/failure of the hen harrier brood meddling trial, with a report due by the end of this year.
Unsurprisingly, Natural England’s main partner in the brood meddling sham, the Moorland Association (the grouse moor owners’ lobby group), is already shamelessly claiming the trial “a remarkable success story” (here), totally ignoring the ongoing and relentless persecution of hen harriers throughout the trial period, presumably in an attempt to persuade Natural England to roll out hen harrier brood meddling licences as a regular annual option.
By my calculations, 129 hen harriers are now confirmed to have been illegally killed/disappeared in suspicious circumstances, mostly on or close to grouse moors, since the brood meddling trial began in 2018. I’ll be updating the hen harrier death list shortly.
UPDATE 15 October 2024: 129 hen harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed in UK since 2018, most of them on or close to grouse moors (here).
Raptor Persecution UK 
MA represent either Moorland Association or XXXXX XXXXX. I’ll let everyone make up their own minds
‘129 hen harriers are now confirmed to have been illegally killed/disappeared in suspicious circumstances, mostly on or close to grouse moors, since the brood meddling trial began in 2018.’
Doesn’t that tell you something?
Especially with Natural England (a misnomer, in my opinion, if ever I heard one) taking so long in providing postmortem results.
What have they got to hide?
So sad, the deaths of all those beautiful hen harriers
No doubt the fate of this bird is part of the predictable response to the species having had a good breeding year in England in 2023.
Surprise surprise, getting sick of it, ban grouse shooting and all other forms while at it
http://www.earthandleaf.org
129 harrier that were tagged? What about all the other birds that weren’t tagged? Just the tip of the iceberg!
The slaughter continues, meanwhile Tony the Tories Natural England continues its strategy to hide the true scale of hen harrier persecution. Who are they kidding. Despicable & shameful.
“meanwhile Tony the Tories Natural England…”
“Who are they kidding”
Who are you kidding?
Despicable disgusting ban grouse shooting and hunting and let creatures be. Its a hard life for any critter without making their lives a misery .
This is bloody heartbreaking,the murder of these magnificent birds is unforgivable,we all know who’s to blame and the government don’t care in justice to protect these creatures, this could be stopped overnight ,there will always be rogue GK but if they licenced the shoots it would help this situation.