Tag: hen harrier

Henry’s Tour: Day 16

Thurs 16 April Copy

Henry’s re-enacting a scene at Dersingham Bog, a National Nature Reserve situated on the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

On the evening of 24 October 2007, two hen harriers were allegedly shot at this site, according to an eye-witness account. The police were informed and they visited the site the following morning, after seeking access permission from the estate(!). No bodies were found. The police interviewed Prince Harry, one of his mates, and a Sandringham gamekeeper, who were known to be shooting ducks on the estate that evening, but they said they knew nothing about the incident. The CPS couldn’t progress the case based on such limited evidence (see here).

Sandringham Estate was reported to have undertaken its own investigation and, according to the Telegraph, declared ‘that there was probably no such shooting and that the supposed eye witnesses were, at best, mistaken over their claims’. Friends of the royal prince also claimed that it had all been a set-up (see here).

It’s all very familiar, isn’t it?

Eight years on, things have not improved for hen harriers. There was an estimated 20 pairs of breeding hen harriers in England in 2007; last year there were just four, and all needed around-the-clock protection. Scientists have estimated that more than 300 pairs could breed in England if they weren’t being shot, trapped, stamped on or poisoned.

It’s often inaccurately reported that hen harriers are doing okay in Scotland. In relation to the dire situation in England, they are. However, the story in some areas of Scotland is identical to the story in England; hen harriers are being systematically killed on many moors that are managed for driven grouse shooting (see here).

And just as in England, prosecutions for killing hen harriers in Scotland are virtually unheard of.

Whatever happened to the case we blogged about 15 months ago (see here)? It related to the illegal killing of a hen harrier in Aberdeenshire in June 2013 (almost two years ago now!) – a 58-year-old man had been reported by Police Scotland to the Procurator Fiscal in January 2014. It’s all been strangely (or perhaps un-strangely) quiet since then….

Henry’s Tour: Day 13

Mon 13 April Copy

Today Henry visited a National Nature Reserve.

It’s part of a very well-known estate.

This site should be perfect for Hen Harriers.

But it isn’t.

Find out why later this week….

Henry’s Tour: Day 12

Fri 9th April - Copy

Henry orders a Carbofuran-free mippit omelette with a side order of voles. He’s feeding up because he’s on his way to the badlands and doesn’t know when he’ll next find a safe meal.

After dinner his minders are taking him to the Pictures to see this new release from the Haltwhistle Film Project.

Muirkirk hen harrier: shot and killed at nest site

hh LAURIE CAMPBELLLast June we blogged about the death of an adult female hen harrier near Muirkirk, south west Scotland. Her corpse had been found in May 2014 on moorland close to a nest containing two young hen harrier chicks (see here). At the time, Police Scotland refused to reveal the cause of death. A statement from Detective Inspector Graham Duncan of Kilmarnock CID went as follows:

“Whilst at this time we cannot divulge how the bird was killed, we do believe it was the result of a criminal act and we need to establish why this has happened“.

Quite an astonishing statement if you’re aware of the 30+ years of hen harrier persecution in this supposed Hen Harrier Special Protection Area (e.g. see here).

We didn’t hear anything else from Police Scotland about this ‘investigation’.

Eight months later in February 2015 we blogged about this case again (see here) when SASA published a report on persecution cases in 2014. Here’s what the report said about this particular crime:

“Cause of death withheld due to specialist knowledge“.

Now 11 months after the bird was killed, we finally find out the cause of death. She’d been shot. We only know this because the information was released as part of the Government’s raptor persecution crime maps, published 10 days ago (see here).

Wonder if/when SNH is going to place a General Licence restriction order on this moorland? Although SNH’s track record for implementing restrictions hasn’t been very impressive to date (e.g. see here).

HH shooting Ayrshire May 2014 highlight - Copy

Langholm hen harrier ‘Annie’ is down

One of last year’s young hen harriers from Langholm is missing in action.

‘Annie’ was satellite-tagged on Langholm Moor last summer, along with a young male called Sid.

Sid ‘disappeared’ a few months later in North Yorkshire in September 2014 (see here).

Annie ‘disappeared’ a few weeks ago in March. The last signal from her sat tag showed she was in an area of South Lanarkshire. Hmm.

Photo of Annie from the Making the Most of Moorlands Project.

Annie with her sat tag

Henry’s Tour: day 11

Weds 8th April - copy

Henry visited Stonehenge to consult the Druids.

He asked where he might find a girlfriend.

The Druids told him that although their prophecies are legendary, even they couldn’t answer that one.

Henry’s Tour: Day 10

Monday 6th April-copy

Henry is visiting Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Owned by the Ministry of Defence, this is an important winter roost site for Hen Harriers.

Despite the shells and mortar bombs, this site is safer for Hen Harriers than on driven grouse moors. Says it all, really.

Henry was escorted by his friends Michael Groves (a volunteer with the South Wiltshire Owl & Raptor Nest Box Project) and Nick Adams (Wiltshire Raptor Group).

Henry’s Tour: Day 9

Fri 3rd April Copy

Henry’s still not found a girlfriend so he calls the RSPB’s Hen Harrier Hotline (0845-4600121) for tips on where he might find one.

#HaveYouSeenHenry