Tag: Marsh harrier

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust finds its voice & calls for Government action on raptor persecution

Following North Yorkshire Police’s appeal for information about the recent discovery of a Marsh Harrier with gunshot injuries found in the Westerdale area of the North York Moors National Park, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) has responded with an unusually robust statement.

On its Facebook page yesterday, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said that “It is no longer enough to condemn these actions – our communities and wildlife deserve to thrive together, and it is our collective duty to hold those responsible for destroying our wildlife to account“.

The social media post then linked to a full statement on the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s web site, reproduced here:

MARSH HARRIER SHOT ON NORTH YORK MOORS – OUR RESPONSE, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026

We are outraged to hear that in August, a marsh harrier was found shot at Westerdale within the North York Moors National Park.

Despite being protected by law, this poor bird had been left to suffer for days until found; sadly it couldn’t be treated and had to be euthanised to halt its suffering.

This latest case of cruelty and negligence, comes barely three months after a golden eagle was reported to have been shot 17 times in northern England and a tagged white-tailed eagle ‘went missing’ on the North York Moors, it is clear there are people in these landscapes who are careless and callous enough to harm these magnificent birds, and publicity does not stop their illegal behaviour.

North Yorkshire is nationally infamous for raptor persecution, with a report by the RSPB this year showing that one in five confirmed cases of shootings in England over the past ten years took place in our county. This is not an accolade or an achievement. We want to see anyone who has been involved in facilitating criminal actions like this to be held to account.

It is clear that the ‘self-policing’ approach of the shooting industry is failing and there is little sign of those who should be responsible taking clear visible action to stop and drive out this criminality. It is time for Government to take stronger action to prevent these wildlife crimes. 

Defra is also currently seeking evidence on the impacts of gamebird rearing, release and shooting, including wildlife crime, and we encourage anyone with relevant evidence or experience to respond to the call for evidence by 11:59pm on 1 November 2026.

Birds of prey play an important role in our ecosystems, bringing awe and wonder to the majority of Yorkshire folk lucky enough to see them, their appearance in our skies are down to the work of conservation bodies, volunteers and local people. Persecution robs everyone the chance of seeing these special birds and destroys all those years of effort.

We urge anyone who has information that can help North Yorkshire Police establish who was involved in this case to contact them. It is no longer enough to condemn these actions – our communities and wildlife deserve to thrive together, and it is our collective duty to hold those responsible for destroying our wildlife to account.

You can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 or emailing kimberley.laws@northyorkshire.police.uk, quoting incident number 12260171320.

ENDS

With the exception of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, it’s quite unusual to see any of the country’s Wildlife Trusts speaking out so clearly and forcefully on the issue of raptor persecution. It’s long been a bugbear of mine that organisations like the Wildlife Trusts, who are in a position of authority and influence, have shied away from prominent campaigning on this issue.

So I applaud Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for its unequivocal stance and hope that other Wildlife Trusts will follow its lead and not be too frightened by the inevitable backlash from the game-shooting industry, who are probably already composing threats to report the YWT to the Charities Commission, in the same way the Moorland Association did against the charity ‘Friends of the Dales’ for its Eyes to the Skies campaign earlier this year.

Marsh Harrier found shot in North York Moors National Park – Police appeal for information

Press release from North Yorkshire Police (21 September 2026):

Marsh Harrier found shot in North York Moors

On 28 August 2026 a juvenile Marsh Harrier was found in the Westerdale area suffering from injuries that left it unable to fly.

Following examination, it was established that the bird had been shot and is believed to have been lying injured for several days prior to being found. Unfortunately, the injuries were so severe that there was no prospect of recovery, and on welfare grounds the bird had to be humanely euthanised.

Marsh Harrier (photo by Pete Walkden)

The Marsh Harrier is a specially protected bird of prey under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or disturb these birds, or to damage or destroy their nests or eggs.

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for information in connection with this incident. Anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the area, or who has information that could assist the investigation, is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 or emailing kimberley.laws@northyorkshire.police.uk, quoting incident number 12260171320.

If you have concerns regarding the persecution of birds of prey or any other wildlife crime, please report the matter to the police. Information from the public can play a vital role in helping to protect wildlife and bring offenders to justice.

ENDS

Yet another raptor persecution victim, in a so-called National Park, in an area where gamebird shooting is prominent, and in an area well known as a wildlife crime hotspot (e.g. see here, here and here).

And not the first Marsh Harrier victim in Yorkshire either – for others see here, here and here.

This Marsh Harrier was found with shotgun injuries next to a Red-legged Partridge pen on a shooting estate in East Yorkshire in 2016. After expert veterinary attention and rehabilitation care she was released back to the wild (see here).

In 2017/2018 Amanda Anderson (then of the Moorland Association, the grouse moor owners’ lobby group in England) denied that her members were interested in obtaining licences permitting them to kill Marsh Harriers but several witnesses said otherwise.

Motive, means, opportunity. They’re all there, in spades, but the standard of evidence required to charge someone with the alleged shooting probably is not; without a direct witness in this remote landscape, there’s the (albeit slim) possibility that it wasn’t someone connected with gamebird shooting who shot this Marsh Harrier, and that’s enough reasonable doubt for this case to never get anywhere near a court of law.

Apart from the 2008 conviction of three gamekeepers on the Snilesworth Estate, I actually can’t remember anybody being charged and prosecuted for crimes against birds of prey in the North York Moors National Park in the following 18 years, despite a high volume of recorded crimes during this period*.

The closest the police have come was probably the Bransdale case during lockdown in 2020, where a witness reported seeing a number of armed men shooting at Buzzards on an estate in the North York Moors National Park, and five dead Buzzards were later found buried under rocks – four had definitely been shot and the fifth had probably been shot. Despite extensive investigative efforts by the police, there wasn’t sufficient evidence to charge anyone (see here).

Perhaps visitors and local residents of this National Park (and all the other National Parks where raptors are still targeted by criminals within the gamebird shooting industry) will consider making a submission to Defra’s current Call for Evidence on all aspects of gamebird shooting, to share their experience of finding injured and/or dead raptors in the National Park, or their disappointment at not being able to enjoy seeing the full suite of UK birds of prey that should naturally be breeding in these so-called protected landscapes.

You don’t even have to wade through the 100+ questions on the official submissions form to provide your evidence. You can simply write about your first-hand experience in an email, addressed to Gamebirds@defra.gov.uk (write ‘Call for Evidence’ in the subject line) and it’ll be accepted in to the review.

Closing date is 1 November 2026.

*Update: Thanks to the blog reader who reminded me about the 2013 conviction of gamekeeper Shaun Allanson for offences committed on the Blansby Estate, near Pickering, right on the edge of the North York Moors National Park.

Schoolboy pleads guilty to causing devastating Parkgate fire, damaging important habitat for raptors & other birds

Press release from Cheshire Police:

29th August 2023

TEENAGER PLEADS GUILTY TO CAUSING NESTON MARSHLAND FIRE

A 15-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to deliberately causing a large fire on marshland in Neston.

The teenager, who can’t be named for legal reasons, appeared at Chester Magistrates on 25 August for trial. He pleaded guilty on the first day to arson and damage of a site of special scientific interest. He was handed a nine-month referral order and ordered to pay £200 court fees and £22 victim surcharge.

Two other 15-year-old boys, who also can’t be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to arson and damage at an earlier hearing. They were also handed a nine-month referral order and ordered to pay £120 court costs and £22 victim surcharge.

The fire occurred, at around 6.15pm on Saturday 19 March 2022 in Parkgate Marshlands. Four young suspects were seen fleeing the scene not long after the fire started.

The three boys admitted they were at the scene but not who set the fire.

The fire damaged an extensive area of tall well-established reedbed vegetation. The most significant impact of the fire is likely to be the loss of breeding habitat for specialist bird species as well as wintering roost sites. The implication of the damage to the site and the wildlife was significant.

Fire damage at Parkgate. Photo: RSPB

DC Adam Spencer said:

“What these boys did devastated the breeding grounds for protected species under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.

While all of them admitted to being present at the site, none of them would admit who started fire, leaving us with no option but to prosecute all three teenagers, meaning that they will all now be tarred with criminal records which will have lifelong implications.

The impact of their actions that day cannot be underestimated; the fire caused significant damage to the marshes which is likely to have a significant impact on local wildlife for years to come.

The message here is think before you act“.

Ginny Hinton, Deputy Director, Natural England Cheshire to Lancashire Team, said:

“Natural England assisted in investigating this crime and in assessing the damage to this important nature site. Our survey showed the fire had devastated a large area of reedbed and saltmarsh, destroying habitat for endangered birds like the Hen Harrier and Bittern. It will take a long time for the site to recover.

This incident highlights the need to follow the Countryside Code and respect, protect and enjoy the great outdoors. This also provides a reminder of the far reaching impact of fire on our well-loved natural spaces“.

ENDS

The vast saltmarsh at Parkgate on the Dee Estuary is a familiar site to many birders, particularly in the winter when this important site attracts Hen harriers, Peregrines, Short-eared owls, Barn owls, Merlin, Kestrels, wildfowl and wading birds, but it’s also an important breeding site for Marsh harriers, Bearded tits, Cetti’s warbler and others.

The RSPB conducted an assessment of the fire damage in 2022 and said that about ten hectares of the marsh was burnt during the arson attack, including all the reedbed vegetation and some areas of saltmarsh vegetation. ‌

​I’d argue that a nine-month referral order and pitiful court costs is unlikely to deter other would-be arsonists​ ‌‌‍‌and doesn’t, in my view, reflect the seriousness​ ‌‌‌of the damage they deliberately caused.​

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Investigative journalists discover more evidence of alleged raptor persecution on Queen’s Sandringham Estate

Investigative journalists from The Guardian newspaper have uncovered more evidence of alleged raptor persecution crimes, not previously reported, at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

They’ve also uncovered documents which reveal that the police have to seek the Queen’s permission before they are allowed to enter the estate and search for evidence if alleged wildlife crimes are suspected / have been reported.

Long-term blog readers will know that this royal estate has been at the centre of a number of police investigations into alleged raptor persecution, (e.g. see here, here, here, here, here), including the most notorious incident back in 2007 where witnesses observed two hen harriers being shot over Dersingham Bog at the same time that Prince Harry, his mate William van Cutsem (whose Hilborough Estate is currently under police investigation for alleged raptor persecution), and an estate gamekeeper were out duck-shooting. No-one was charged, as with all the other reported incidents except one in 2005, where an estate gamekeeper was convicted for pole-trapping a tawny owl next to a pheasant pen (see here, page 3).

However, it now appears that at least two other raptor persecution incidents on the estate have been kept under wraps for years – a poisoned red kite found in 2006 and a dead Marsh harrier (cause of death not given) found on the estate border in 2007 – according to documents published on Friday by The Guardian – the article is well worth a read, here.

Why has it taken 16 years for these raptor persecution incidents to become public knowledge? And given the timings, wouldn’t it have been pertinent for them to have been in the public domain at the time that Prince Harry, his ‘high society’ mate van Cutsem, along with an estate gamekeeper, were all under police investigation into the alleged shooting of two hen harriers in 2007?

It’s no wonder ‘nothing was found’ during the police investigation into those alleged shootings, given that the police weren’t allowed on site until the following morning.

And surprise, surprise, none of the investigating authorities want to comment on any of these latest revelations. Too scared and too obsequious.

There is a follow-up article in today’s Guardian (here), including quotes from me about these very shady processes that amount to what I would call a massive cover-up.

Well done to journalists Sev Carrell, Rob Evans and David Pegg for having the balls to challenge this nonsense.

Marsh harrier dies in suspected rodenticide poisoning

An article from Jersey Evening Post, 3rd February 2022

Death of ‘iconic’ bird of prey leads to rat poison warning

ISLANDERS should take care when laying rat poison after a marsh harrier was found dead in St Ouen’s Bay, an environmentalist has said.

Bob Tompkins said the bird of prey was recently found lying face down by National Trust rangers. A post-mortem examination by the JSPCA revealed that the likely cause of death was rodenticide poisoning.

‘One is too many,’ Mr Tompkins said, describing the bird’s death as ‘completely avoidable’.

‘They are an iconic bird, like the red kite or the golden eagle.’

Several peregrine falcons were poisoned in Guernsey over the space of a year recently, an act which Mr Tompkins said ‘was deliberate’.

‘I am not saying that is the case here,’ said Mr Tompkins, but he added that it was a ‘possibility’.

‘If you need to put rodenticide poison out, make sure it is done in a professional manner,’ Mr Tompkins stressed.

Leaving poison out in the open carried a risk of rats dying in the open, he said, adding that these would then be feasted on by carrion eaters such as marsh harriers, barn owls and buzzards, another bird which the environmentalist said had recently been killed by poison.

The deceased marsh harrier was found in otherwise peak condition without a mark on it, he said, but had blood in and around its mouth, beak and digestive system, prompting concerns that it had swallowed a large amount of poison.

Mr Thompson added that birds that did not die straight away suffered the long-term effects, causing a decline in their condition and making them easy prey, as the poison built up in their system.

Poisonings had a ‘domino effect’ on the wider ecosystem, said Mr Tompkins, with birds less able to raise their young successfully, an egg’s chances of survival being reduced and the poison passed on to chicks. He cited one case in which he had come across a nest of barn-owl chicks, which were ‘obviously blind’.

Writing in today’s Nature pages, Mr Tompkins said it was ‘always concerning when a high-profile bird is found dead’.

It was ‘something, unfortunately, that is all too commonly seen in raptors and carrion eaters’, he added.

ENDS

Marsh harriers breed in Ireland for the first time in a century

Press release from Irish Raptor Study Group (15 December 2020)

Rare Marsh Harriers breed in Ireland for the first time in a century

The Irish Raptor Study Group, a voluntary organisation committed to the conservation of birds of prey, is delighted to confirm that two pairs of Marsh Harrier Cromán móna (Irish name) have successfully bred in Ireland in 2020. The Marsh Harrier was last known to have bred in the Republic of Ireland around 1917. The two pairs were confirmed from Co. Galway and Co. Westmeath with both pairs successfully fledging two young.

The Marsh Harrier is a large and dark coloured bird of prey with a long tail and light flight with wings held in a shallow ‘V’. Adult males have smoky grey tails and wings with chestnut belly and shoulders, while females are dark brown with a creamy head crown. Marsh Harrier can be found on open freshwater wetlands and extensive reedbeds, selecting to nest on piles of reeds surrounded by dense marshy vegetation. Marsh Harrier is a generalist wetland predator with a mostly aquatic diet including small birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Marsh Harrier were adversely affected by prolonged persecution and widespread wetland/fen destruction during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Approximately 80% of the original extent of fens in the Republic of Ireland has been lost to drainage for peat extraction and reclamation for agricultural land. The cumulative impact of wetland loss due to the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 and the preparatory drainage across bogs in Galway and Roscommon for energy production by Bord na Mona from 1946 limited any real prospect of Marsh Harriers returning in Ireland.

Marsh Harriers are scarce summer visitors to Ireland but more likely to be seen in winter along the south east coast. The last 20 years has seen the recovery of the breeding population of Marsh Harrier along the east and south eastern coastal band of England to more than c.430 breeding pairs. The steady population recovery elsewhere in Europe, especially in the Netherlands, has almost certainly assisted the current increase in England, with a spill over of individuals into Ireland. However, the scale of habitat loss in Ireland may make recolonisation of breeding Marsh Harrier a very slow process.

The Marsh Harrier, like the Eurasian Crane Corr*, Osprey Iascaire Coirneach* and the Bittern An Bonnán Buí* is one of our lost wetland treasures. Recent ambition within our Programme for Government to rehabilitate and re-wet peatlands provides an amazing opportunity for ecological restoration. Both the €108 million funding for Bord na Móna rehabilitation plan and the European Innovation Partnerships Initiative (EIP) on the rewetting of farmed peatlands are strategic actions contributing to the governments climate change mitigation, however they also provide the chance to maximise other ecosystem service co-benefits such as protection of biodiversity and benefit our rare wetland species. These initiatives could also foster opportunities for re-establishing and/or reintroducing the Crane and Bittern.

*Irish name

ENDS

North Yorkshire Police appeal for info after Marsh Harrier found shot nr Scarborough

North Yorkshire Police have issued the following appeal for information:

Police appeal after an injured marsh harrier was found near Scarborough

8 October 2019

Police are appealing for information after an injured marsh harrier was found near Scarborough.

The bird was found at 4pm on Sunday 18 August 2019 by a member of the public in a stubble field close to the village of Hutton Buscel near Scarborough.

It was taken to local wildlife rehabilitator Jean Thorpe for care, and was subsequently taken to a veterinary practice for examination. The marsh harrier was found to have a broken left wing with a shotgun pellet lodged next to the fracture, which shows the bird had been subjected to persecution.

[Photo from Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve, where it was subsequently released after being helped by Jean Thorpe and veterinary specialists at Battle Flatts Veterinary Clinic]

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “Sadly, North Yorkshire is the UK’s worst hotspot for confirmed cases of bird of prey persecution. This magnificent bird has been very fortunate to survive, largely thanks to the dedication and care given by Jean Thorpe, but is yet another example of a wildlife crime having taken place against our birds of prey.”

North Yorkshire Police have carried out extensive enquiries in the Hutton Buscel area. Officers are appealing for anyone with any information, or who may have witnessed anything taking place in relation to this bird, to contact PC Mark Atkinson at Malton Police Station by dialling 101, quoting reference number 12190155625.

ENDS

We believe this Marsh harrier is the one we blogged about on 18 September 2019 (here), having been found injured on a game-shooting estate near Scarborough in August, rescued, rehabbed and then released.

It’s not the first time a Marsh harrier has been found targeted on a game-shooting estate in Yorkshire. This one was found with shotgun injuries next to a partridge release pen on an East Yorkshire sporting estate in 2016 and this breeding pair was shot at and had their eggs removed by men dressed as gamekeepers on a grouse moor in North Yorkshire in 2017.

In 2017/2018 Amanda Anderson (Moorland Association) denied that her members were interested in obtaining licences permitting them to kill Marsh harriers but several witnesses said otherwise.

Marsh harrier shot, rescued, rehabbed & released in Yorkshire

There was some brilliant video footage posted on Twitter yesterday showing a rehabilitated Marsh harrier being released back in to the wild by the indefatigable Jean Thorpe (@jeanthorpeRR).

[Photo by Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve]

From the information provided, it was reported that the Marsh harrier had suffered a broken wing caused by a shotgun pellet and was found injured next to a game-shooting estate near Scarborough.

The x-ray details suggest this was on 18th August 2019.

Expert veterinary care and rehabilitation by Mark Naguib of Battle Flatts Veterinary Clinic and Jean and this harrier was able to be released.

We haven’t seen any previous reports about the illegal shooting of this Marsh harrier, nor any police appeals for information.

[Jean releasing the harrier, photos by Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve]

UPDATE 9 October 2019: North Yorkshire Police appeal for info after Marsh Harrier found shot near Scarborough (here)

No strong evidence to support claim Norfolk Marsh harrier was ‘shot’

Two days ago the Hawk and Owl Trust announced the discovery of what was claimed to be a “shot” Marsh harrier close to the boundary of the Sculthorpe Moor nature reserve near Fakenham, Norfolk.

This story has since been reported in the local press and national media including the BBC website.

However, to be completely honest, the evidence to support this claim is not strong.

The bird was seen and photographed by a member of the public, but they were unable to reach the bird to rescue it. The photograph shows a clear injury to the harrier’s wing.

[Photo of the injured Marsh harrier, from Hawk and Owl Trust]

The member of the public then reported the discovery to reserve staff who went to try and locate the bird but it had gone. The report on the Hawk & Owl Trust website says ‘the vegetation was all broken down with only a few feathers left’.

The incident was then reported to the police.

Sorry, but unless there’s part of this story that is being kept under wraps for investigative purposes, it’s not possible to tell from the photograph whether this Marsh harrier had been shot or whether it was injured from, say, a collision with a fence. An x-ray would have confirmed it, of course, but under the circumstances an x-ray wasn’t an option.

Of course, it’s perfectly feasible that this Marsh harrier had been shot – we know this species is routinely targeted whether it be in the lowlands (e.g. see here and here) or on upland grouse moors (e.g. here), hated so much that the Moorland Association has been asking questions about whether licences to kill Marsh harriers might be available (see here). But on this particular occasion, with this particular harrier, more evidence would be required before this should be recorded as a confirmed shooting.

It’s ironic really. Remember, this is the same Hawk & Owl Trust that refused to acknowledge that its satellite-tagged hen harrier Rowan had been shot, despite a conclusive x-ray showing the bird’s shattered leg and, er, fragments of shot:

Police appeal for info after suspected theft of Marsh harrier eggs in Norfolk

Norfolk Constabulary has issued an appeal for information following the suspected theft of two Marsh harrier eggs in Norfolk:

WILDLIFE APPEAL WALSINGHAM

Police are appealing for information following the theft of bird eggs from a nest near Wells-next-the-Sea.

It is believed that two Marsh Harrier eggs were removed from a nest on farm land in the Walsingham area last Saturday (1 June).

Anyone who may have been in the area at the time and seen anything suspicious should contact PC Jason Pegden at Wells police station on 101, or alternatively, contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

ENDS