ANOTHER HEN HARRIER DISAPPEARS TO RE-APPEAR AS A CROW?

 HOW DESPICABLE  IS THIS?

I read this post (see below) on RaptorPersecutionUK this morning. I know there are nice and good people in this world and there are others who delight (it seems to me) in cruelty. 

Their post carried the headline:

“Hen Harrier’s wings ‘removed’ & its Satellite Tag fitted to a crow in a sick ploy to disguise the crime.’

In December 2021 I blogged about a disturbing incident I'd heard about concerning a young satellite-tagged hen harrier whose wings had been ripped off - whether that was done when she was still alive or after she'd been killed was not known (see here). I understood the incident had happened approximately nine months earlier, in […]

The full post can be read on RaptorPersecutionUK

SABS STEP UP AND STOP ‘THE GLORIOUS TWELFTH’

 

I’VE NICKED THIS HEADLINE FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS.

NO IFFS, NO BUTTS: SHOOTERS SHAFTED ON GLORIOUS TWELFT

On the first day of the grouse shooting season, hunt saboteurs have shut down a huge driven shoot in the Yorkshire Dales.

HSA spotting teams were on patrol from early morning across vast swathes of upland England. As expected, those in the Peak District drew a blank: shooters there have learnt its best to stay in bed on the Glorious Twelfth!

Spotters further north had more to do, quickly locating a large convoy of beaters and shooters assembling on Abbotside Common, near Hawes.

The main body of sabs was quickly on the scene, climbing the moor in sweltering conditions and bringing all shooting to a halt!

Sabs were delighted to see that the shoot appeared to have wasted money on Countrywatch, an inept ‘security’ company who claim to specialise in protecting hunt and shoots. Their hired ‘muscle’ caused nothing but mirth, with the only serious concern being for the welfare of a poor Belgian shepherd dog that had been dragged on to the moors in 35° heat.

A more serious threat was presented by the police, who arrived in an assortment of vans, cars and even scrambling motorbikes. Unfortunately, many of the officers appeared to be suffering from severe heatstroke, accusing sabs of trespassing on what was obviously open access land. One particularly confused officer began trying to de-mask sabs before being bundled away by his colleagues. Despite these distractions, sabs stood their ground and the shoot was abandoned.

A HSA spokesperson commented from the scene,

“On the day that drought was declared across the country, grouse shooters have taken to tinder-dry moorland to blast away at our wildlife. What are they thinking? Every year, these selfish, entitled people kill hundreds of thousands of birds, burn precious upland areas and litter the landscape with traps and snares. Our message to grouse shooters is a simple one: expect us.”

HEN HARRIERS SUCCESSFUL BREEDING YEAR

PRESS RELEASE FROM NATIONAL TRUST VIA RAPTOR PERSECUTION UK.

Published : 22 Aug 2022

Seven hen harriers have successfully fledged from multiple nests on National Trust land in the High Peak, making 2022 the most successful year for hen harrier breeding on land cared for by the conservation charity in the Peak District for over a decade, despite two nest failures earlier this year.

The National Trust, RSPB and Peak District Raptor Group have been working closely together to encourage more birds of prey to live and thrive in the Peak District, by protecting birds currently living there, whilst also creating rich feeding and nesting grounds. 

Work undertaken by the Trust includes cutting heather to allow a more diverse range of moorland plants such as sphagnum moss, bilberry and cottongrass to grow, which helps attract the different insects and small mammals which the birds rely upon for food.  The charity is also working closely with tenants to ensure their land management practices support the vision for more birds of prey in the area. 

Craig Best, General Manager of the National Trust in the Peak District said: “A great deal of work has gone into encouraging more breeding pairs of these majestic birds to the Peak District, so this is brilliant news.  

“The presence of the birds indicates a plentiful and healthy food source, which shows the work we have done so far to improve the landscape is starting to provide ideal conditions for different species to thrive. However, we want to see more of these important birds of prey in the High Peak, as they play an important role in creating the right ecological balance in the landscape. That is why it is crucial that we continue to work together to achieve our aim of growing the population of birds of prey in the area and doing everything we can to prevent persecution.”

To help monitor the birds progress and to aid understanding of the species, the birds have also been fitted with tracking tags by the RSPB and Natural England.  The National Trust also works with the local Raptor Monitoring Group.

Mike Price from the Peak District Raptor Monitoring Group said: “A mild winter, good prey availability and the fine weather during the nesting period have no doubt all contributed to what appears to be a successful year for breeding Hen Harriers both locally and nationally. It is another step along the journey to get a self-sustaining breeding population of Hen Harriers established in the area.  Now the birds have fledged, the birds will face further threats, so we need to continue to work together to remain vigilant and do all we can to protect them.” 

Visitors and local residents can help with conservation efforts by staying on footpaths and keeping dogs on leads during ground nesting bird season, which lasts from the beginning of March to the end of July. 
  

THE INTERESTING MOUNTAIN OF MONNEGRE ALICANTE SPAIN TRUMPTER FINCHES & MORE

 Wednesday 17th August

It was Monnegre again this morning and another early start as we wanted to be on site before 8am.

The objective being to see whether Camachuela Trompetero - Trumpeter Finches were still in their breeding grounds. They were all around us and our tally for the morning was about a dozen birds. Most of which were juveniles and without a ringed bird among them. Once they have left Monnegre the search will be on as we want to know where they go. 

The unreliable weather in April delayed any sightings until 21st May although we did look on 8th April for them. We only saw two or three possible breeding pairs and we are unsure if they could have produced the number of offspring that we are now seeing. It could be that there are other breeding sites close by. And also where else in Europe? The question will be asked of all contactable groups. 

We were pleased with our sightings although it did not add much to our knowledge except they flew away in any direction and from any direction. One of our ideas was that they prefer vertical rock faces as part of their habitat. Obviously, as well as a water source and adequate food supplies too. It appears we will be there next week as we want an end date in the breeding area. 

Our usual number of species were seen as listed in last week’s blog although Bee-eaters - Abejaruca Comun were no where to be seen or heard. We were not there long enough for raptors - it was getting hot! Hirundines were few but Pallid Swifts - Vencejo Pálido were seen and again I had two good views of Alpine Swifts - Vencejo Alpino.

No mammals, no butterflies, no snakes but one Ocellated Lizard that was photogenic. Another name is ‘jeweled’ and  the photographs will show why it can have that name. Maybe when Bryan deals with the photos we can decide on what sex. 

BLOODY GROUSE MOORS?

       

DAYS AFTER THE INGLORIOUS TWELFTH

     I have this morning I searched several sites and the mornings news programmes for any of the rhetoric of past years of the skies of our moorland being being blasted by leadshot. It will have happened but maybe to a lesser extent this year. Not through a lack of blood lust, or tradition or even culture but because the seasons and nature have ‘conspired’ in their own way to make it ‘difficult’. Wildlife exists due to the kindness of nature it self. This year we have had in the UK cold wet springs and Avian Flu. All, is not well out there and, hopefully, all will not be well for the shooters. These are my comments and should not be attributed to anyone else.

 I have lifted this from Elisa Allen’s article of the Yorkshire Post of 12th August.

Stop turning moors into bloody killing fields in the name of 'sport' - Elisa Allen

Over the next four months, many Yorkshire moors will become bloody killing fields. The ‘Glorious Twelfth’, as the start of the grouse-hunting season is known, opens the county’s picturesque landscape to those who get their jollies from blasting birds out of the sky.

Some pay up to £14,000 to join a shooting ‘party’, with whom they prowl the moors gunning down defenceless animals. Many have no shooting experience or training, so almost half the birds don’t die outright and are instead mutilated and left to endure lingering, painful deaths.

No sport in the UK has such a devastating impact as the game bird shooting industry, in terms of the number of animals killed. During the shooting season, hunters kill more than 5,000 grouse a day. If dogs and cats were shot for fun, we wouldn’t call it sport – we’d call it abuse. And that’s exactly what it is when it’s done to birds, who feel pain and fear just as much as any animal does. It is unconscionable to allow them to suffer for someone’s pleasure – and it must end.

THE DAY AFTER THE INGLORIOUS TWELFTH

I wrote these few lines to echo my feelings on the day after ‘the inglorious twelfth’ of previous years. I will wait and see what reports there are about what actually did happen. 

A DEADFULL 13th

sun-up as morning comes

the guns are quiet now

some corpses remain

in every-mans-land

over the top we will 

have to go 

into yesterday's

resumed hell

and so it begins again; 

they're coming

the cries grow louder

from the beating army

powerless we are

we have to flee

fly higher and higher

to beat the guns

it's an outrage

it's killing for fun

it's murderous

it's carnage

THE TWELFTH, NEVER!

 I wrote this poem a few years ago in response to the commencement of another grouse shooting season. There is so much more I could say.

The Twelfth? Never!

rapid upward flight

 

crack crash-crack

suddenly changes into

a fast whirling out-of-control

plunge

 

crack crash-crack

 

dead or worse still

only dying  bombs into

the eco-system that

nurtured it to allow

a feather to break free

from the body that

was its life

 

crack crash-crack

 

they hear the call

of death once more

 

filling the skies

with harmed and harmless birds

with toxic lead shot

with death

 

echo after echo 

reverberates

the vision stays

the guns go silent

the dogs begin their work

Both unsuccessful.