In 2011 there were only 4 successful hen harrier nests, all located within the lancashire area. A special hotline has opened to encourage people who live or spend time in the English uplands to report sightings of England’s rarest breeding bird of prey, the hen harrier.
There are currently just 3 pairs, two in Bowland and one pair in the Lake District.
Refreshed and updated for its fifth consecutive year in operation, the Hen Harrier Hotline is being re-launched by the RSPB in the hope of discovering more about where these birds are potentially breeding in northern England.
The hen harrier is one of our most awe-inspiring birds of prey with the male harrier performing a magnificent aerobatic courtship display in spring known as skydancing, and providing food to the female in spectacular mid-air food passes.
Sadly, the species is also affected by illegal persecution, a fact reinforced by the government-commissioned review – the hen harrier framework – which concluded that illegal killing and disturbance is the biggest single factor limiting the population of this species in Northern England.
It is estimated that the heather moors of England have the potential to hold at least 320 pairs of nesting hen harriers, but in 2011 there were only four successful nests, all of which were confined to one area of Lancashire.
Harriers are smaller than a buzzard and larger than a crow, with a 100 -120 cm wingspan. These long wings are complemented by long tails and an obvious white rump. They are usually seen flying low over the ground with wings slightly raised in a characteristic V-shape. Male and female hen harriers have strikingly different plumage, so much so that they were once thought to be separate species. The male is a ghostly pale blue-grey, with black wingtips, while the larger female is dark brown with a series of horizontal stripes on her tail, earning her the nickname “ringtail”.
Amanda Miller, the RSPB’s Conservation Manager for Northern England said: “Hen harriers in England are very rare so we are interested in hearing about any sightings of these amazing birds. By receiving information about possible nests, we can help give hen harriers the best possible chance of breeding successfully.”
The Harrier Hotline number is 0845 4600121 (calls charged at local rate). Reports can also be e-mailed to [email protected]. Reports of sightings should include the date and location of sighting, with a six-figure grid reference where possible.
The Hen Harrier Hotline is part of Skydancer, a four-year RSPB project aimed at protecting and conserving nesting hen harriers in the English uplands. The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, United Utilities and SITA Trust, with additional support from the Forestry Commission.
This is a joke and they won’t be getting many calls, will they? As due to their total lack of protection for this wonderful raptor and the many others there are hardly any left to see.
Is this a way of justifing the huge sums of money they have received from the lottery and other organisations and now can’t be used for the purpose it was intended? Talk about closing the barn door, don’t they realise the horse has already bolted.
The question I would like to ask Chrissie is why did Natural England remove licenses held by the local raptor group if they now need the help of the public to find hen harriers. Finding hen harriers is what experienced field workers like the North West Raptor Group did so well. No wonder we are is such a mess with very little hope of things getting any better in the short term. Natural England and the RSPB have only themselves to blame for the current situation, sitting on the fence is no answer.
Editor’s comment. Ann the RSPB and Natural England are now in talks with the Government via Defra to try and resolve the current situation before its too late.
Who are these very clever people at RSPB that think up these hairbrained schemes, the barefaced cheek of them, do they live on a different planet to the rest of us. Surely they can’t be the skilled and professional ornithologists they make themselves out to be, any serious and dedicated Raptor field workers would turn their heads in shame at the very thought of all these shinanigans! Hasn’t anyone told them that you can’t bat from both ends at the same time without getting run out, they should make their minds up, are they genuinely for protecting the Raptors full stop, or do they prefer to toe the line and be on the side of the influential shooting estate owners along with the heirarchy controlling the RSPB.
Quote:
“Editor’s comment. Ann the RSPB and Natural England are now in talks with the Government via Defra to try and resolve the current situation before its too late.”
Oh, that’s OK then, problem solved, but then, isn’t that like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted !!!
As for Natural England, well we all know where their loyalties lie and it’s certainly not with the Raptors.
Editor’s Comment. United Utilities, Natural England supported by the Bowland RSPB excluded the North West Raptor Group for blowing the whistle when birds on the UU estate went missing. ITS SEEMS UU COULD NOT LIVE WITH THE BAD PUBLICITY. What are these organisations going to do now after most of the birds on this estate have gone, possibly for good?
I think that answers you question Anne, the NWRPG did things correctly and cared about the birds it monitored, they also saw bad practice and quite rightly reported it.
It seems that the RSPB, UU and Natural England don’t like the truth because it makes them look bad undermining their credibility.
When the NWRPG were licensed to monitor raptors on Bowland things looked much better. After group licenses to monitor on UU land and elsewhere across the whole of the Bowland fells were declined just look what has happened, the raptors are disappearing at an alarming rate because there is nobody to tell the truth anymore and it is all a shambles.
Dr Helen Phillips before she left Natural England said it’s all about maintaining the status quo. Well that all gone up in smoke now hasn’t it with an extinction looming.
A hotline that will be stone cold! How do the RSPB et al not understand that the only way they will gather any decent evidence of HH activity is by feet on the ground by people who know what they are looking for and the signs that are left (NWRG). Instead they are encouraging more people to wander sensitive potential breeding sites (wishful thinking i know) with little understanding of the birds ecology!