Urgent Update on the loss of Barry
Very sad news but not unexpected, we must now report that Barry, the male hen harrier which fledged from Langholm along with his sibling Blae this year has now also disappeared off the radar.
Barry’s last fix was transmitted on the 2nd of October, although he was seen on the morning of 4th of October, when he was observed coming out of a roost by a raptor worker. His tag was due to transmit on the evening of the 4th, and his previous transmissions were always regular. There was no transmission then or subsequently. At this stage, no additional information is available, but it must now be accepted Barry like his sister Blae is also dead. We are advised it is very unlikely that there has been any transmitter failure. Most of his previous movements were associated with grouse moors. The police have been kept informed and the search for the carcass is underway and ongoing.
You can read more here about many of the hen harrier losses.
You can read what Terry Pickford had to say about the hen harrier and the current situation here.
Not a surprise and i did warn.
Editor’s comment, yes but the warning were completely ignored and licenses revoked from very experienced field workers. Peregrines are now taking a hit with little Natural England can do about it.
At this stage an appeal to the EU is probably the only hope for the likes of Hen Harriers,Golden Eagles etc. Clearly the governments on both side of the border are not interested or up to the job of protecting these birds.
Editor’s Comment. Jimmy most people reading your comment will entirely agree with you, raptors are in trouble throughout England’s uplands.
Have a look in any shooting mag and you can buy those boxes that give out distress calls of many targeted birds, i’ve seen these used and they are very efficient in drawing “prey” in from a a wide area, it would’nt surprise me if these devices are being used by the shooters.
The sheer number of birds being shot cannot all be just drifting accidentally over the heads of shooters.