Numbers of predators will rise if they are not persecuted by humans. They will rise to a level that can be supported by the prey. If the prey declines, then predators will decline too. This is the way nature works without interference.

If you take away an apex predator, such as a raptor, then the numbers of species lower down the chain explode until their food cannot support them. When this happens their population will crash, leaving the next level to flourish.

This is happening all over the world, beit it Birds of Prey, Foxes, Sharks or any other predator. They are vital in maintaining a healthy population and balance of every species on the planet.

Now, the people who persucute these predators are obviously not aware of the dramatic impact this has on the food chain. Personally I would have them all strung up given the choice.

Another important factor is that predators remove the weakest or sickest animals. This hs been scientifically proven to help maintain numbers of prey by removing animals that carry illness and disease that could wipe out a species. They ensure that any animals that threaten their own species survival are removed as they are the slowest, weakest and easiest prey.

rant over….

thankyou

“Hen harriers continue to decline in northern England, and south and east Scotland, areas dominated by heather moorland that is managed for driven grouse shooting. Illegal persecution is the main factor behind the hen harrier’s continued unfavourable status here.”

Clearly the Hen Harrier does not deserve its Red list Bird of Conservation Concern status, and we on this site can all pack up and go home …

During the last visit it soon became clear all was not well. Up until this last visit the adult harriers were attending their chicks and feeding them normally. Because there was no sign of either adult birds following a 2 hour watch, the raptor workers then checked the nest and found the dead chick and noted two additional chicks were missing.

It is important to point out that all three chicks were at least two or three weeks old. Had the adult birds not disappeared they would have certainly raised a normal and healthy family.

This particular moorland area on the United Utilities estate has a bad record, not only for failed hen harrier nests over the last few years, but both peregrine nests have regularly lost full clutches of eggs along with several broods of young since 2001.

When these details have been highlighted to United Utilities, the company always insist such failures are the result of natural causes. This is definitely not the case but concerns voiced by experienced members of the local raptor group have always been ignored, presumably to play down any bad publicity.