The RSPB Community

Harriers and hailstones 2

Jude Lane — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:45:00 GMT

I saw lots of hailstones on the fell yesterday but not many harriers. No harriers in fact. In fact I’ve not seen a harrier all year.

Now I should point out that I am not on the hill every day like Mick (Bowland Assistant Warden) but even Mick hasn't seen many. If this were a typical year (prior to 2012) I would be seeing harriers (plural) every time I go on the fell.

Sadly, as the weeks tick by we are having to face the ever increasing possibility that for a second successive year there will be no hen harriers breeding in the Forest of Bowland.

That said we are still receiving reports of single birds being seen so there is still chance of a pair settling somewhere and so we will continue to look.

Even so, I’m pretty unhappy about the situation. So are the rest of my team, my RSPB colleagues, my United Utilities colleagues and their shooting tenants. Regardless of whether we get a pair or two breeding in Bowland this year there is no escaping the fact that the Bowland population has essentially dropped off a cliff these last couple of years.

Can we blame the prolonged winter this year? Possibly. However the weather can only be suppressing breeding to this extent because ultimately the English population is so low – a result of illegal persecution (nationally).

Encouragingly it appears we are not the only ones unhappy with this situation. Someone living in (presumably) the AONB is also angry about this situation and has taken it upon themselves to publicise the demise of the Bowland hen harrier population to others living in and visiting the AONB.

Sadly this sign doesn’t depict the true situation, it needs updating (if the mystery sign painter is reading?) but it’s getting across the correct picture and it’s heartening to see that others feel as passionately as I and the organisation do about the plight of this rare and special creature.

Family fun at Newton Rigg

Blánaid Denman — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:23:00 GMT

It's Monday morning and I'm recovering from a fun, if slightly damp and muddy Sunday at Newton Rigg College's Countryside Day, near Penrith. There was plenty to see and do from all aspects of the countryside from den building to tractor rides, clay pigeon shooting to wildlife gardening, and I was there with an RSPB stall and my trusty hen harrier games and craft activities! A great opportunity to talk to a wide range of people, from students and families just out for the day, to wildfowlers, grouse moor owners, and college staff.

The Feed The Hen Harriers game never fails to attract attention...

The idea is to get the bean bags through the hen harrier's mouth while standing in the hoop... though there was a certain amount of cheating going on...!

A simple but effective moorland habitat display attracted attention and generated some good converations, while several new and interesting species were created through the build-a-bird activity!

After a successful day all round, I've also agreed to run some Skydancer workshops with the College's gamekeeping students in the autumn - something I'm really looking forward to! There are lots of events to come on the Skydancer roadshow so be sure to look out for for us! Next stops - Newcastle Green Festival and Glendale Children's Countryside Day...

We would love to hear your thoughts on the blog and all things Skydancer. To leave a comment, simply register with RSPB Community by clicking on the link at the top righthand corner of the page. Registration is completely free and only takes a moment. Let us know what you think!

Ferocious predators

Jude Lane — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:50:00 GMT

Not many harriers about in Bowland I’m afraid to say but there were plenty of these around on the spring bank holiday 'In search of sky dancers' walk.

This is the sun loving green tiger beetle or Cincindela campestris, which tells you something about the weather we enjoyed on the walk!

I’d not seen one before coming to Bowland. Clearly I’d not been looking in the right places as they’re pretty common, you find them on dry sandy soils so they particularly like heath land and dry rocky land rover tracks such as the one up the Langden valley!

These beetles are neat, they are fearsome predators equipped with huge jaws for crushing their smaller invertebrate prey – even their larvae are ferocious, digging pitfall traps in the soil in order to trap their prey! I also love the fact that they are able to move so fast (they are one of our fastest insects) that they become unable to see, meaning that they either have to visually lock onto their prey then catch it in one swift attack or run in really short bursts, stopping to reorient themselves!

So don't forget to look down at your feet every so often when your out and about ... there are some pretty amazing creatures to be found at ground level as well as in the skies!

New Scottish initiative to record harriers

Blánaid Denman — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:24:36 GMT

The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland, have launched the Heads up for Harriers scheme - their own version of the Hen Harrier Hotline - and are appealing for members of the public to send in their sightings of hen harriers across Scotland. They have said:

As the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime (PAW Scotland) we want to stop all crime against wildlife. We are particularly determined to stamp out illegal persecution of birds of prey.

The hen harrier is one of these birds. It is also one of our most alluring raptors - with the male’s skydancing courtship display one of nature’s great sights.

Found mainly across moorland throughout Scotland, numbers were around 500 pairs in 2010. In many areas they are now struggling to breed, or absent. Elsewhere in the UK they are faring even worse. Factors accounting for these changes include land use changes resulting in losses of moorland nesting habitat and feeding range, predation of eggs and young by foxes, crows and other predators, and illegal persecution

To increase our knowledge, we need to know more about the hen harrier’s whereabouts. We are launching a pilot scheme to raise the profile of this special bird, and to help us develop a clearer picture of where harriers occur. We will continue to develop this work in 2014.

Information on where (including 6-figure grid reference) and when the hen harrier was seen, whether it was a male or female, and what behaviours it was exhibiting (eg flying high, skydancing, hunting, carrying nesting material) could be incredibly valuable in helping our Scottish colleagues to keep track of these birds.

You can find more information on the initiative here and records should be emailed to: HenHarrier@snh.gov.uk (it’s not case sensitive), or posted to: Heads up for Harriers, Scottish Natural Heritage, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NW.

Hopes

Connie — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:59:45 GMT

Two months into my summer contract helping to monitor hen harriers on the Geltsdale reserve, it is hard to imagine a more enjoyable way to spend my working hours. With winter’s icy grip on the uplands loosened and spring struggling through, there is always something to admire. Early morning starts reveal the bubbling spectacle of black grouse strutting their stuff; shrill golden plover mark slow progress across rough moorland terrain, the strange cries of the curlew adding to the feeling of wilderness; the melodious trills of the skylark giving hope to the prospect of warm and sunny days; and the slow return of summer migrants such as whinchats, grasshopper warblers and cuckoo. Above all, every hill scanned, every corner turned, especially when half clothed in a mysterious atmospheric shroud of wispy cloud or mist, offers the possibility of a sight of the elusive hen harrier. As yet, I have had just one sighting of this incredible bird; every day is spent in a state of suppressed excitement, with frequent momentary disappointments when possible sightings turn out to be more mundane buzzards or kestrels. But with the advent of warmer weather my hopes continue unabated that next time it will be the real thing!

Emotional roller coaster!

Jude Lane — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:32:00 GMT

The excitement was palpable 10 days ago when I took a call from Mick (the RSPB’s Assistant warden) to say that a food pass had been seen between a male and female harrier on the United Utilities estate. I could almost feel my pulse quicken with excitement, the first food pass in two years, this is it I thought, they’re back and it’s game on!

I shouldn’t have been quite so quick to let my excitement run away with me. Since then we’ve been having regular sightings of both male and female harriers but we’ve yet to see any further indication of any pairing up and settling down in territories. That said, it’s still only the 24^th April and given the late spring this year it’s little wonder that these harriers are not fitting to the ‘typical’ timetable we have come to expect from them.

So nothing concrete to pass on to you all yet but you never know what the next day will bring.

I should also add that it’s been great receiving information about hen harrier sightings from local birdwatchers in and around Bowland. Thanks for sharing those with me, it certainly helps us to gauge how many harriers we have in the area.

Remember, if you see a harrier anytime, anyplace we’d really appreciate hearing about it – please give us a call on 0845 4600121. You never know, it may lead to finding a breeding pair in an area currently un-monitored.

Here’s hoping to bring you some good news in the near future!

Now is the Time?

Stephen Temperley — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:51:20 GMT

The wind is still with us, but now from the south and the west. Thus the ambient temperature rises and, as the blanket of snow melts rapidly away, so our hopes rise also. Spring this year will be fleet and frantic, and now that the passerines and waders are back in force, and field voles are once again accessible, now indeed is the time!

It may be mild, but that wind has been gale force for the last few days, suppressing a lot of expected activity. Even so, if there is one bird that can take advantage of such conditions, then that bird is the hen harrier. Its low-level hunting technique, superb flight skills and lightening-fast reactions help it to rely as much on the element of suprise as on its hearing ability or straight-line speed.

North Tynedale has ample foraging ground and the prey to go with it. The site has proved attractive as a breeding location in recent years, with prime tracts of leggy heather. So far as hen harriers are concerned, it has everything going for it. However, while we watch and wait for action, we are also aware that the number of individuals throughout Northumberland is anomalously low, and has been for decades. Under such circumstances, when interest is shown in the site, and evidence of territoriality seen, the chances of male and female meeting up and pairing are diminished. The element of luck simply should not be a factor in the breeding equation but, because of such low numbers and the fact that so little of the suitable breeding grounds of Northumberland are utilised, the birds are more at the mercy of chance than they should be. Still, the frequency of sightings in North Tynedale so far is very encouraging, especially when the adverse weather is taken into account. We can only hope that this year the dice are not loaded against them.

Stephen Temperley, Species Protection Coordinator for Northumberland

Spring thaw at Geltsdale

pete howard — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:56:14 GMT

So, Spring at long last! The snows have finally relinquished their grip on the fells and, eventually, our early spring migrants have started to return to Geltsdale (albeit up to 3 weeks late). Our first ring ouzel was spotted on 12^th April – the latest returnee for many a year. So now wheatears, chiffchaffs, sand martins and swallows also brighten up our days. And last week one of our dedicated volunteers was treated to a very close view of an osprey as it migrated north along the spine of the Pennines. The fells are now alive with meadow pipits, skylarks, curlew and golden plover, and merlins are back on the scene. Yesterday, in near-gale force westerlies, I watched a blue male jink up out of the valley and make a swift feint at a meadow pipit before it was picked up by a violent gust and quite unceremoniously tossed, like a rag puppet, right over the roof of the observation hut I was sitting in! Luckily it quickly regained its composure, and was soon able to fight its way back down to more sheltered terrain.

So what we’d really like now is a pair of spirited and graceful hen harriers. Each day, whatever the weather, staff and volunteers are up on the fells carefully watching all the potential nesting areas round the Reserve. There is definitely a feeling of optimism this year. And so, with excitement and anticipation, we eagerly await the return of breeding harriers to their rightful home here on the Geltsdale moors.

First news from the Forest of Bowland

Jude Lane — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:24:00 GMT

It feels like a while since I last put fingers to keyboard to bring you some news from the United Utilities estate in the Forest of Bowland so now we have reached the end of the first week of April it seems like a good time to give you an update on what’s been going on in this part of the country.

Much like the situation across the other two Skydancer project areas, winter has been reluctant to release its icy grip and the hills have remained frustratingly silent until just last week really. With snow still hanging on in the north facing valleys and strong, biting winds making even a short walk around on the tops a not particularly pleasant experience, it has been of little surprise that there has been very little in terms of bird life back on the fells.

However as if by magic, it seemed like a switch was flicked over night on Friday and Saturday was, what felt to me, the first proper day of spring. Sun shining, not a cloud in the sky and the air alive with meadow pipits and oyster catchers letting everyone know they back – a perfect day for the first Bowland guided walk of the season.

And so it was, Alasdair Grubb (Leighton Moss Assistant Warden and Bowland volunteer) and I set off with an enthusiastic group down the Langden valley in search of skydancing harriers, cautiously optimistic that the fantastic weather would have lured in a bird or two. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be but we did have an excellent walk with good views of male reed buntings, heron, disappearing dippers and the highlight of the day, a pair of peregrines soaring on the spring thermals!

So although we had no hen harrier sightings this weekend we have to remember it is still early, especially given the late spring the whole country is experiencing this year. Our dedicated team of staff and volunteers have been back out on the estate scanning the skies every day since the beginning of March and we’ve certainly had a number of encouraging sightings including a male who came for a look in the first weekend of March and a ringtail skydancing briefly on the 19th. However up until now, there has been no food available to entice harriers to stay, so the return of the pipits is a great relief and we are all feeling positive that we will get harriers breeding back in Bowland again this year ... and as soon as we do you’ll hear about it here!

If you’d like to join us for a guided walk to learn more about skydancers, our partnership work with United Utilities and, most importantly, have the chance of seeing one of these incredible birds, check out the list of available guided walks here.

North Tynedale in Suspended Animation

Stephen Temperley — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:01:38 GMT

Across the uplands of Northumberland Spring has not sprung and the land seems locked down. In North Tynedale, only the crossbill and that honorary raptor, the raven, appear impervious to the snow and the ice and the incessant east wind (indeed the crossbills have been seen with juveniles in their loose family groups since the project began at the end of February, the hardy little blighters). I can’t praise our volunteers enough through all of this: their steadfastness and forbearance in the teeth of this brutal weather has been so impressive.

For almost a month now, activity on site has been much suppressed. With this wind chill factor I can hardly remember the last time that the temperature rose above zero. And with the sheer volume of snow up here, that lack of activity is unsurprising. Passerines (small perching birds such as meadow pipts, skylarks and various finches)are as good as absent, while It would appear that the hen harriers have reverted back to winter habits and habitats, and who could blame them? Only very recently, with some warmth in the sun of the first few days of April, have the birds been reinvigorated to show some interest in their upland breeding grounds. First a ringtail was seen briefly on the margins of the North Tynedale site, then on the first of April (no joke) an adult male showed more than a passing interest in the traditional nesting territory, not foraging but first alighting in the heart of the area for 20 minutes, then soaring up over the site, before heading off to the north. A sign of things to come, we fervently hope.

Each day now seems to bring a little more warmth, while the snow cover progressively declines. Spring will soon spring with a flourish of activity. Let us hope that that activity will involve the pairing and breeding of hen harriers in North Tynedale.

Stephen Temperley, Species Protection Coordinator for Northumberland.

Spring has come unsprung at Geltsdale

Blánaid Denman — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:00:00 GMT

Steve Garnet is the Moorland Warden at RSPB's Geltsdale reserve near the Cubria-Northumberland border, an area of prime hen harrier habitat. The last successful nest was in 2006, with persistently few hen harriers ever since, but who knows - could this be the year they make their return...?

So Spring is here! Well, it was ... briefly. A few short weeks ago it seemed that the long wait was at an end and Winter was finally over. Curlew, lapwing and snipe were calling over Stagsike meadow and the black grouse were bubbling away on their lekking sites. Spirits rose and the Geltsdale staff were all itching to get out onto the reserve and experience the excitement of the hills coming back to life. The annual sweepstake to predict the first sightings of ring ouzel and wheatear returning from their wintering grounds was under way and many had put their money on mid March.

Lekking black grouse as the snow begins to fall (c) Mike Richards, rspb-images.com

It’s now nearly April and I’m looking out of the window at a snow covered hillside and needless to say I didn’t win the sweepstake, and so far neither has anyone else. It seems we will have to wait a little longer for the season to get into full swing, but staff are out patrolling the hills regardless of the weather, watching and waiting for the signs of Spring’s return. The rich spectacle of springtime in the hills really does lift the spirits and the soundscape of evocative songs of curlew, golden plover, red grouse and skylark, the drumming of snipe and the simple three note song of the ring ouzel (unless you are lucky enough to hear the complex and beautifully musical full song) for me define the British uplands. This year maybe that picture will be completed with the kekking call and amazing sight of the tumbling aerobatics of skydancing hen harriers.

Roll on Spring ... we’re ready for you!

Steve G

Fancy knitting a hen harrier?

Blánaid Denman — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:17:22 GMT

Check out these amazing knitted hen harriers! Inspired by the Skydancer project, enterprising volunteers Fariha and Siobhán picked up their knitting needles and created these fantastic hen harrier hand puppets for our education volunteers to use in primary schools.

The puppets have been a huge hit with the children and Fariha and Siobhán would now like to share their knitting pattern with you in the hope that we can create a whole flock of knitted hen harriers...!

Here’s what Fariha Quraishi, RSPB Volunteer, had to say about it:

“After hearing about the bad year hen harriers had last year, I was inspired to take action. A chat with my fellow RSPB volunteer Siobhán provided a flash of inspiration and we both seized our knitting needles and set about making a pair of hen harrier hand puppets.

It took a few attempts, and a bit of perseverance, but after about a month the puppets were finished and ready for their first sky dancing display. They are now being used as part of the RSPB’s Skydancer project within schools and communities in northern England, raising awareness of hen harriers and promoting their conservation. I’m really happy that I could do something useful when the bad weather kept me indoors.”

So what are you waiting for? Whether you’d like to help us inspire the next generation about these amazing birds by donating a set of puppets to the project, or simply fancy owning your very own pair of skydancing hen harriers, simply download the free pattern and instructions from the skydancer webpage here and get knitting!

We would love you to send us photos of your finished puppets, so we can post them here on the blog! Please email your pictures to blanaid.denman@rspb.org.uk

Hen harriers over the Geltsdale hills

Blánaid Denman — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:06:00 GMT

Despite the ice and snow, it was a glorious day at Geltsdale yesterday. It's been a better winter for roosting hen harriers this year than it has been for a long time, so as the landscape gradually thaws, we're keeping fingers and toes crossed that some stick around to breed.

Just picture it - you're out for a walk, it's a beautiful day and out of the corner of your eye you spot something against the skyline over those hills... you pull out your binoculars, hurriedly twist them into focus and there it is - there's no mistaking it, a skydancing male hen harrier in full flight!

North Tynedale: Glad to be Back

Blánaid Denman — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:27:42 GMT

Stephen Temperley returns to Skydancer this month, reprising his role coordinating the North Tynedale hen harrier nest protection project. As the breeding season gets underway in earnest, he has some positive early news...

Greetings from the RSPB Species Protection Coordinator for Northumberland! I'm back in post and happy to inform you that covert monitoring for signs of site interest, territoriality and pairing has already begun. A small number of expert volunteers and myself are once again watching over the sites from the margins, taking care to minimise disturbance by keeping at least 1 km away from key nest locations favoured in the past.

It's exciting to be out and searching again but that wind cuts right through you! The North Tynedale site is an elevated plateau (290-320 m) scored by steep ridges and flowing valleys. Open to the strong easterlies arriving unhindered from the North Sea, it can be difficult to find suitably panoramic viewpoints out of the bitter wind. However, I'm pleased to say that our discomfort has already been well rewarded with hen harrier sightings!

Female hen harrier (c) James Leonard

An adult male almost certainly roosted on site as early as the 1st of March, in the same expanse of leggy heather that the last breeding male (2008) liked to roost in while his partner was on the nest. The same individual, perhaps, drawn back to old haunts? If not it would be quite some coincidence. But very encouraging either way, particularly when a further sighting was reported of (probably) the same grey male appearing briefly out of thick mist a week or so later. This week has yielded two sightings (Tuesday and Thursday) of a very pale adult female, seen both foraging and resting up on site.

Winter numbers across Northumberland have been very much more buoyant than in recent years, which bodes well for the upcoming breeding season. At least we can't do worse than in the last four years, when not a single pair was known to have bred in the county.

So, an auspicious beginning, especially considering the weather over the last few weeks. Like sprinters in the blocks, we are ready and waiting.

If you think you've seen a hen harrier anywhere in the North of England, please let us know by calling the hen harrier hotline on 0845 4600121 (calls charged at local rates) or email henharriers@rspb.org.uk. Information on when and where it was (grid reference is helpful), what it was doing, and what it looked like, will help us to keep track of these birds and identify where they might be nesting.

Seen a harrier? ... Give us a call!

Jude Lane — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:53:00 GMT

As spring starts to seep into the uplands of northern England, all of us here at the RSPB would like to make a fresh appeal to those of you who are out and about in the hills over the spring and summer to keep an eye out for hen harriers and to call or email in with your sightings.

After a disastrous breeding season in 2012 the English harrier population really need to have more success in 2013. Whilst we have a team of dedicated staff and volunteers monitoring key areas we aren’t able to cover all of our upland areas so receiving sightings from people like you is extremely useful.

So, if you are lucky enough to make contact with one of these magnificent birds, where ever you are, then get in touch and let us know when, where and a description of its behavior, a six figure grid reference would also be fantastic (but don’t worry if you can’t)

The season is already getting off to an encouraging start with both males and females being seen around our core Skydancer project areas over the last few days and weeks, but where else are they being seen?

Help the RSPB protect hen harriers by calling 08454600121 (charged at a local rate) or email us at henharriers@rspb.org.uk

A female hen harrier - clearly identifiable by the white band of feathers at the base of her tail. Mark Hamblin (rspb-images.com)

Betty's Story - on BBC iPlayer

Blánaid Denman — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:26:30 GMT

If any of you didn't manage to catch it last night or happen to live outside the region, you can now watch Jude Lane talk about the tragedy of Bowland Betty and the issues facing hen harriers in England on Inside Out North East & Cumbria on BBC iPlayer! It's only 8 minutes long but it does a fantastic job of encapsulating the issue, with beautiful hen harrier footage and relevant interviews from Scottish Natural Heritage, the Moorland Association, Natural England, the Northern England Raptor Forum and a local gamekeeper.

Have a look at it and forward the link on - I challenge anyone to watch it and not be moved by the beauty of these birds and the tragedy of their plight. It will only be up for the next week so don't miss it!

On a side note, to see nest camera footage of Bowland Betty and her siblings, just check out the Skydancer home page at www.rspb.org.uk/skydancer for the video "At home with a hen harrier family".

Hen harriers inside out

Jude Lane — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:36:00 GMT

As you’ll remember, back in December, the tragic story of Betty the Bowland hen harrier hit the local and national news. I wrote at the time that I saw Betty as a symbol of hope for harriers, that her death would hopefully help raise the profile of this incredible species and the critical situation it finds itself in. So, it was with great excitement that I heard about another opportunity to publicise the issue which came about after a chance reading of this blog!

On a particularly cold, yet beautiful day back in the beginning of February I was excused from my office duties and spent the best part of the day on the hill with my colleague Tim Melling, the RSPB’s Species Protection Officer and Stephen Murphy from Natural England, filming for the BBC One current affairs programme Inside Out.

Filming on United Utilities Bowland estate © Tim Melling, RSPB

The show covers a huge variety of stories from the local area so this is a really great opportunity to bring hen harriers into the homes of many thousands of people, the majority of which have probably never been lucky enough to set foot on a moorland let alone heard of or seen a hen harrier.

Having had no prior experience of ‘media work’ the filming was all quite nerve wracking but with a friendly crew and encouraging words from Tim and Stephen (the pro’s!) it ended up being quite a fun experience – all be it a cold one!

The other contributors to the programme will be representatives from the Moorland Association and the Northern England Raptor Forum.

So here’s the plug, if you’re interested to see the piece then tune into BBC One’s Inside Out North East and Cumbria on Monday night at 7.30pm. If you don’t live in the region then you can watch it on the BBC iPLAYER.

Hen harrier forensics

Jude Lane — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:44:00 GMT

Science and technology play an integral part these days in allowing us to learn more about our native wildlife and in the fight against wildlife crime. The satellite transmitter fitted to ‘our Betty’ as a young chick, is a fantastic example of this. In the first instance we learnt a huge amount about how mobile harriers can be but it also allowed us to recover her body and discover the cause of her death.

A number of monitoring methods are currently being used by scientists and conservationists to learn about the dispersal and survival of hen harriers including radio transmitters, wing tags and leg rings. There are pros and cons for all these methods but what they all have in common is they require the external ‘marking’ of the birds and therefore varying amounts of physical intervention.

DNA tags are potentially a way of monitoring harriers without any physical intervention and could prove an important forensic tool in cases of illegal persecution.

Scientists at the University of Central Lancashire have been working on a method of sexing hen harriers using DNA samples. The recently published research by Henderson et al. has established a way in which the sex of a hen harrier can be identified from a sample of DNA even if it is of poor quality or only available in small amounts, as would often be the case if the body was in a heavily decomposed state.

If you’re interested you can find a link to the abstract here.

The teams' research isn't ending there however. The ability to sex a bird from its DNA is an integral first step in developing the capability to identify individual birds. The team at UCLAN are now working on this next objective which will hopefully prove a useful tool to both conservationists and those investigating wildlife crimes.

An invitation to join us in Bowland

Jude Lane — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:34:00 GMT

Following on from Dan’s inspiring blog of hen harrier sightings a plenty on the Dee over the last few weeks (what a fantastic picture he included!) I just wanted to let you know about the events RSPB and United Utilities* will be running in the Forest of Bowland again this spring/summer.

If you weren't or aren't fortunate enough to get to a Skydancer event at the Dee this year (there’s still one more date to go), why not join us for a guided walk in the Forest of Bowland and see if you can catch a glimpse of this magnificent bird in its breeding habitat? Even though we didn't have any nesting attempts here last year, the Forest of Bowland is still undoubtedly the best place in the country to look out for them during the breeding season.

Have a look at all the dates and get yourselves booked on, in fact, why not make a long weekend of it and join in one or two other events being held as part of the AONB's Festival Bowland? There is so much to see and do in this wonderful pocket of upland England.

We’ll look forward to seeing you!

*with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund

Sunshine - definitely not guaranteed!

A half dozen healthy harriers

Blánaid Denman — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:12:00 GMT

This week's blog is brought to you by Dan Trotman, who runs the Skydancer roost watch event at RSPB Dee Estuary reserves. Hen harriers can travel great distances, often to coastal areas, in the winter to escape the harsh upland weather. Many Scottish birds will come south to England, spending time at traditional roost sites in areas like the Dee and across in Eastern England. We don't yet know exactly which birds go where but ongoing research with satellite tagging by Natural England and others is gradually helping us to better understand their movements.

As Blanaid mentioned in her first blog of 2013, the RSPB Dee Estuary reserve is a top wintering site for hen harriers, and since I’ve been leading the monthly Skydancer events at Parkgate, I thought I’d tempt you all with an insight.

For those who don’t know Parkgate, its vast saltmarsh makes up the oldest and wildest part of the Dee Estuary reserve, whilst its ice cream, fish & chips and numerous pubs make it a popular spot with the public. What better place, then, to combine the two and have the Skydancer momentum follow the birds down from their upland breeding grounds.

Blessed with fine weather on the launch weekend in October, we spoke to a couple of hundred people each day and sure enough, got reasonable views of an early-arriving ringtail twisting and turning low over the marsh, plunging suddenly onto a luckless meadow pipit or dawdling field vole.

A month later and we were excited at the regular reports of two grey males on the reserve, a bird I hadn’t seen for almost two years having had none on the Dee last winter. Blanaid joined me for the Skydancer event, though our luck was out and we had to settle yet again for a ringtail hunting mid-afternoon, and two dropping in to their favoured roosting spot as dusk loomed.

With December’s event a near-washout, we returned in January, thrilled by the news of a third grey male, and three ringtails in the area; six Skydancers in total, the highest wintering population on the Dee for several years. Without a doubt the best event yet, on several occasions we watched a ringtail flush flocks of skylark, goldfinch and even teal from the cover of the marsh, at one point even tussling with a short-eared owl over possession of a meaty rat. A cold yet clear day meant a lot of passers-by, many of whom, moved by our tales of the species’ decline, delighted in having the mysterious raptors being pointed out, including in late afternoon, the ghostly figure of a grey male floating by.

Bringing the Skydancer project to the Dee Estuary has allowed us to engage with hundreds of people who otherwise would have remained unaware of the desperate plight of this enchanting bird; the events also inspired nine people to become members of the RSPB to allow us to continue and further our conservation efforts for the hen harrier and beyond. Join us on the first Sunday of February and March, come rain or shine (preferably the latter!) for your chance to share this wonderful experience.

Dan Trotman, RSPB Dee Estuary

Is coexistence really possible?

Blánaid Denman — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:26:00 GMT

That is the million-dollar question posed by Tony in response to last week’s Skydancer blog. And boy is it a good one – so good in fact, that I felt it deserved its own blog post. This could be a long one, so for those of you in a hurry, the short answer is:

Yes. Of course hen harriers and grouse shooting can coexist!

For the long answer, read on.

To start with, I think we need to qualify the term “coexistence”. Hen harriers on a grouse moor eat grouse. It is not the main component of their diet. Research has shown that the number of hen harriers an area can support is influenced by the number of meadow pipits and field voles available, not the number of grouse (see here and here). However, to expect a hen harrier not to take a single grouse from a moor that’s choc-full of them is nonsense. Like any predator, if the food is easy, they’ll take what they can get. So there will inevitably be some degree of loss – that, I’m afraid, is just nature.

The next point to make is that we are not talking about reintroducing a long-extinct species. In places like the Forest of Bowland and the Northeast of Scotland, hen harriers have existed in reasonable numbers alongside driven grouse shooting as recently as 20-30 years ago. In 1991, there were 18 breeding pairs in Bowland (not just on United Utlities land), and the viability of shooting on local estates did not collapse. The idea that a single pair of hen harriers, or even two or three, would automatically bring an end to grouse shooting on any estate is an overstatement in the extreme. That said, it is entirely understandable that estate managers would want to minimise any impact the birds do have.

Fortunately, diversionary feeding, or the provision of supplementary food during the nesting period, works. It is not the only answer, and the effect of hen harriers on the number of grouse available to shoot will vary from moor to moor, but early trials of diversionary feeding have shown it can reduce the number of grouse taken by up to 86%. More recently at Langholm, only a single grouse chick has been recorded being taken as prey between a total of seven hen harrier nests in five years – those are pretty good odds.

Regardless of where you stand on the Langholm project, you should know they’re not the only ones at it. Glen Tanar estate in Aberdeenshire took up diversionary feeding of hen harriers in 2010 using scraps of unsalable venison from deer culled on the estate. In that same year, driven grouse shooting became viable on the estate for the first time in over a decade and has continued since, reporting "very satisfactory" grouse bags (yeilds). If you’re interested, this example of coexistence was the subject of the winning entry in the documentary category of the British Wildlife Photographer Award 2012. Sadly, despite producing two very healthy broods in 2010 and 2011, the declining hen harrier population meant there simply weren't enough birds around to breed in 2012. Diversionary feeding may not be the only answer but it’s certainly a good start.

The bigger issue here lies in the sustainability of intenstive management for rearing grouse. Red grouse in the UK have been experiencing a steady population decline for most of the last century, for reasons entirely unconnected with birds of prey (see here). Despite this, there is an apparent tendency within parts of the shooting community to continually strive for bigger and better grouse bags. In order to achieve this, management has become more and more intensive and legal (and in some cases, illegal) predator control, near absolute. It is in this context that there are those who feel that the loss of even one grouse to a bird of prey is unacceptable (an ambition that, as previously discussed, is entirely unrealistic). Which begs the question – how sustainable is the current level of intensive management?

And sustainability really is the magic word because a well-managed and sustainable grouse moor can have benefits for conservation. Research has shown that appropriate, legal predator control carried out by gamekeepers does have benefits for a number of wader species when combined with sensitive moorland management. Historically speaking, it is also true that grouse shooting estates have maintained large areas of our moorland landscape that may otherwise have been lost to afforestation or overgrazing, preserving not just wildlife but vital carbon stores and water catchments.

Until this year, hen harriers and the grouse shooting community have successfully coexisted on the United Utilities estate in Bowland for decades (the absence of breeding harriers in 2012 being attributed to factors outwith the estate). Granted their habitat management is considerably more extensive than many other estates might be prepared entertain but that’s not to say that there isn’t a middle ground. The key to a sustainable system of driven grouse shooting has to be the application of management practices that are, in themselves, legal and sustainable (see here again).

Some estate managers would argue that the pressure to produce larger and larger grouse bags stems from a real need to cover the considerable costs of managing the estate in the first place. However, hen harriers could actually help with this. Consider the fact that white-tailed eagles on Mull bring in around £5 million a year to the local economy in wildlife tourism. You can read an RSPB report on the value of such nature tourism here – the figures are a little out of date now but it gives a good picture of just how valuable a natural spectacle like a skydancing hen harrier could be to an estate.

A number of estates in Scotland already run wildlife “safaris” in the spring/summer and shooting in the autumn with great success (here, here, here). Such trips could also be used to help educate people about the moorland landscape and show the managers of these estates for what they truly are – custodians of the countryside. I’ve said it before, but I envision a future where hen harriers are seen as a badge of honour, a symbol of the best and most sustainable grouse moors.

Finally, the last point to make is that like it or lump it, hen harriers are legally protected. To intentionally or recklessly harm or disturb these birds for any reason is against the law. Whether or not you agree with that law is irrelevant. You can complain about the top speed limit being set at 70mph but that is not going to change it. The law is there because these birds are an integral part of our natural heritage and deserving of protection. However, the potential shown by estates like Glen Tanar demonstrates that it doesn’t have to be a case of “putting up with” hen harriers just because the law says so, that hen harriers and driven grouse shooting don’t have to simply “coexist” – they could thrive together in mutual benefit.

Hen harriers in the media

Blánaid Denman — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:32:00 GMT

Running with the theme of positivity for 2013, if one were to try and find some sliver of good in the tragedy of Bowland Betty, it's that the circumstances of her untimely demise have finally brought the hen harrier issue to national attention. In the last week alone, there has been a strong article in The Observer and a BBC Radio4 piece featuring Martin Harper and Adrian Blackmore from the Countryside Alliance on Monday's Today programme. There are also feature articles on hen harriers in the January editions of both Lancashire Life magazine (they even made the cover) and the Shooting Gazette. Regional and local news stories about hen harriers are one thing but to get national media coverage like this is rare enough.

We now have an opportunity here, you and I, to focus this attention and not let it slip away. We need to build on it and in doing so, connect the wider public with these beautiful birds and the moorland landscape in which they live. Tell the hen harrier story to your neighbour over the garden fence, or your friend next time you go for coffee. Point people to this blog, tell your friends on Facebook, or followers on Twitter. Write to your local paper and let them know that this is important to you, to us all.

Remember buzzardgate? Public outrage can be a powerful thing, and we should be outraged. That people (however many or few) are intentionally and illegally killing hen harriers or discouraging them from nesting is outrageous. However in the midst of this I ask you to please remember that not all people who shoot hate hen harriers, and not all people who want to see hen harriers protected are against grouse shooting. The two interests are not mutually exclusive. We don't need scaremongering or demonizing - these things are not helpful and indeed, they only set people against eachother and deepen the problem. This is an opportunity to get away from all that and to help people to really understand the issues. We all want a world richer in wildlife.

We need to encourage everyone, whatever their background, to speak out in the name of hen harriers and send a clear message that these are our birds. They belong in our shared landscape. And illegal persecution will not be tolerated.

This is our chance, and your voice matters.

Banish your January Blues

Blánaid Denman — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:51:25 GMT

After the heady rush of Christmas feasting and New Year celebrations, poor old January always seems a bit bleak. Back to work, strapped for cash, the last of the chocolate coins consumed in a vain attempt to alleviate the New Year morning hangover (or was that just me?)... it's a time when we could all do with a little boost. Well fear ye not - I have just the thing!

What better to cheer you up than the sight of a soaring hen harrier in full flight! The RSPB Dee Estuary reserve at Parkgate is a prime roosting spot for not just hen harriers, but short-eared owls, merlin, kestrels, and the occasional marsh harrier. Don't worry if you're not confident about your bird spotting skills, as this Sunday and the first Sunday of every month throughout the winter, RSPB staff and volunteers will be on hand from 12pm 'til dusk with telescopes and binoculars to show you where to look. It's totally free, so why not kick-start those New Year resolutions by going for a walk along the promenade, getting some fresh air and seeing some spectacular birds. (There's also an amazing ice-cream shop, y'know, just in case you're not quite ready to dive into the health-kick just yet).

If you're on the east coast, why not check out one of the "Spectacular Birds of Prey" events at our Blacktoft Sands reserve on the 17th, 26th and 31st January. Plenty of marsh harriers and they do get the occasional hen harrier too. Booking is essential for these events, so check out the website here.

Happy New Year!

Hen harrier at the Dee Estuary (c) Andy Davis, 2012

2012 - a year in review

Blánaid Denman — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:40:00 GMT

Christmas is just a week away. A further seven days hence, and the world will quietly slip into the New Year, with all the hopes, anticipation and promises of fresh starts that brings. But what of 2012? What lessons can we take with us from this, The Year that Almost Wasn’t for hen harriers in England?

As the last Skydancer blog of the year, it seems only right that we should stand back and take stock of where the last 12 months have taken us. It has been a bumpy road, that much is certain. On the one hand, it seems fair to say that the situation for hen harriers in England has never looked bleaker. Despite intensive and widespread on-the-ground monitoring by RSPB staff and dedicated volunteers, and reports of sightings from members of the public, ultimately only one successful hen harrier nest was recorded across the whole of England this year. That’s down from four last year and 13 the year before. To say that the population is in trouble would be putting it mildly.

Of course you could say, what is England to a hen harrier but a theoretical line on a map? The English population is really just the southern edge of a much larger Scottish population (~500 pairs at last count) and so surely that’s not so bad. Well, perhaps... if the same downward trend wasn't also in evidence north of the border. Truly, this is a cross border issue - Betty's adventures have shown us just how wide-ranging hen harriers can be. And how vulnerable. Intolerance of hen harriers in England is not just a problem for English hen harriers, but for Scottish and Welsh birds too, not to mention the odd traveller from the continent. The same is also true in reverse. In the last five months, there have been three confirmed shootings of hen harriers, one each in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Of course it goes without saying that not all hen harrier mortality comes down to illicit activity. Like many birds of prey, over-winter mortality in their first year can be quite high for young hen harriers. But those who would argue that illegal persecution is a thing of the past and that natural mortality alone is to blame, must surely concede the point under such a burden of proof. For a vulnerable species in which natural mortality is already high, and individuals don’t breed until their second or third year, the illegal killing of even just a few harriers can have a disproportionate and significant impact on the whole population.

2013 must be where we draw the line.

The continued killing of hen harriers is disgraceful, it is illegal, and quite frankly, it gives countryside sports a bad name. BASC (the British Association for Shooting & Conservation) have shown great leadership in their strong public condemnation of the recent hen harrier killings and what is needed now is for the rest of the shooting community to follow suit – in actions as well as words. The frustration amongst the shooting community is palpable and completely understandable when any good work they do for conservation is continually overshadowed by reports on the illegal acts of those who consider themselves above the law. These so-called bad apples need rooting out, but this is a change that has to come from within. It is therefore heartening to see that the estate where the Scottish hen harrier was found shot not only reported the incident in the first place, but is proactively assisting the authorities with the investigation.

And that’s not the only glimmer of hope we’ve seen this year. Despite everything, there have been numerous positive and uplifting moments amidst the doom and gloom that give me genuine hope and inspiration for the year to come.

A group of local Northumberland school children, so moved by the hen harrier story that of their own volition, they wrote to local landowners and gamekeepers asking them to protect and look after any hen harriers that might appear on their land.

A gamekeeping student arguing the case for intrinsic value and the simple right for hen harriers to exist, in the midst of an insightful and productive debate at a local college.

Positive comments and meaningful conversations with people from all areas of the shooting community at the West Cumbria Game Fair.

The image of over 300 white hen harriers on a school playing field, made by local school children as a symbol of hope and peace, calling people from all walks of Bowland life to come together to restore and protect these iconic local birds.

And the overwhelming response by wildlife supporters across the country to the Law Commission review and consultation on wildlife laws in England and Wales – an unprecedented opportunity to make a real and meaningful difference to the protection, conservation and management of our countryside.

These are just a few of the moments that shine through all the bleakness and give me hope. I have a growing sense that the issue of hen harriers is actively stirring in the public consciousness and I can’t help but feel that 2013 will be the turning point for these birds in England...

So here’s to the New Year, to resolutions, renewed hope and fresh starts. May 2013 be remembered as the year things changed for good - the Year of the Hen Harrier.

The Ghost of a Ringtail by Gavin Jones

Jude Lane — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:41:00 GMT

In response to my guest post on Martin Harper's blog on Monday, Gavin Jones, who lives near the Forest of Bowland, was inspired to write a beautiful yet haunting poem.

Thank you Gavin for sharing it with us.

You can read it for yourselves by visiting Martin's blog here.