Wednesday 9 June 2010

Hen harrier nest raided, perpetrator caught on CCTV

...no, not a gamekeeper, an eagle owl. Now there's a conundrum for the RSPB!

Mind you, that nice Mark Avery has still managed to make it sound like it's our fault:
Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Director of Conservation, said: "Hen harrier numbers in England are perilously low due to years of illegal shooting and poisoning."

Any minute now, I expect Raptor Politics to claim it's all the fault of the local Wildlife Crime Officer, aided and abetted by the evil & bloodthirsty landowning toffs.

Still, at least the media are keeping a sense of proportion about urban foxes...

6 comments:

Sooty said...

Hi James think it will be a big problem for lots of different groups if the Eagle Owl becomes established in large numbers.See the RSPB had a futurescapes launch with lots of party's to improve wildlife counntrwide but surprisingly no one there from landowners or farming by the look of it and surely as they control most of the land in the country this is where the biggest improvements could be made,after all with the best will in the world the difference United Utilities can make is quite limited by the size of there ownership which stangely i think covers the area where the Eagle Owl attack took place.

Vicky said...

Maybe they'll blame the foxhunts for losing their eagle owls?! Seems persecuting eagle owls may be ok as they are non-native. Or at least the RSPB says they have not lived in britain for several centuries. Hmmmm....but it's ok to think about introducing wolves, beavers and lynx which have been gone just as long? Or considering releasing Ospreys in locations where there is no historical evidence of them having lived?
I'm sad the harrier nest was lost. nature is nasty isn't it.

Meconopsis said...

I love Airden estate I have spent hours in the area advising on Grouse management. Ian Grindy the once contributor to the Shooting Times lives on the estate.

20 years ago I remember my uncle Keith calling me for info !!!

On a stone wall just outside of Ian's house is a wee memorial to my uncle more about Keith at a later post.

How can the RSPB think about killing these Eagle Owls ??

Remember that in Scotland we have the beeeep Sea Eagles that the RSPB wanted as they once lived here.

Eagle Owl's lived here in the past just the same and are now quite happily breeding within the UK so a success story and one that will bring in economic viability to the community's through birdwatchers.

The fact that the Owl's are alive and well proves that there is no poison etc being used by Gamekeepers and shed loads of grouse are being shot.

Happy days for everyone.

Sooty said...

Hi James just a thank you for allowing me to comment on your blog,always interesting to see others points of view.

James Marchington said...

You're welcome as always Sooty - agree it's good to see a range of views expressed here.
James

Anonymous said...

You wrote: "Any minute now, I expect Raptor Politics to claim it's all the fault of the local Wildlife Crime Officer, aided and abetted by the evil & bloodthirsty landowning toffs."

You're going to be disappointed then. :)

Incidentally, you are aware PC Duncan Thomas is under investigation by the Lancashire Police, who have already apologised to a local raptor worker for Thomas's abuse of the law in attempting to confiscate his car? No?

It's a sad fact of life you learn as you get older - not all police officers are honest, trustworthy, and above suspicion. The number who end up in court for all sorts of crimes are testimony to this fact.