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What this blog does, and the RSPB should do this more often, is to spell out the type of intense persecution that still occurs on some shooting estates and in many of our National Parks. The vivid picture of armed men walking around woods at night with the intention of killing protected birds of prey should be thoroughly shocking to the shooting industry (who will say ‘Yes we’re shocked!’), to the National Park authorities (ditto), to Natural England (ditto if pressed) and to Defra (who probably wouldn’t say anything).
How ridiculous is it that birds that are fully protected in law need expensive night vision cameras installed around their nesting areas to try to give them a better chance of success, or at least a better chance of capturing any criminals intent on no good? And this is in the middle of a National Park.
This year looks more promising but the Gos aren’t out of the woods yet (as it were!).
It would be a lot more straight forward if we stopped game shooting in National Parks and we can take a step towards that by signing this e-petition which is very, very close to 45,000 signatures.
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A massive thanks to Mark Thomas and the team; this is precisely the effective type of work from the RSPB that I want to pay for.
Totally agree, Jim. It’s called positive action and we need a lot more.
Fortunately, The Gos slipped out of the Peak just in time and established themselves in Kielder – from which they have risen and risen – BUT with a very fascinating slant on land use: where they’ve succeeded has been extensive forests, often, but not always conifer biased, and within that a further slant towards FC forests. In lowland England you can pretty well chart the big FC forests by where Goshawks are in the BTO atlas – Dean, New, Dartmoor area, Sherwood and even North Yorks Moors – only the Peak stands out and whilst there may be lots of dots, from what mark Thomas is saying there may not be many young. Gives one to think – not, I should hasten to add, about lots more conifers – rather, the impact of different ownerships.
Similarly i will be very curious about results of the next comparative study of the Red Kite populations at the various introduction projects – far from v near grouse moors. It should become increasingly obvious what is going on year by year.
It would be great to see the results on line. How difficult can that be?
I haven’t yet heard one argument about what Hen Harrier Inaction Plan is going to do towards solving that one problem. What else is the RSPB officialdom doing about that except whisper about licensing.
I’ve been ranting on my blog if anyone is interested. Trying to get more signatures for the ban.
http://treshnishbirdlog.co.uk
I think it’s worth pointing out that the conifer stands in the Peaks are not very extensive in comparison with most of other areas you mention, Roderick. They are often relatively small plantations around the edges of reservoirs. Add this to their adjacency to grouse moors makes nests particularly vulnerable to persecution.
Also worth pointing out that 4 pairs (3, hopefully, successful) compares with the 15-18 pairs present up to the late 1990’s in the NE Peak District (Derwentdale and adjacent areas of South Yorkshire) alone. So some welcome news but a long, long way to go.
An excellent blog from Mark Thomas.
Also an excellent idea to give up to date information. I feel this type of blog is likely to discourage the criminals and their bosses, not make them more determined.
To those who have left or are thinking of leaving the RSPB I would say that there is no alternative to the RSPB investigations teams, and they do excellent work. I would ask the RSPB, if at all possible, to keep publicising their current investigations work, as the benefits far outweigh the possible risks, and their membership should be aware of what the criminals and the teams are doing.
Alex – I agree with you Alex. Thank you.
Yes, Jim, that of course is the point – the small areas of forest in the Peak just aren’t big enough and as we seeing increasingly frequently ownership is no barrier to the persecutors – ironic really as I suspect the Grouse Moor owners would be the first to assert their rights of ownership and would be scandalised if, for example, RSPB or FC staff crossed their boundary and started killing Red Grouse !