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The sun will shine on a large gathering of people tomorrow at RSPB Rainham Marshes nature reserve – one of the best nature reserves (the best?) inside the M25 and the site of one of the biggest-ever (the biggest ever?) Hen Harrier Day rallies.
Come and join us to hear Charlie Moores of BAWC, Mike Clarke of the RSPB and Chris Packham of Chris Packham extol the Hen Harrier, deplore its enemies and set out the way forward. Henry the Hen Harrier will be present but never speaks – he swoops, he sky-dances, he nibbles the odd Mippit but all in silence. And I’ll be compering it – and having my two-pen’orth too.
Please arrive by public transport if possible – Purfleet station is a short walk away (I’ve done it many times). Parking will be limited and we expect the event to be rammed.
A big thank you to the RSPB for making Rainham available so that the friends of the Hen Harrier from the capital don’t have to drive to Arne or Edale, as many have in previous years, to celebrate a fantastic bird which is threatened by a pointless ‘sport’.
Please come, make your voice heard, make this the largest Hen Harrier gathering ever – and enjoy a great day out.
PS Yesterday the e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting – the best Hen Harrier plan there is – passed 72,000 signatures.
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Wish I could be at one of the sites this w/e, but will be there in ‘spirit’!
Have just read that 2 chicks from a nest of 4 on an MOD site in Argyll have been tagged. Aaaaah, so that’s what’s needed for protection on the moors… Trident missiles!
Have a brilliant day – wish I could be there in person.
Alternatively, for those of us who live slightly outside the M25 there is a Hen Harrier day at the Cairngorm Funicular Railway, near Aviemore at 1pm on Sunday. Sunshine may or may not be present but I hope lots of people are!
Moy Game Fair near Inverness is on today and tomorrow. I wonder if I’ll see the same people at Moy tomorrow as I will at Aviemore on Sunday? Hmmm.
Callum – thanks – a full listing will be on this blog tomorrow morning and Sunday moprning – 12 events across the UK.
RSPB giving permission for a Hen harrier day at Rainham Marshes. Mike Clarke giving a speech at said day. Thousands of pounds spent every year by the RSPB trying to catch the criminals who persecute our birds.
Is it me??
Why not just come right out and email all members NOW and tell them about the existence of the e-petition?
Don’t just support in spirit, support in fact. What’s so difficult?
Think of the sales and by virtue of the venue attendees might naively think etc.?
But not wishing to be churlish, let’s set aside their ‘undemocratic’ incalcitrance and enjoy, hope all goes well and the publicity generated gains public attention which then pushes the signatories to the next level ….
Great article in the Guardian plugging HH day and the petition.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/04/buzzard-licence-kill-slaughter-wildlife-natural-world
Thanks for that important link.
It’s still open for comment and plugs.
Mark, have a great day tomorrow!!! Hoping the inaugural Hen Harrier Days in N.Ireland are a great success too! We’re making our placards right now! Standing in solidarity.
Dara
Very well done to you Mark – hope you have a lovely day tomorrow,momentum is definitely building, HH events are springing up like mushrooms! Hope to be at my first one tomorrow. Thanks.
76,251 with 2 signatures added in the time it took me to type this…
Of the constituencies Average Central is now at around 117.
72740. However, I like your figure better. Maybe after the weekend!
Wish I could be at Rainham but it clashed with a prior engagement. Will be there in spirit and hopefully adding more signatures to the petition.
“Parking will be limited and we expect the event to be rammed”.
Is that rammed by gamekeepers’ landrovers Mark or crammed with 1000s of people ha ha?
Let’s hope the latter!
Have a good one and see you in Edale on Sunday where being rammed by an irate gamekeeper is rather more of a possibility!
Nick
Ps. I suppose it has to be said that no HHD, however big, will quite have the unbelievable spirit that the very first one did in 2014 in North Derbyshire when the ‘sodden 570’ turned up and ignored the pouring rain. Truly inspirational!
Sad to say but the Guardian has only 2 years left to run. Soon it will only be right wing papers on sale to the public other than going on line. Where will we be then!