The headline results of this survey were released in June 2017 but now the full paper has emerged in Bird Study.
Status of the Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus in the UK and Isle of Man in 2016. Simon R. Wotton, Stephen Bladwell, Wendy Mattingley, Neil G. Morris, David Raw, Marc Ruddock, Andrew Stephenson and Mark A. Eaton. Bird Study 65 (2): 145-160.
The authors are from RSPB, Northern England Raptor Forum, Scottish Raptor Study Group, Manx BirdLife, Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group, Golden Eagle Trust and Scottish Natural Heritage. Note that the BTO is not involved in this survey – I only mention that because sometimes it is assumed that the BTO is central to all bird monitoring in the UK but there are areas where the BTO has not been active over the years and this is one of them.
The work was funded by RSPB, Natural Resources Wales, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Isle of Man Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture and SNH, but not, please note, Natural England or Defra whose inaction plan for Hen Harriers doesn’t extend to funding UK-wide surveys.
At the time these results were released I wrote ‘Hen Harriers are tricky to survey and their numbers go up and down between years depending on vole numbers so, as I point out in Inglorious (Chapter 1 but particularly pp27-28), it’s probably unwise to read too much into the differences between survey years, but there is no sign of Hen Harriers doing well over the last couple of decades.’ and that seems to be the case.
The decline of the UK & IoM population of 13% since the last full survey in 2010 was not significant but the 24% decline since 2004 was statistically significant.
In Scotland, where the bulk of the UK population reside, there have been declines in forestry plantations and most especially on grouse moors where there has been a decline of 57% in numbers since 2010.
There is a useful table which shows that SPAs which were notified at least partly for their Hen Harrier populations are generally under-performing against the measure of favourable conservation status except in Wales, but most definitely and starkly in England.
The authors suggest that the Conservation Framework for Hen Harriers which relied on the 2004 survey (and was published in 2011) should be updated (I seem to recall we were told it would be after the 2010 survey!).
The Defra Hen Harrier Inaction Plan is given a mention and, with wonderful understatement, is said to have attracted some criticism on publication (see here) although strangely the paper doesn’t go on to say that the RSPB sensibly baled out of it later too.
The paper mentions favourably the review of moorland management in Scotland.
It also highlights the fact that we need some real action for a species whose numbers have fallen (despite being a high priority for everyone on paper), whose SPAs are not working (despite the legal obligations on governments) and against which illegal persecution still occurs (wildlife crime associated with one land use which is environmentally damaging for other reasons too).
This paper is important as a statement of UK numbers. It’s Discussion is rather bland considering what is going on in the world!
Links to blogs written at the time the results were first released:
- UK Hen Harrier Survey results, 28 June 2017
- UK Hen Harrier Survey results – what they say, 28 June 2017
- UK Hen Harrier survey results – what they say (2), 28 June 2017
- UK Hen Harrier survey results – what they say (3) – Defra, 28 June 2017
- UK Hen Harrier results – what they say (4), the coalition of chaos, 29 June 2017
- UK Hen Harrier survey results – what they say (5), 29 June 2017
What are you implying in this post, Mark? That Natural England are not really concerned about the almost non existent Hen Harrier population in England?
Surely not?
You do know that they have been trying to source Hen Harriers from France to bolster the English population, don’t you?
In addition, they have concealed for 11 years the fate of the tagged Hen Harriers for which they held data, all “In the public interest” as well as the interest of all Hen Harriers generally, as I’m sure that you should have been aware.
I think perhaps that you need to consider the criticism I detect, as Natural England clearly have the fate of the Hen Harrier at the forefront of their thinking.
They are working tirelessly seeking agreements with others who also have the Hen Harrier at the forefront of their thinking,
I would suggest that you stop criticising NE and give them more support!
Further due to the recent joined up thinking between Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage, the savings NE has made by not contributing to Hen Harrier surveys are to be used in a new project. I have heard that, as always sympathetic to SNH plight over stoats in Orkney and hedgehogs in the Western Isles, they are open to participating in the eradication of these invasive mammals by offering all expenses paid working holidays to gamekeepers in the Scottish islands. It is hoped, I’m informed, that by these means not only will the last hedgehogs and all the stoats be removed, but it will have a byproduct of at last ending the controversy over Hen Harriers in England. Surprisingly, many of the estates which NE have recently secured agreements have agreed to provide gamekeepers at a reduced rate to the joint final solution taskforce, as it is to be known.