The You Forgot the Birds website still has that image, a gorgeous image, of a male Montagu’s Harrier to illustrate its Hen Harrier page alongside a more difficult identification problem of what is probably a 2nd summer Pallid Harrier. Maybe Hen Harrier Day would be a good time to get them both fixed.
You would think with all the experience their pals have had, “in the hand”, they would do better on ID!
Dave – and ‘real country people’ to boot!
Ah but Dave they don’t care what sort of harrier, they shoot them all!
I know of at least two probable cases where Montagu’s harriers have been killed on grouse moors where the keepers still persisted in claiming they were Hen Harriers.
If you look now on the News on the Moorland Association website, yes I know. They have a photograph they claim of the Nidderdale AONB Hen Harrier male, they call “Frank” baring in mind this in reality is a grey male yet the photo shows a female!
Is this all slapdash, incompetent or a case of not caring with any old harrier will do?
Just to clarify, Frank isn’t a Grey Male, he’s a 2cy male, I think the photo Your referring to was taken from my field cam. Shows HH with sat tag fitted, if so it is indeed Frank!
Gav – many thanks for your first comment here.
So the nest that was brood managed was that of the grey male.
There’s a shot and stuffed Hen Harrier in a glass case in Macclesfield Museum that’s been labelled as a Honey Buzzard presumably since it was shot by one of our well-informed “guardians of the countryside” over a century ago.
Maybe those opposed to the preservation of Hen Harriers, such as the YFTB, should be invited along to Hen Harrier Day to be interviewed?
Good idea. I could do with a laugh!
I imagine Big Bully Beef is probably too busy sorting out the financial mess his son is allegedly in.
#YouForgotTheCreditors
Words fail…..
The YFTB website seems pretty defunct. Also the Botham family seem to be rather pre-occupied at present. The pheasant breeders are after them……. and probably the pheasants too!
In a similar vein to the “Tourist’s eagle”, perhaps it’s time for a “Shooter’s harrier” which would include any bird species which isn’t a pheasant, pigeon or crow and which could represent a challenge to the ID skills of some / most shooters
It’s laughable but, sadly, not funny given the fact that despite their utter ecological illiteracy the words of these people carry weight with some politicians.