This from the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries; Woohoo! Obviously welcomed by conservationists across Europe. As I understand it this will include wetlands like blanket bogs and so, if only we were still in the EU, it would include driven grouse shooting. I’m still a Remainer but luckily (ha!ha!) all those Brexiteers like…
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How many Hen Harriers?
In late June the Moorland Association jumped the gun and said there were 12 Hen Harrier nests on grouse moors in England this year. They also said that this equalled the number in the whole of England last year (not true according to Natural England). And they said that 6 of these nests were in…
Hen Harrier brood-meddling – just for the record…
Since we are definitely having a Hen Harrier-fllled day… On 27 July this blog pointed out to Natural England that it was all over the place with what it said about the reasons (there are no good ones) for the Hen Harrier brood meddling trial – see here. Natural England’s blog, written by their Director…
Natural England’s Hen Harrier numbers were wrong
RSPB has just sent me this; Just seen your blog. Many apologies for the confusion. To clarify, 24 nests were monitored in total and 19 were successful. Hope that clears things up. That’s what I guessed but there is no reason for RSPB to apologise, it is Natural England which has sent out an ambiguous…
Natural NoMates England and Hen Harriers
I bent over backwards, in my usual fair way, to see the good in Natural England’s press release about Hen Harrier breeding numbers in England this morning. And it does seem to be a good year for the birds, and that is the most important thing, and it does look like vole-fuelled and weather-assisted progress…