Hen Harrier marathon run

Today Henry Morris and some friends are going to start running through the grouse moors of the north of England to highlight the plight of Hen Harriers. Henry will be wearing a satellite tag and you can follow his progress as he runs through the hills – follow the run here in real time. Support…

Costs

Let’s hear it for the Aarhus Convention! So, of £26k raised in double-quick time last spring (2018!) £5k goes in costs and the rest goes to my, our, legal team. And that also pays for the appeal which we are pursuing. This shows clearly what a great a deal I had from my, our, legal…

Good news – 4 Hen Harrier nests in Bowland

The RSPB has just released the news that there are four Hen Harrier nests in the Forest of Bowland on the United Utilities estate. this area is managed for water resources with low intensity farming and low intensity grouse shooting. The Forest of Bowland is a large area with several intensive grouse moors within its…

Muddle of brood meddling – round 2

Last year, Natural England licensed the daft idea of brood meddling of Hen Harriers. I mounted a legal challenge, and so did RSPB, but we lost in court. The judge decided that because this was a trial it was science and because of that it’s OK (that’s my layman’s take on it). Both the RSPB…

The Hen Harriers

Some amazing people are going to do some running in the north of England to raise money for Wild Justice to spend on Hen Harrier conservation. I’ve met one of this crazy gang recently and am touched by how eager they are to do something for Hen Harriers. Here is their website which also has…

First witness statement

This was my first witness statement in the brood meddling judicial review. For the Claimant Dr Mark Avery 16 April 2018 IN THE HIGH COURT (ADMINISTRATIVE COURT)                       CO/            /2018 IN AN APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO APPLY FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW BETWEEN DR MARK AVERY Claimant -and- NATURAL ENGLAND Defendant -and- JEMIMA PARRY-JONES First Interested Party -and-…

Chris Davies MP pleads guilty

I keep a kindly eye on those MPs who spoke in the ‘debate’ over banning driven grouse shooting in October 2016. One, the MP for Brecon and Radnorshire described me thus; ‘Only the other week I had the privilege of attending the evidence session on grouse shooting. Several right hon. and hon. Members have already…

The first environmental statement from the Independent Group?

A quote from Angela Smith MP, now Independent Group MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, who is also the Westminster Parliament Species Champion for the Hen Harrier, following last week’s devastating critique of driven grouse shooting in a new scientific paper; Grouse shooting is facing serious scrutiny at the moment, especially in relation to the persecution…

The great divide

Our big brother blog, Raptor Persecution UK, has done a great job in documenting responses to last week’s damning scientific indictment of the role of driven grouse shooting in causing the near-absence of the Hen Harrier from the English uplands. Here are the links to the various blogs so far and some additions from me;…

Thank you United Utilities

I asked United Utilities for some information on two subjects on 2 March and got my first reply on 19 March – that’s a hell of a lot quicker than Natural England usually manage. Thank you United Utilities. This question was about lead levels in water. This subject came up in questions after my talk…