Two Manx Hen Harriers die of natural causes

It does happen – it’s strange that we don’t hear more about Hen Harriers dying of natural causes. The RSPB has released information on the deaths of two young Hen Harriers satellite-tagged (as chicks) this year. Mannin failed to complete the sea crossing between the IoM and SW Scotland whereas Grayse died on the IoM…

Yorkshire Dales National Park takes note?

English National Parks in the uplands, particularly the Yorkshire Dales NP, Peak District NP and North Yorks Moors NP (and while we are at it the Nidderdale AONB, Forest of Bowland AONB and North Pennines AONB) are being forced by public pressure to address the issues of wildlife crime and raptor persecution in their areas….

Captions?

  Captions so far:   And how long have you been trying to polish it?   Keep the rest of that dead harrier behind your back till this guy with the camera has buggered off !!   Dare we ask how the negotiations are progressing Minister? Well I’m not allowed to say too much…but basically…

All those tagged raptors, Moll

Driven grouse shooting depends on widespread, systematic and illegal killing of protected wildlife.  The original Langholm study showed that raptors, particularly Hen Harriers and Peregrines, are perfectly capable of taking a sufficient toll of Red Grouse before 12 August that there won’t necessarily be enough left to provide the profits to support several gamekeepers’ salaries. …

Any NE news on gull cull? Bowland Gull Cull 4

Following this, this and this, I have asked Natural England this: On 10 July I asked ‘Has NE consented culling of Lesser Black-backed Gull in the Bowland Fells SSSI this year?’   On 9 August, after turning this into an EIR request (Request 3929), you used Regulation 12 (5)(B) – Administration of Justice to justify…

Tom Kitchin and Saturday Kitchen Live

I’m quite surprised by how many readers of this blog are (apparently) devotees of Saturday Kitchen Live – personally I’d never heard of it until this weekend. But they had the chef Tom Kitchin (I bet he gets even more remarks about nominative determinism than I do) preparing a grouse, black pudding and something else…

Grouse shooters secret survey with secret funders

The grouse shooting industry’s practice of quoting unpublished and unavailable, ie secret, reports in the media in ways that suit them but cannot be scrutinised by others, let alone evaluated, and certainly not criticised, is becoming a regular feature of the Inglorious 12th. The most recent example has been, and still is, some research by…

Countryside Alliance Awards #ruraloscars

I’ve nominated the Bowland Brewery for the Countryside Alliance Awards – modestly described by the Countryside Alliance as the rural oscars. I am a fairly regular purchaser of Bowland Brewery’s Hen Harrier ale and I like it as a beer and as an idea – my beer drinking gives money to the RSPB’s Hen Harrier work….