Missing Hen Harriers: time for zero tolerance © Cicely Waspen

Posted on July 11, 2016 by cicelywaspen

The campaign to ban driven grouse shooting began because the pastime is incompatible with the salvation of hen harriers in particular and the protection of raptors in general. Driven grouse shooting requires intensive land use to maximise the grouse available for shooting. The grouse are ‘driven’ at the guns – beaters flush them toward the shooters, a form of ‘canned hunting’. Despite legal protection, these birds of prey keep disappearing from our skies and often turn up poisoned or shot. There is sufficient suitable habitat for over 300 pairs of hen harriers in England and Wales; the actual number of nesting attempts is in single figures – “a tiny handful“; the number of successful breeding attempts is usually zero.

Hen harrier, via Scottish Natural Heritage media library – copyright-free images of English hen harriers are as rare as…the birds themselves

The justification for seeking this ban has widened to include grouse shooting’s other serious negative consequences.
– Environmental: burning and draining moorland to produce optimum heather for the grouse damages its carbon- and water-retaining ability, thereby contributing to climate change and increasing flood risk downstream, i.e. where more people are. Yet we pay these estates to ‘manage’ the land this way through our taxes which subsidise them.
– Animal cruelty: particularly for those unfortunate wild mammals and birds caught in snares or pole traps and left to suffer a slow, painful death.
– Food safety: the lead shot disperses throughout the grouse meat so its consumption is well above recommended levels.
Why the absolutism? Surely conservationists and animal rights activists should be having dialogue with the proponents of grouse shooting?
They have been, for decades – “decade after decade, initiative after initiative has stumbled and fallen.” Land owners and managers have had opportunity after opportunity to change their ways through negotiation. They seem to be unmotivated while they have their cake and shoot it. Meanwhile raptors continue to be poisoned, shot, or just disappear in the vicinity of grouse moors.
For example, consider the position of the Hawk & Owl Trust, which exists to conserve birds of prey in the wild.

“If anything this conflict has become more intense in recent years. Harriers pose a threat to grouse stocks and for this reason they are illegally killed, leading to their near disappearance as a breeding bird from England. This naturally angers conservationists, some of whom are now calling for driven grouse shooting to be licensed or banned. …
The [Hawk & Owl] Trust has watched with dismay as an increasingly adversarial and acrimonious argument has raged for almost twenty years between environmental campaigners and grouse moor interests.”

And yet this dismay has fostered a rather tolerant approach.

“The Hawk and Owl Trust Board of Trustees thought long and hard about how real and realistic pressure could be put on grouse moor managers and their gamekeepers to immediately stop persecuting Hen Harriers. The Trustees came up with two immoveable conditions that would need to be agreed to before the Trust would talk to Defra:
“1) All Hen Harriers fledged within a brood management scheme trial would be satellite tagged so that their movements could be tracked. And the knowledge that they were tagged (and the fear that other HHs might be) would prevent any gamekeepers from shooting them in the sky.”

Unfortunately not. Satellite-tagging hen harriers only confirms that they ‘drop off the radar‘ in the vicinity of grouse moors.

“2) Should any Moorland Association, Game & Wildlife Trust, or National Gamekeepers Organisation member be proved to have illegally interfered with a Hen Harrier nest or to have persecuted a Hen Harrier on their grouse moors, the Hawk & Owl Trust would pull out its expertise from the brood management scheme trial.”

Ah, proof: therein lies the problem; the protection of this species has been a legal imperative since 1954. Since then the number of hen harriers has decreased and the ratio of convictions to persecution incidents is miniscule.
And on the rare occasion when a conviction is achieved?

“The criminal gamekeeper who was recently filmed setting illegal pole traps on a grouse moor, in the vicinity of a female hen harrier, is employed by a member of the Moorland Association (see here), can we now expect a statement from the Hawk & Owl Trust saying they’ve pulled out of supporting the brood meddling scheme because one of their ‘immoveable provisos’ has been broken?”

No, sadly not. The Hawk & Owl Trust are sticking to their er…principles.

“It would be rank stupidity, if not political suicide, for any moorland manager to continue to persecute problem birds when a way out is being provided.”

No, it wouldn’t be, because they are already seemingly impervious to the law. The risk from continuing the status quo is very small. I appreciate the forgiving, pluralist attitude – “behavioural change is seldom achieved by outright adversarial opposition” – but there is currently no incentive for moorland managers to change their behaviour; neither carrot nor stick. There is nothing more that they want. There is no real threat of their lifestyle being at all curtailed. We need to raise the stakes.

Empty sky above grouse moor, via Wikipedia

Why bother signing a petition?
The petition already has well over 50,000 signatures; 100,000 should trigger a debate in parliament. Perhaps such a debate would focus the lead-dimmed minds of the grouse shooting community. Or perhaps, when it’s the only alternative to an outright ban, the softer option offered by conservation groups will get some traction.
This is not about all shooting, it’s not even about all grouse shooting; this is about a specific activity undertaken by a minority who make no attempt to even explain their actions. Our ethical sense has evolved into the 21st century and we recognise animal cruelty, environmental damage and food safety as issues.
Why are we paying via our taxes to subsidise this activity? Why are we paying again to our water companies for the additional treatment required by water running off those moors? Why are we paying again for increased insurance premiums due to increased flooding risk? Why are we paying again for police investigations of wildlife crimes which are very difficult to resolve? Why are we paying again for government supported study after research study after collaboration after working group after action plan which do nothing to change any of the stakeholders’ perspectives and leave the problem entirely unaffected?
Grouse shooting contributes to the economy? How much? And how much would be contributed by a more sympathetic activity, such as rewilding or ecotourism? Or just by the absence of all the aforementioned costly impacts? Beside the financial cost, what about the moral cost? Why do we allow this minority to indulge militaristic superiority fantasies through inflicting tremendous cruelty on other creatures? What about nature’s intrinsic value? Driven grouse shooting is not sport and it’s not acceptable.
Please consider signing and sharing the petition to ban driven grouse shooting. Thank you.
If that’s not attractive enough a prospect, it’s an anagram of ‘overburdening hooting ass’.
Plenty more detail from Mark Avery.
Plenty of facts and figures from Raptor Persecution UK.
More ammunition from Chris Packham.
This article is also published at Wildlife Articles.

Share this:

• Twitter
• Facebook1
• Google
• 
  

The Plight of the Hen Harrier © Mark Avery

Bowland leaflets

Mark ♦ July 11, 2016 ♦ 3 Comments

Richard Schilling Land Art on Roeburn

© Richard Schilling

Beer and Birds....

Bowland Brewery Joins Forces With RSPB To Bring Britain’s Most Endangered Bird Of Prey Back From The Brink

In March 2016 Bowland Brewery entered into a partnership with the RSPB to help reverse the dramatic decline in breeding hen harriers.

Our flagship beer: Hen Harrier, was inspired by these iconic raptors, whose breeding stronghold lies in the Forest of Bowland, where the brewery was first established.

The hen harrier is also the symbol of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – an increasingly popular destination for nature-loving tourists which has traditionally played host to several breeding pairs of these majestic birds. But the hen harrier is in trouble. This beautiful bird of prey was once widespread throughout England, but numbers have fallen to just a few pairs of birds centred on the wilder uplands of northern England.

For the last few years, the breeding population in England has plummeted. In 2013, no chicks fledged from any nests throughout England and, while the situation improved in 2014 and 2015, the harrier’s breeding status is still critical. The Government, and conservation organisations, has published a recovery plan designed to restore viable breeding populations of hen harriers in Bowland and other areas where they should be breeding.

Bowland Brewery has stepped in to support the RSPB conservation efforts and agreed to donate a proportion of the proceeds from the sale of every pint of Hen Harrier sold across the bar and every bottle sold through retailers to fund the RSPB’s hen harrier conservation projects.

£0.01 from each pint of Hen Harrier sold and £0.01 from each Hen Harrier bottle sold will be donated to the RSPB, a registered charity in England and Wales, number 207076, and in Scotland, number SC037654.

£2 from each Bowland Brewery/RSPB beer gift pack sold will be donated to the RSPB, a registered charity in England and Wales, number 207076, and in Scotland, number SC037654

The initial agreement is based on a 2-year term with the brewery committing to a minimum donation of £5000 per year.

James Warburton, owner of Bowland Brewery said: “The hen harrier is a living symbol of Bowland Brewery’s intimate connection with the landscape where we produce our beers.

“The very real prospect that this beautiful bird of prey may disappear from the skies above the Forest of Bowland is unthinkable. That’s why we are committing to donate a significant sum of money each year to safeguard the future of one Bowland’s most iconic residents.

“By buying Hen Harrier by the pint or in bottles, locals and visitors alike will be making a positive contribution to hen harrier conservation in Bowland – and ultimately helping the population to grow.”

Peter Robertson, RSPB Regional Director for Northern England, said: “With the Government now fully committed to reversing the fortunes of this magnificent bird of prey, we hope that hen harriers will enjoy a successful breeding season this year and that people will be able to see them flying around Bowland and beyond, as well as enjoy a pint of the beer they have inspired.”

Bowland Brewery has similar ambitions for its flagship beer – and James Warburton hopes the more widespread availability of Hen Harrier nationwide will help spread the message about the plight of this beautiful but endangered raptor.

“We see this partnership with the RSPB as a long term investment in securing the future of the hen harrier,” said Mr Warburton. “While our first priority is to protect and nurture the local harrier population, I would be delighted if – in 10 years’ time – we could say we helped establish viable populations of hen harriers on uplands across Northern England.”

The RSPB is Europe’s largest conservation organisation, with more than a million members. For more information about the Society’s Hen Harrier conservation schemes, go to: www.rspb.org.uk

Hen Harriers and Beer!!!

                       Support Hen Harriers and enjoy beer--what a great combination.

The Waspinator ©

We believe everything in nature has it's place so we were interested in this company that is trying an alternative to killing wasps with poison. Here are some wasp facts that give us a balanced view about them which is very refreshing to read.  We are going to use the Waspinator and see what happens . 

Wasp collecting wood for nest building  © Wildstock

 Fascinating facts about wasps from Waspinator, the natural wasp repellent © Waspinator

Here are some facts about wasps, we hope you will find them as fascinating as we do, and we hope they may save you, and your local wasp colonies, from some unfortunate encounters.
Most wasps are female, male wasps are only used for one thing (!) and then they die, straight afterwards
Only female wasps can sting and female wasps do all the work
Male wasps (drones) are slow and sluggish and like to take naps – they lie in empty cells with their tails sticking out
Drones occasionally help to feed the larvae, and do a fair job in tidying and cleaning the house/nest
Wasps only sting humans as a defence mechanism
The worst thing to do is to swat at a wasp – 1. See above
The worst thing to do is to swat at a wasp – 2. When a wasp is swatted it emits a panic signal that will attract other wasps to see what is going on
You can’t run faster than a wasp can fly
Wasps are attracted by bright colours although they can’t see red so that is a good colour to wear in the garden
They also like sweet smells so don’t wear perfume
They also need salt, so use antiperspirant, guys
Wasps can recognise kith and kin both visually and by smell
There are 20,000 species of wasp in the World but in the UK we primarily have 2 – the German Wasp and the Common Wasp
Our wasps are social wasps – they build colonies with social order and specific roles (the Queen, workers, drones, defenders)
Wasps are fantastic architects – the nests are complex structures that typically are home to many thousands of inhabitants
Nests can be aerial or burrowed into the ground
Wasps never re-use a nest
In late summer their nests are overcrowded and up to 10 degrees hotter than outside – this is one reason they can be a bit bad tempered in August
Wasps communicate with each other by emitting pheromones – in this way they can tell their compatriots where food is or alert the nest to intruders
Wasps do play a role in our eco system – they cross-pollinate flowers and plants and they kill aphids and caterpillars
Wasps don’t generally bother us humans until late summer – until then they are too busy foraging for building materials and food for the colony
They will fly for up to 1,000 yards to forage for food and building materials
In late summer their work is done, and their taste changes from protein to sweet stuff – overindulgence on ripe fruit can lead to it fermenting inside them with a resultant hangover and bad attitude
Wasp colonies die off almost completely as winter draws on – a handful of fertilised female wasps leave the nest to find somewhere warm and dry and quite to hibernate over winter, these are next year’s Queens
Queens are larger and more beautiful than the other wasps, more brightly coloured and with different marking
The Queens will come out of hibernation early April, they will build the first few cells of the new nest and lay their eggs
When these eggs hatch the new wasps will take over the construction of the nest and will bring food back for the eggs the Queen continues to lay, then those eggs hatch and so the colony grows. And grows. And grows.
The largest nest found in recent years was in a pub attic in Southampton, it was the size of a large armchair and contained up to half a million wasps. The beer garden was a bit risky to have a drink in.
Waspinator utilises wasps’ territorial nature to frighten them away, it is the only natural  wasp repellent and uses nature to defeat nature and the only wasp deterrent that does not hurt wasps in any way.

Good things wasps do, as well as being a nuisance – so use a wasp repellent not a wasp trap

Many insects preyed upon by wasps are garden pests, and in this respect wasps help to regulate pest populations and to prevent potential damage to garden plants, so we believe it is far better to use a wasp repellent not wasp traps.
Consequently wasps are beneficial insects. They feed their young on a wide range of invertebrates which cause damage to plants and flowers, such as aphids and caterpillars.
They also visit flowers and therefore help in pollination.
Thus, wherever possible, it is good to leave wasp’s nests undisturbed in order to encourage the natural control of pests, and to reduce the need for insecticide treatments.
This will save money and will help to protect wildlife and your garden environment from unnecessary exposure to pesticide contamination.
So by using a wasp repellent not a wasp trap you are helping nature to look after your garden for you.

Bad things wasps do – but don’t kill wasps, make them go away

Wasps can damage soft fruit, but ripening apples and pears won’t usually be affected unless first damaged by birds or caterpillars.
They can be a nuisance in houses when food is being cooked or eaten, especially where sweet foodstuffs are being prepared.
Wasps can also be a serious pest to bees. In Spring worker wasps will attack and carry off foraging worker bees, and later in the year they will take honey bee grubs, and pupae.
They are an absolute pest for humans when trying to dine or socialise outdoors.
Wasps will gnaw into wooden furniture, wooden beams, and anything they can get building materials from.
Having said all this they are still beneficial creatures (see ‘Good things wasps do’ above) and don’t kill wasps just make them go away instead.

Random Posts

• Wasp report September 2012 written by Richard Piddocke
• March 2015 – Asian Hornets written by Richard Piddocke
• Wasp Watch – June 2015 written by Richard Piddocke

Walking up the Roeburndale East road

Turn right walking from the cottage at the cattle grid

keep going up the steep hill

Either turn left onto the footpath going down to Hunt's Gill Beck then to the Low Bentham/Wray road

or keep straight on up the road and enjoy the view to Ingleborough

and the Howgills

until you reach the footpath sign going right towards Roeburndale West

the map at the gate

walk along a very ancient path where you can see signs of an aggar

looking west towards The Lake District with Hornby Castle in the foreground

view the Lake District mountains in the distance

keep on the ancient path till you reach the gate into the woodlands and still on the public footpath--you can either carry on to the main Roeburndale West road or right through the woods back to the cottage