Today we have received the news that young hen harrier, Thor, has disappeared. It disappoints me greatly that these young tagged birds keep vanishing, but gives me more energy to fight ongoing raptor persecution head-on. The first ever National Raptor Persecution Workshop will take place in November, bringing key individuals together to harness ideas and activity that will deliver a real and long lasting difference, I will then drive this activity through the PPDG.
While it hasn’t been confirmed that this is a result of persecution, the circumstances will naturally lead people to believe this to be the case. I say this because the disappearance has occurred in a location where other hen harriers, namely Hope and Sky also disappeared without trace a few years ago under almost identical circumstances.
The matter has been reported to Lancashire Police and the RSPB and an investigation is underway.
Anybody with any information in relation to this matter should report this to the local police, through telephone 101 or,
RSPB Raptor Persecution Hotline
Crime Stoppers
As the new chair of the Raptor PPDG, I committed to ensuring that there was a single voice when these incidents were bought to my attention.
Unfortunately the National Wildlife Crime Unit and I heard about this matter through blogs on twitter today. I have agreed therefore with the RSPB that we will share this important information between us moving forwards, the PPDG and NWCU having a social media presence is new for everyone and securing this RSPB support is a significant step forwards.
I am working hard behind the scenes with PPDG members to ensure we can respond quickly to these reported incidents, through this blog. PPDG members are committed to responding in this way and the next few weeks will see me progress this further.
While the latest disappearance absolutely needed a PPDG reply, receiving the news late in the day has only allowed me to contact a limited number of group members, a fuller update would have taken time and that PPDG silence will have been filled with conspiracy theory. I know future PPDG updates will include more comprehensive partnership statements.
A Northern England Raptor Forum representative said “NERF members, working alongside the RSPB, located this breeding pair, ringed the young and fitted a satellite tag to Thor. Two other satellite tagged birds, Hope and Sky, ‘disappeared’ in the same location, on a grouse moor. We expect all members of the RPPDG to condemn raptor persecution and work tirelessly to assist the Police in their investigation into this incident”
Amanda Anderson, Director of the Moorland Association said: “We join this appeal without hesitation and it is vital the police receive any possible information. This year we have been hugely encouraged by the best hen harrier breeding season in a decade and the fact that 60% of this year’s successfully fledged chicks had help from gamekeepers. At this stage it is not known if anything has happened to Thor beyond that the tag has stopped transmitting. It is widely recognised that that there is a high natural mortality rate for young hen harriers with only two out of every ten expected to survive their first year. We all know that collaboration is the key to successful conservation. As such, enhanced transparency and greater sharing of satellite tag data from the outset of birds’ lives would be a huge step in the right direction.”
I will edit this blog further as more PPDG members make contact
****ENDS****
Nick Lyall Raptor PPDG 
All options are possible but as Holmes said ‘When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, remains the truth’. Almost 30 missing/dead tagged harriers in such a small area due to natural mortality is not impossible but highly improbable! You have an uphill task of Himalayan proportions to stop this which is not helped by organisations, including central Government, which make platitudinous noises but ignore what is obvious to those who have studied birds for many, many years. Shooting estates attitudes to predators has been amply shown in their persuading Defra to implement a scheme to ‘move on’ harriers born on grouse moors: this may be better than shooting them and risking a prosecution but shows ignorance of the lifestyle of a bird which may be peripatetic in the juvenile stage but has a strong homing instinct to its birth area. Good luck, you’ll need it.
LikeLike
Sounds like this guy could be the one who has been missing all along in the ‘debate’. Good luck to him and at the very least, give him a chance (and don’t blame him for the faults of others!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Are you having problems uploading the statements from the other ‘partners’?
Please also include the details of who they are, who they represent and what expertise they bring to the group to help eradicate raptor persecution.
LikeLike