Pure England has printed, in additional element than in earlier years (click on right here), the numbers of Hen Harriers nesting in England – they’re down this 12 months.
Numbers in 2024 are decrease than in 2023 and 2022 and solely barely greater than in 2021.
This 12 months places an finish to a run of years of accelerating Hen Harrier numbers in England which have been trumpeted as a hit of the ill-considered brood-meddling scheme by moorland managers and Pure England. For a unique view on brood meddling ask virtually any raptor employee, the RSPB or see this report by Wild Justice, Meddling on the Moors – click on right here.
Nonetheless, this 12 months’s decrease Hen Harrier numbers are considerably greater than in any years of latest a long time besides the previous few years. These numbers, although diminished, would have been thought to be superb till very latest years. There was a major change.
Hen Harrier breeding numbers fluctuate as a consequence of a variety of things – and so they fluctuate from 12 months to 12 months greater than these of most raptors. Again within the olden days of the Nineties, the Langholm Examine produced good proof that Hen Harrier common densities have been decided by the densities of small birds (prey for Hen Harriers), particularly Meadow Pipits, however that the variation round these numbers from 12 months to 12 months have been associated to the biking of vole populations. I haven’t met anybody who has stated that this 12 months was a superb vole 12 months and so we might count on fewer Hen Harriers to aim to nest. I ponder whether Quick-eared Owl numbers are down too, as they’re much more depending on vole numbers.
The climate, the 12 months to 12 months manifestation of the local weather, can be necessary. This spring was an terrible spring in most elements of the UK together with the uplands. A number of rain is among the components that has most likely affected Crimson Grouse numbers, which have been so low that many grouse moors have had one more poor 12 months of taking pictures, and that climate, and to some extent lack of Crimson Grouse, could have affected Hen Harrier numbers too. I’ve made the purpose each time a periodic nationwide survey of Hen Harriers is carried out that this chook has good years and unhealthy years (vole- and weather-related) as a consequence of ‘pure components’ and the nationwide numbers will mirror the vicissitudes of the 12 months in addition to the general high quality of the habitat and in addition, very importantly for this species, the extent of unlawful persecution.
We may be pretty certain that this 12 months’s decrease English breeding numbers of Hen Harriers is because of terrible spring climate. As a consequence of total low numbers there could have been few Hen Harrier nests that can have certified for the brood-meddling scheme the place chicks (or eggs in response to the unique undertaking plan, however it has at all times been chicks) are faraway from qualifying nests, raised in captivity, after which launched on the moors. This undertaking is a prize for grouse moor managers, inside whose quantity are to be discovered those that illegally kill this protected chook, as they get via a licence the influence they might in any other case search to create via wildlife crime, of fewer energetic Hen Harrier nests of their grouse moors. However to be a qualifying nest, there needs to be one other energetic Hen Harrier nest within the basic neighborhood. Inspection of the NE desk of nesting numbers reveals that there received’t have been many locations the place there have been qualifying nests. Curiously, the populations held up higher in Bowland (the place virtually all, often all) Hen Harrier nests are off industrial grouse moors and are on United Utilities land (which regardless of being a water firm (boo! hiss!) has taken a superb line on brood-meddling, ie they don’t do it) and in Northumberland the place a bunch of organisations together with Forestry England, RSPB and the Northumberland Nationwide Park have protected nests and in at the least some years have offered supplementary meals for nesting Hen Harriers. I’m wondering what occurred this 12 months.
In fact, no-one believes that grouse moor managers love Hen Harriers and so in a 12 months when Crimson Grouse numbers are very low there isn’t any incentive to be ‘good’ to Hen Harriers (by getting them shipped off your grouse moor!).
There was no brood meddling on grouse moors this 12 months, and that have to be as a result of the climate was terrible and there have been few qualifying nests, however additionally it is attention-grabbing that English Hen Harrier numbers held up in these areas the place no brood meddling has occurred. NE are fascinated by whether or not they are going to licence Hen Harrier brood meddling in future – they need to resolve to not as Hen Harrier persecution stays rampant on English grouse moors, eg see right here.
The NE weblog on numbers is extra detailed than traditional – that’s to be welcomed and we should always have seen knowledge of this sort for a few years however NE has been secretive about virtually each side of their Hen Harrier work till shamed into being a little bit extra open by the likes of the superb Raptor Persecution UK weblog and this weblog.
Can we count on an announcement from the RSPB on these findings – I hope so. I haven’t seen something from the taking pictures neighborhood but, and we all know they aren’t out taking pictures Crimson Grouse.
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