Pure England has revealed, in additional element than in earlier years (click on right here), the numbers of Hen Harriers nesting in England – they’re down this yr.
Numbers in 2024 are decrease than in 2023 and 2022 and solely barely larger than in 2021.
This yr places an finish to a run of years of accelerating Hen Harrier numbers in England which have been trumpeted as successful of the ill-considered brood-meddling scheme by moorland managers and Pure England. For a special 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.
However, this yr’s decrease Hen Harrier numbers are considerably larger than in any years of current a long time besides the previous couple of years. These numbers, although diminished, would have been thought to be wonderful till very current years. There was a big change.
Hen Harrier breeding numbers fluctuate as a consequence of a spread of things – they usually fluctuate from yr to yr greater than these of most raptors. Again within the olden days of the Nineties, the Langholm Research 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 yr to yr have been associated to the biking of vole populations. I haven’t met anybody who has mentioned that this yr was a superb vole yr and so we might count on fewer Hen Harriers to try to nest. I wonder if Brief-eared Owl numbers are down too, as they’re much more depending on vole numbers.
The climate, the yr to yr 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 without doubt one of the elements that has most likely affected Crimson Grouse numbers, which have been so low that many grouse moors have had one more poor yr of taking pictures, and that climate, and to some extent lack of Crimson Grouse, can 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 fowl has good years and unhealthy years (vole- and weather-related) as a consequence of ‘pure elements’ and the nationwide numbers will mirror the vicissitudes of the yr 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 positive that this yr’s decrease English breeding numbers of Hen Harriers is because of terrible spring climate. As a consequence of total low numbers there can 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 mission plan, but it surely has at all times been chicks) are faraway from qualifying nests, raised in captivity, after which launched on the moors. This mission is a prize for grouse moor managers, inside whose quantity are to be discovered those that illegally kill this protected fowl, as they get by a licence the influence they’d in any other case search to create by wildlife crime, of fewer energetic Hen Harrier nests on 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 exhibits that there gained’t have been many locations the place there have been qualifying nests. Curiously, the populations held up higher in Bowland (the place virtually all, normally all) Hen Harrier nests are off business 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 not less than some years have supplied supplementary meals for nesting Hen Harriers. I ponder what occurred this yr.
After all, no-one believes that grouse moor managers love Hen Harriers and so in a yr when Crimson Grouse numbers are very low there isn’t a incentive to be ‘good’ to Hen Harriers (by getting them shipped off your grouse moor!).
There was no brood meddling on grouse moors this yr, and that have to be as a result of the climate was terrible and there have been few qualifying nests, however additionally it is fascinating that English Hen Harrier numbers held up in these areas the place no brood meddling has occurred. NE are occupied with whether or not they are going to license 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 regular – that’s to be welcomed and we must always have seen knowledge of this kind for a few years however NE has been secretive about virtually each side of their Hen Harrier work till shamed into being just a little extra open by the likes of the superb Raptor Persecution UK weblog and this weblog.
Can we count on a press release 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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