Thursday, March 06, 2008

Hen Harrier hotline

The RSPB has set up a Hen Harrier hotline. 0845 4600121. If you see a Hen Harrier this spring in suitable nesting habitat make sure you know the location , OS map reference and telephone. There is an email address also: henharriers@rspb.org.uk

More information is here.

The Hen Harrier will only survive as a breeding bird on our moors if we coordinate a response to the illegal persecution of this species that is the reason for its virtual elimination as a breeding and wintering bird from our uplands.

3 comments:

Nick Carter said...

Wonder why RSPB didn't fund the continuation of Operation Artemis?

Alastair said...

I will tread carefully here but my personal view is that Operation Artemis (which I understand was a police initiative so I'm not sure that the RSPB could fund Artemis in any case - I might be wrong about this.) was perhaps not the best way to go about protecting the Hen Harrier. Artemis upset the game-keeping and estate owning fraternity big style. I don't have any problem with that other than it appears that certain elements within that community appear to have decided to react by trying to deal with the "Hen Harrier problem" once and for all. I have heard it argued and I have some sympathy with the argument that Artemis did more harm than good for the Hen Harrier. That is not to criticise those on the ground delivering the project nor necessarily to criticise those who conceived it in the first place - the response would not be easy to predict. I think the RSPB are trying something different after the closure of Artemis - the police are still interested in helping save the Hen Harrier and hopefully all agencies will work together constructively to make this a success.

Alastair said...

I'll try and make a more detailed post on this issue shortly.