Countryman Diary - February 2012
In the current issue of the Lark, the Countryside Restoration Trust (CRT) newsletter, chairman and Countryman contributor Robin Page calls for an honest and open discussion on the impact of predation on wildlife. He says:
“The reaction to the article has been astonishing. I have been swamped with letters, emails and telephone calls of support, despite it being a taboo subject among the ‘Conservation Establishment’ and parts of the media.
“I asked members ‘What do you think?’. They have replied emphatically, and with the replies have come serious and considered criticisms of the RSPB, particularly on the subjects of magpies and sparrowhawks.
“With more wildlife reserves than ever before, Britain is still losing wildlife at an alarming rate. One of the reasons is the increasing population of predators: foxes, mink, grey squirrels, crows, magpies and, yes, some birds of prey.
“Part of the problem in trying to discuss the problem is the fact that, in addition to the Disneyfication of wildlife, some conservation bodies seem to be putting marketing before conservation. They seem to think that legacies, membership renewals and the sale of Bambi-like calendars are more important than telling the truth about what is happening to the brown hare, the water vole, the lapwing, the snipe and many more vulnerable species.
“We want 2012 to be a time of honesty, openness and action.”
Chris Knights, farmer, wildlife photographer and CRT trustee, says:
“The situation is serious. There is no doubt about the fact that predator numbers are increasing and the potential damage to some species as a result is frightening.
“I have a fantastic number of stone curlews on my farm — one of the rarest birds in Britain. Without predator control they would vanish very quickly. We must take the threats seriously.”
Another CRT trustee, zoologist Tilly Smith, says:
“The threat from predators is obvious. Just a modicum of scientific knowledge suggests that there can no longer be a ‘natural balance’ in a country like Britain where the entire landscape is man-managed. It is unnatural.
“In Scotland there are real issues, which some people don’t like discussing, such as the impact of the pine marten on the capercaillie and red squirrels.
“It is time for a proper, adult debate.”
It’s certainly time for a more co-ordinated approach by all our major wildlife establishments to the whole subject of how Man affects the balance of Nature in the UK. Hopefully 2012 will see important initiatives being taken.
Hen harrier under threat
Meanwhile, the RSPB tell me the hen harrier is the bird most likely to become extinct in England because of human pressure.
A 2011 joint survey of the English uplands by the RSPB and Natural England found that only four nesting pairs of hen harriers successfully raised young — all on a single estate in the Forest of Bowland on the Yorkshire-Lancashire border.
This is believed to be the lowest population in England since they recolonised in the 1960s following extinction in the late nineteenth century. Historically, the hen harrier was widespread in England.
A government-backed report, the Hen Harrier Conservation Framework, proved that illegal persecution on driven-grouse moors is the main factor restricting the growth of the bird’s population. It stated that England’s uplands could support at least 320 pairs of this bird of prey.
Hen harriers disappearing from England for a second time will see the government break its recent commitment in the England Biodiversity Strategy to avoid any human-induced extinctions before 2020.
Hen harriers sometimes prey on red grouse on upland shooting estates, making them unpopular on many grouse moors. The RSPB and Natural England are now appealing to grouse moor owners to support techniques being trialled to reduce predatory impacts on grouse from hen harriers.
A demonstration partnership project at Langholm Moor, in the Scottish Borders, is looking at the effectiveness of a measure known as ‘diversionary feeding’, where an alternative food supply is left for the harriers, so that the birds have a source of food and won’t be tempted to take red grouse chicks. Early results look promising, enabling the birds to nest successfully without causing alarm to grouse moor owners and managers.
Martin Harper, the RSPB’s conservation director, says:
“With only four pairs of hen harriers in England, this bird only has four steps before extinction, and the government has very little time to act to prevent breaking their promise.
“We believe the potential for diversionary feeding will provide a lifeline for the recovery of the English hen harrier and a way for grouse moor managers to maximise the number of grouse.”
The RSPB has recently launched the Skydancer project with over £300,000 of financial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project will provide a mix of community engagement and direct conservation work over four years to inspire people about this magnificent bird of prey.
The hen harrier is one of fifty-two species of bird which appear on the Red List of the Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK. See www.rspb.org.
uk/wildlife/birdguide/status_explained.aspx.
Your favourite view?
Being something of a cynic when it comes to ‘surveys’, I take with a huge pinch of salt the results of one that landed on my desk recently entitled ‘The Nation’s Favourite View’. Nothing wrong with the top ten places listed — all are splendid views — but I was surprised at the small number of votes for Wales and Scotland.
The top ten, as per the OscarUK survey, are: 1 Lake Windermere, 2 St Ives Harbour, 3 Bamburgh Castle/Northumberland coastline, 4 Malvern Hills, 5 Upper Swaledale, 6 Stonehenge at sunset, 7 Glastonbury Tor, 8 The Seven Sisters Cliffs, 9 Loch Coruisk, Skye, 10 Hadrian’s Wall.
Let’s have a Countryman survey: what’s your favourite view? I promise not to be too judgemental! Email me on editorial@thecountryman.co.uk or write to the usual address.
Paul Jackson
Editor
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