Raptor Persecution

Sadly reported the loss of a Merlin nest of 5 chicks locally. But not by the usual suspects highlighted here. The nest was disturbed by "official" ringers. Subsequently the adults left the nest after interference and the loss of the chicks. We the maligned also feel sorry for the birds but no sympathy for those who know better, preach to us and interfere.

That is sad, you are right fisherman, I’m sure you are not one of these but the carnage and despicable actions of those others whose so frequently reported actions, driven by despicable intentions, are far from caring or compassionate or in any way helpful for nature! 

What is it about Norfolk and which makes such sad news about our Montagu's Harrier population.

“Intensive conservation interventions are necessary to protect nests from agricultural operations, reduce predation risk, prevent disturbance and the possibility of illegal persecution. The latter, as for many raptors, is suspected to be an issue: satellite-tagging has revealed that two breeding females, including one featured on BBC Autumnwatch, both vanished unexpectedly from the same area in Norfolk in recent years. Last year, Montagu's Harrier was added to the Red List, the highest category of the UK's Birds of Conservation Concern assessment.”

By far the greatest loss of ground nesting birds is  by foxes and badgers.The conservationist are paranoid about not controlling these hence the rapid decline. As I pointed in an earlier post the conservationist themselves by interfering are also a cause ( Merlins)

Much of the imbalance of natural predation is of ‘our’ making and this too needs careful management. I’m also sure, with the very best of intentions, lessons will be learnt from the likes of the unfortunate Merlin incident. However the greatest unnatural and illegal loss of raptors is down to a few repeatedly performing cruel acts for selfish economics and so called sporting ‘reasons’. These despicable folk seem unable to learn their lessons.

I think your  resoning is based on a few isolated instances,albeit unecessary.The vast majority of "sporting" estates are nature beneficial. The best place for Red Listed birds are on sporting estatrs, like North Yorkshire where management occurs. Nothing is ever perfect but in all my years I have not heard of a single issue with raptor killing- Covids yes as with foxes.Here we have a healthy bird population so it seems to work. If you only knew how many foxes we control in a year you would understand that their population is out of control.

Isolated hopefully, but repetitively frequent in some areas it happens. I however do question the idea that sporting estates are nature beneficial. Sometimes only when certain species are seen as ‘complimentary’ with the demands of the sporting estates are they allowed space and promoted.  Where conflict arises from other species or there is an historical dislike of them, a totally different attitude is adopted, even when numbers of those persecuted species are exceptionally or even dangerously low as we see on an all too regular basis as reported in the news and media. I fail to see how anyone can say they have never heard of these instances.

Furthermore, there have been studies which show where game birds are bred and released they have a significantly detrimental effect on insect, snake and other reptilian populations, sometimes eradicating some species from the sporting area.

I totally get that we have upset natural balance and some animals like foxes need their numbers controlling but this particular old chestnut is frequently dragged up as a means to support the ‘indefensible’. That argument is a red herring and not related to the persecution of raptors.

On a regular basis? I dont see reports that often in the press. Isolated I would say in this enlightened age.

So you have heard of/seen those reports then Fish that do appear on an all to regular basis in my opinion. Yours of course may be different but the fact that it happens at all is clearly unhelpful and wrong! A few a year, every year across the UK is what I witness.

I do read the press but dont believe everything printed.Personally I have not seen Raptor persecution but I live fairly isolated here in the hills