Friday, 16 June 2017

#Inglorious12th Thunderclap

Thank you for arriving at this blog post.

The so called Glorious 12th (August) sees the start of grouse shooting season in the uplands. 

You may hear lots of stories about how the uplands are managed and all the benefits that come with that for some breeding birds like Curlew for example; but there is of course a darker side to all this in the form of raptor persecution.  Grouse moors are intensively managed to produce unnaturally large numbers of Red Grouse, many of which will then be shot.  But anything that would naturally prey on the Red Grouse is not welcome on the shooting estates and it is worrying to see a lack of natural predators in these areas.

Don't let my opinion sway you though, take a look through some of these links and decide for yourself.

Alleged illegal killing of a protected hen harrier


Shot Cumbrian Peregrine found at same location as dead Hen Harrier

Police investigating hen harrier death in Ravenstonedale area

Golden Eagles disappear too – mostly over grouse moors


Something I am learning is that where there is big money to be made there can also be criminal activity. Wildlife crime is not something you hear about enough in the news, as the environment and natural world are so far down the list of priorities in government, business, education etc. 

 The evidence just keeps getting clearer and clearer that serious wildlife crime is taking place in the uplands.  Modern day technology is helping to bring these activities to light more and more.

Just one more statistic for you. In theory, the uplands in England could support over 300 pairs of hen harriers. Last year we just had just 4 breeding pairs.  Only about 1% of what could be there. Not really a statistic to be pushed down the priority list. And this year's number of breeding hen harriers in England is not looking promising either. But even if the numbers doubled to 8 pairs, it still wouldn't be acceptable. 

So as the social media posts about the so called Glorious 12th start flooding in, wouldn't it be great to see #Inglorious12th trending and raising much needed awareness about the criminal activity that continues to plague these important breeding grounds.

All comments are welcome, whether you agree or disagree. It's always good to hear a wide range of opinions and ideas to move things forward.

Please sign up to the #Inglorious12th Thunderclap by clicking here and help raise awareness.

Last year 482 people signed up to a similar thunderclap and we created a social reach of over 1.3 million people. It would be great to reach even more people this year.


Thank you.

.........................................................

Updates Since Blog Posted

 This blog was only posted weeks ago, and yet the illegal raptor persecution continues. Including this one:

Short-eared owl shot on Leadhills Estate
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2017/06/27/short-eared-owl-shot-on-leadhills-estate-police-appeal-for-info/

Since this blogpost was first published, the RSPB Skydancer team have published this year's hen harrier breeding numbers.

Only 3 pairs of hen harrier have successfully bred in England this year
https://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/skydancer/b/skydancer/archive/2017/08/01/hen-harrier-breeding-numbers-in-england-2017.aspx 

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11 comments:

  1. Stewart M19 June 2017 at 11:24

    Great couple of posts - I hope that people are listening.

    Hope the exams went well - I suspect these may be the first of many!

    Cheers (and keep up the good work) - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  2. Unknown20 June 2017 at 21:42

    Extremely well put. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  3. essay best29 June 2017 at 16:10

    There are many species of birds that are becoming extinct just because of their merciless killing. There is a need to stop this otherwise they will become completely extinct.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown15 July 2017 at 17:31

    Nice idea !there are many species of birds we need to love them and protect. your article is good, i like the photos

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    ReplyDelete
  5. Ken & Sarah White28 July 2017 at 17:11

    Yet another example of the unacceptable slaughter of our native wildlife.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Pat Heath12 August 2017 at 11:11

    Persecution has no place in the 21st century- time for action to drop the criminal slaughter

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  7. Unknown12 August 2017 at 11:28

    Today is the Inglorious 12th and I know what is happening up on the moors in Yorkshire today and it sickens me! In order that these bloodsportsmen can happily kill or maim the red grouse a native species, it seems it's necessary to also kill the Hen Harrier another native species higher up the food chain!
    This bird and allied raptors are being slowly eliminated by the so called shooting fraternity, from where I see it in the name of having so called "fun".With numbers now down to three breeding pairs this year ( a pair less than last !) it's time to really get as many people as possible to sign the Thunderclap petition so share if you can.
    Many thanks to you Findlay and good luck!

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  8. Anonymous12 August 2017 at 13:19

    It is beyond my comprehension how people can find killing live creatures enjoyable. They do it for pleasure��

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  9. Pete Bull12 August 2017 at 16:15

    Signed up to Thunderclap following the excellent Hen Harrier Day in Sheffield. My tweet has just been retweeted by Talk_Sheffield - so add 7,000+ to the reach!

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  10. Unknown1 March 2018 at 20:53

    Well done for all your love of wildlife and your huge efforts to save our raptors from persecution

    ReplyDelete
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