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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Friday, 9 June 2017

An Open Letter to Theresa May

Dear Mrs May

Firstly, congratulations on almost being voted in. I wonder how you are feeling right now. I hope you have a sense of the massive responsibility you have; and not just a responsibility for the next 5 years, but for the impact your decisions will have for many, many years to come.  As I am only 15, I couldn't vote this time, but the decisions you make will still have a big impact on my generation. I would not have voted Conservative by the way, as I do not think your party sees the world in the same way I do.

It must be a huge task to prioritise what to focus on, with everything seeming to be so important when you look at it in isolation. Brexit, NHS, Global Conflict, Education, Economy, Energy etc will undoubtedly take up your time and be talked about the most and in the news the most. And not to forget of course dealing with the aftermath of the hung parliament result.

We live in a very complicated world now, with so many different layers of "stuff"! And by stuff I mean everything that the human race has created; laws, business, manufacturing, transport networks, communication systems, housing, energy supply, farming....the list is endless.  But there is a massive cost to all of this, and I do not mean a financial cost.  The cost is to our planet.

Even though evidence clearly shows what we are doing to this planet, looking after the natural world seems to be the lowest of all the government's priorities when you look back in time.  I have said it so many times before, and sadly I will have to say it many times again, but we really are living in a "take culture".  The odds are very much stacked against the natural world, as we keep on taking more than we ever give back. Not just in the UK of course, but globally.

Given the way the election has just gone, I am sure that the environment, climate change and the natural world in general will be way down your priority list, but they cannot keep being pushed to one side.

I am sure you will have sleepless nights over Brexit facts and figures, but here is a figure that keeps me awake at night:


Just pause and think about that for a minute. Over half the world's wildlife lost in just 40 years. This is mass extinction on a global scale. Look closer to home, our native animals, birds and invertebrates are struggling. Here are just a few simple facts that show the negative impact we are having:

Hedgehogs
"We appear to have lost around 30% of the population since 2002 and therefore it seems likely that there are now fewer than a million hedgehogs left in the UK"
Our native wildlife is fading in front of our eyes. Each species plays an vital part in eco-systems, so if one is struggling, then others that rely on them will be too.

Birds
Only 3 pairs of hen harrier bred in England last year, when the uplands could support over 300 pairs.  A massive cause here stems from greed and persecution to allow a select few people to shoot for pleasure. Greed. Other bird species, especially migratory birds, are also showing us that global warming is happening, with breeding patterns changing as the planet warms up.

Butterflies
Overall, 76% of the UK’s resident and regular migrant butterfly species declined in either abundance or occurrence (or both) over the past four decades.
One out of every three bites of food we eat is made possible by a pollinator, we cannot survive without them.

So let's park the complications of the man-made world we are living in and simplify things a bit. Here are two basic facts that no-one can argue with:
  • The human race is responsible for devastating the environment/natural world.
  • The human race cannot survive without the natural world.
It really is that simple. Peel away all the complicated layers of "stuff" and this is what we are left with.  We have to reverse the destructive cycle, and we have to do it now.

The free fall of species declines is desperately upsetting and your new government must not to be vapid about these serious issues. According to WWF statistics, up to 10,000 species go extinct every year, and almost all of this is down to one species, mankind.

The natural world is not an inheritance to be taxed or taken from, it is something to be nurtured, respected and safeguarded. Politicians must think further ahead than just a 5 year term. Engage with my generation, let us in, we have a freshness of ideas and a desire for change.

So please, please for the sake of all the generations to come, please have the environment/natural world at the heart of every single decision you make.  For example, don't let leaving the EU weaken our environmental protection laws, instead use it as an opportunity to strengthen them further.

Don't have environmental issues as a stand alone policy. Instead make sure they are built into every decision making process to ensure that negative impacts on the natural world are avoided. Put the environment in to every school curriculum, as part of every subject, and make sure that we are teaching each generation about the importance of our responsibilities to the natural world.

Think 500 years ahead, not just a political 5 year term.  Tackle the big issues like over population, global warming and greed. And yes, greed is a massive issue; it is the route cause of the position the natural world is in today.

I don't expect you to reply, I fear that your priorities are already set, but I hope at the very least that this message reaches you and that you will think of the generations to come.

Kind regards

Findlay Wilde


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Sunday, 4 June 2017

North Wales - Breeding Birds

I feel rather privileged in the sense that every school holiday I have the opportunity to spend a certain amount of time relishing the beautiful Welsh countryside and the rich array of natural diversity it holds. I feel even more privileged in the sense that my Grandparents own a very small part of it, leaving this area free from the destruction of human society.

During the course of this half term school holiday, I have thoroughly surveyed the habitats at my Grandparents and the various species they hold; from ancient oak woodland to open pasture, every area has thrown up pleasant surprises and sparked ideas for future conservation projects.


I arrived at my Grandparents on the Tuesday and spent the majority of the afternoon covering the woodland sector. Over the past few years my Grandparents have been working hard to develop the habitat for many ancient oak woodland specialist species; and this year the work has noticeably payed off. 

The sheer variety and density of some species this year has really astounded me; Wood Warbler, Redstart and Pied Flycatcher are all present and breeding within this woodland site. The former two species seem to be in good numbers, with at least three singing male Wood Warbler.  On the surface this may not seem that impressive, but some areas across Wales have in recent years lost breeding Wood Warblers altogether, so it is encouraging to have seen as many as three pairs at this site.

I have also observed at least seven different male Redstarts in various territories across the woodland, many of which being accompanied by the female, again showing a breeding population. All the Redstart pairs this year have decided to nest in natural sites (I only noted four in the previous year) and not in any of the nest boxes put up around the wood.

The most impressive figure for this woodland site though is indeed this year's Pied Flycatcher population.


During the Winter months my grandparents erected seven nest boxes in the woodland within a relatively close proximity to one another. At the time, I thought getting 1 pair to take up residence in one of the new boxes was a bit of a dream; however when I came to check the boxes over the course of the school holiday, I was chuffed to bits to discover five active Pied Flycatcher nests. However the excitement doesn't stop there, as after a thorough stroll through the woodland I found there to be well into double figures of Pied Flycatcher pairs ... and possibly more.


Based on only six observed pairs last year, this is indeed a remarkable increase.  Due to this success, this Winter much of my time will be spent designing and building numerous nest boxes to be put up at this site to enable me to monitor this species in more detail and possibly increase the number of pairs present during the breeding season.

Pied Flycatcher nest

Last year I was delighted to witness a Garden Warbler spending time for a couple of days feeding alongside the margin of woodland and pasture. This was my first and only sighting of a Garden Warbler at this site in 5 years and I couldn't quite believe it. This year however a similar sort of habitat does indeed hold at least 5 pairs of Garden Warbler, yet again an increase, but not just an increase in numbers, it is now a recognised breeding species for the site! I also succeeded in finding one of the nests located in a dense bramble patch.

Garden Warbler nest

Whilst spending time in the woodland I did on one occasion hear and see a solitary Marsh Tit.  This species makes regular visits to the feeders in Winter; however this holiday was the first time I had witnessed one in the breeding season. I suspect that this species could well also be breeding. 

As you can tell from what you have just read, I have good reason to be excited about this area of land  now and for future seasons.  I mentioned before, it has brilliant potential for future projects that could extract valuable data for a variety of species, some of which are not currently monitored in detail. The work put in to the site is really paying off.  I can certainly report a successful breeding season at this particular site so far!

Wild Bird Wednesday


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Friday, 2 June 2017

Light in the Darkness

Have you read the RSPB Skydancer blog this morning? If you haven't, then you really should. It is great to see such a positive update on the 5 remaining RSPB Life Project satellite tagged hen harriers from 2016, but this blog post will focus on one of the birds in particular, Finn.

Here is the statement from Blanaid Denman from RSPB Hen Harrier Life team on Finn:

"Finn – our one remaining English bird, Finn left Northumberland very shortly after fledging and has made a steady westward tour of the Scottish Borders, ultimately settling in South Ayrshire for the winter months. Unlike DeeCee and Harriet though, it would seem she didn’t need to travel quite so far to find an attractive breeding site, as in the last couple of weeks, she has been discovered sitting on a nest with eggs in an area of Southwest Scotland!"

As a reminder, Finn was in a brood from one of the only 3 pairs of hen harriers that bred in England last year. She was feisty from the start and travelled quite a distance in the months after fledging. This was always a worrying time, not knowing where she would be settling, and having to face the normal struggles of being an inexperienced fledgling combined with the ever present risk of illegal persecution.

So what great news to see published this morning. Not only has she made it through all the dangers so far, but she is also making her first breeding attempt.  And how fantastic to be able to track all this with the RSPB team. 

The satellite tags come into their own at this time of year, as they allow the Skydancer project teams to locate the birds and nests quickly and hopefully reduce the risks of illegal persecution. Although, the dangers are always there, as we saw in the numerous males that went missing in the north of England last year, forcing the females to abandon their nests.

So here's hoping that the positive news on Finn continues to come through. The awareness work done by so many amazing people out there from organisations to individuals is starting to turn the tide a little, as seen in these posts this week by Raptor Persecution Scotland and Mark Avery. 

It is great to see this focus building in Scotland, let's just hope the momentum builds even more and spreads further south. I wonder how many breeding pairs of hen harrier we sill see in England this year.


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