Chris, I moved to E. Finland in the vast countryside here and have a few chickens. Every Autumn and Spring we are blessed with the presence of Hen Harriers. Litterally 3 days ago one of our hens was killed and half eaten by a magnificent Juvenile Hen Harrier. Are we angry about this?....no!! Here's why....we moved here to give back and protect all nature. True CONSERVATION. Not the faux conservation peddled by the elites who have systematically and have sole responsibility for making hundreds of large predators extinct. Thylacine in Australia is one of the saddest stories along with the list of Lion and Tiger sub species which have been hunted by our own British royal family and their European cousins and extended network. Very few of the elites care. One man I did once know who was a true man of conservation was Lord Blakenham of Suffolk (RIP). Who was once the Chief Executive of the RSPB. I knew him for a short while and he was an inspiration. Life somehow allowed me to find very cheap land over here in one of the most prolific bird migration zones in Europe and I am never angry to lose one of my dear hens because I am in the position to breed enough hens every year to be able lose them in order to feed these beautiful birds. The natural feed source which is capercaille is shot by hunters and their numbers are depleted. So for me it is a small contribution to nature and one many would be upset by. Personally I cannot understand the mindset of the landed elite grouse and pheasant shoot brigade in respect to losing 20 or 30 birds a year to 3 or 4 highly rare raptors. They are paid £500 to £2,500 a day per gun so what is the problem. I make no money from my poultry they are my food source as I am trying to live sustainably from my own self sufficient system here. But I am willing to share with nature even though I have no job right now and have no income. There is something very wrong with the attitude of the people who have the most in this realm. I have one childhood memory which stands out from all ...and that is a school trip to see the workings of HM the Queen's Sandringham Estate. We saw all of the different jobs on the estate. Including the "game keepers". They spent their time telling us what predators they kill. They used language to hypnotise us little children into thinking it was normal..like "controlling vermin" etc. They were brainwashing us into accepting that to preserve a NON NATIVE Species "The Indian Pheasant". That they felt it justified to kill BRITAIN's native birds and mammals. We never did get to see the Global Stuffed Animals head room which if you google Sandringham house Game Room you will see the many endangered species shot and killed by those who we revere the most in our society.

This sort of thing really pisses me off. Our birds really do deserve better.

Love and rage 😓

I am so blessed I live in a church conversion and a pair of falcons have moved on my roof there noisy and I keep finding dead birds everywhere but I wouldn't change it for the world I love to see our native predators thrive. Just like sharks in the ocean they are an essential part of their ecosystem.

Thank you for you passionate work to inform us all. This has to stop we have no rights on these wild beautiful birds

It is a major concern to the scientific community and as such should be disseminated to the public in regards to non transparency, bias, false agenda and collusion.

This needs to be mainstream news. Its not just happening in the UK unfortunately.

In all my years of bird watching I have not once seen a hen harrier and I fear that I may never see one.

Makes me sick and full of rage.

I really think the RSPB need to sort them selves out, scientific evaluation shows RSPB reserves are down on biodiversity and spp richness by a staggering 5000% on managed grounds staticically. Unfortunately results are not able to be reproduced because the organization refuse to make their data available.

its so sad that this is still happening in this day and age but untill we get a better and caring government in the uk this will still be allowed to happen the torys are self serving and taking big donations from these people who hunt this wont stop untill we remove them from power and elect a more caring and a government who will hold these hunters to account for there actions

😢

I love by a few fields in the I.O.W And nearly every time I look out the window, I see a lonely kestrel hunting, and I sickens me to think that any type of raptors, any bird, is being killed and slaughtered by man for a moment of pleasure We have got to leave wildlife alone, stop sabotaging the food chains

Y

nruB a gamekeepers house down would be a start. but I wouldnt condone that. unless it was sustainable that is . I'm like that, always think of the enviroment mind most game keepers are pigs of men.

It is well worth reading the report to get a more balanced and objective perspective on this topic. Killing of protected species is illegal for a reason and therefore wrong. Simple. But let's not forget that dead is dead whether illegal or legally killed and that over the five years up to 2019 the RSPB 'culled' I.e. Legally killed 8000 animals; crows, foxes and various types of deer in pursuit of their own environmental agenda. Documented not speculation. Justified one supposes to ensure one species prospers at the expense of others. Setting aside the slaughter of foxes and deer in what sense is the killing of crows a protection of birds? it reminds me of Animal Farm where some are more equally than others. Sorry crows!