With Easter a stones throw away, I thought I would do some scouring of the internet to see how much is actually spent on Easter eggs. In 2019 this was around £340m which is 80 million eggs (finder.com). WOW that’s an awful lot of eggs! Research suggests that children consume on average 8 eggs each over 4 days totalling around 8000 calories.(GWP Group)
PROJECT CamTag® is the reason why I wanted to explore this. This is a project to develop a camera satellite tag to obtain photographic evidence associated with the illegal killing of Birds of Prey, which may help lead to future convictions.
What does this have to do with Easter eggs? Actually nothing! I just wanted to see if readers of this blog can spare a couple of minutes and give some thought to the UK’s Birds of Prey over this Easter weekend. PROJECT CamTag® is funded by people like you, people who care about our wildlife. To start the project’sFeasibility StudyI need to raise £12,000. To reach this target, I need the public’s support, YOUR support to raise the remaining £10,465. This amount equates to just 0.00308% of the UK’s whole spend on Easter eggs in 2019 of £340m!! It’s a big ask, but with your help it’s possible. No matter how small your donation, it truly will make a difference. The sooner the target can be reached, the sooner we can start helping our Birds of Prey.
“This REAL nest site image, was the result of intentional illegal disturbance, where it is known it had been interfered with.”
Chocolate Easter eggs On avg. children receive 8 Easter eggs
Failed Peregrine Falcon nest due to illegal disturbance Image courtesy of Terry Pickford
Can you guess where this is leading? Do children really need 8 Easter eggs? Now I don’t want to be a killjoy, and maybe I had too many Easter eggs given to me as a child, but when I had my own family, I encouraged friends and family to give my children an alternative gift. I’m not saying that now I wouldn’t like an Easter egg, because I would, but I only need one!
This is where I start getting serious, sad and angry, all at the same time. Look at the two pictures above. On the left, a picture of chocolate eggs that I placed in some straw that I took from my chicken shed, and on the right some real eggs, but not chicken eggs! These real eggs belong to a Peregrine Falcon. This REAL nest site image, was a result of intentional illegal disturbance, where it is known it had been interfered with.
80m Easter eggs sold in the UK, equates to approx. £4.25 per egg.
Children on average receive 8 Easter eggs each, this is a spend per child of approx. £34
Based on the figures above I have a request to make, especially if you are a parent, grandparent or family member of a child you intend buying Easter eggs for. How about using this blog as an opportunity to educate the younger members of your family about what is happening to our Birds of Prey in the UK. Many children are now discussing this in the classroom, and are becoming extremely knowledgeable already about the persecution taking place around the UK. Maybe instead of another egg they might like you to donate the average Easter egg price of £4.25 to PROJECT CamTag?
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) These chicks were saved just in time. This & top image courtesy of Terry Pickford
What do you think? Obviously, to me it sounds great, but of course I am very biased!!
This Blog had a lot of interest when posted on 13/3/21. In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) I have re-posted it again today! Thank you for your support
The Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey is one of Ireland’s longest running ecological studies. Ryan Wilson-Parr, provides here an overview, not only providing high-quality information to help protect the species, but also inspiring and giving opportunity to a whole new generation of harrier-philes and conservation scientists.
Ryan is currently undertaking his PhD on Hen Harriers at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.
Thank you to Ryan for supplying this, my first guest blog, please take time to comment or ask any questions to Ryan who is happy to respond on this blog.
The Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey (IHHWS) was established in 2004 to explore what was until then a relative mystery; what do Hen Harriers do outside of the breeding season?
A new venture
When I came to Ireland in September 2009, one of my first hopes was to get involved in Hen Harrier monitoring and conservation on the island. I had completed my Master’s on Hen Harriers in Scotland and was keen to get involved! One name synonymous with Hen Harriers is Barry O’Donoghue. I made contact with Barry and immediately realised that this was a person who, from a very young age had been dedicating his life to these birds and the conservation of their landscape. Barry was very supportive and facilitating and I soon began to check out a few suitable spots in my new home county of Sligo and contribute to the Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey which he co-ordinated in his own time. This brought me to some of the quietest and most remote parts of Ireland, watching over bogs and reedbeds at dusk in winter. For much of the time, it was a case of trying to find new roosts. Even in the worst of elements, those winter mornings and evenings provided a unique perspective and connection with nature. When a roost was found, it was hugely rewarding and big lift for the survey! Not alone would we have harriers to watch during winter evenings, but it would be a giant step towards protecting that site and yet another piece in the jigsaw, bringing us a bit closer to a fuller understanding of their non-breeding ecology. I was one of hundreds of contributors to this study, which is still going strong after 17 seasons. During this time, numerous roosts have been made known to National Parks & Wildlife Service and a clear picture has emerged as to the species’ ecology and conservation requirements. Urgent attention is now needed in terms of translating this knowledge into policy to help a declining national population during this crucial period which accounts for two thirds of its annual lifecycle!
The Findings
Through a massive effort involving thousands of hours of coordinated surveys and thousands of records, great insight has been gained on Hen Harriers during the non-breeding period. More than 200 roosts have been discovered all across the island. Almost half of the roosts are in ‘upland’ locations, which is interesting because of the general assumption that Hen Harriers simply disperse to lowland/coastal areas in winter. More than half of the roosts are communal i.e. occupied by multiple birds on consecutive nights. The maximum number of Hen Harriers recorded at a communal roost on the one evening was 16! Reliably counting multiple harriers at roost takes experience and skill, given the harriers will often drop to roost and rise again, meaning inexperienced surveyors might ‘double-count’ individual birds. Mostly, roosts hold about 1-3 Hen Harriers. It is important to consider that many of these roosts are not just important habitats for Hen Harriers, but for a range of species including Short-eared Owls, Merlin, Kestrel and Barn Owl.
Data provided from satellite tracked birds has identified new roost sites. A number of new roosts have also been located from tagged young birds dispersing from Britain, with two or three tagged Hen Harriers visiting and wintering in Ireland from Britain. These birds set up core wintering ranges around clusters of regularly used roost sites for several months between November to March. Some individuals have returned to winter in Ireland in consecutive years, finding their way to the exact same patch of bog as the previous year! The sat-tagged British birds often head back over the Irish Channel before the breeding season to their natal regions, or occasionally find new areas to attempt to breed. Similarly, Irish born birds have previously been recorded by Barry O’Donoghue to travel to Britain. Clearly, our Hen Harrier meta-population deserves more linked up conservation efforts between agencies and eNGOs in Ireland and Britain.
One of the most striking findings of the research has been that over the 17 years so far, almost a third (31%) of roost sites have been lost. Pressures and threats include the disturbance/removal of roosts (e.g. through burning and wind farm development) and changes to the surrounding landscape (e.g. agricultural intensification and afforestation with conifers). In a number of cases, roosts have been planted with forestry, even when these locations were made known to Forest Service. As things stand, there is effectively little by way of protecting hen harrier outside the breeding season. A recent Bird Study publication arising from the IHHWS provides some positive and appropriate recommendations by supporting landowners to maintain roost habitats and improve habitat quality and prey availability in the areas surrounding roosts. This in turn could help farm income and boost wider biodiversity in the countryside.
“One of the most striking findings of the research has been that over the 17 years so far, almost a third (31%) of roost sites have been lost”
What now?
The IHHWS provides a solid platform on which to base necessary conservation action for hen harriers in Ireland. A holistic approach to conserving the hen harrier is now possible. One cannot protect a species by looking only at a quarter of its lifecycle or dependencies. It is known that the national Hen Harrier population is suffering from poor over-winter survival. Now that we know where Hen Harriers are, what they need and what threats and pressures they face throughout the year, measures can be put in place to address these.
Furthermore, it has been inspiring to watch a whole new generation of people getting to survey and know more about Hen Harriers, building their skillsets while simultaneously contributing to one of Ireland’s largest ecological studies. I, myself am also grateful to the hard work of all these individuals, as I analyse in detail, the data that this long-running study has generated. Ultimately, it is hoped that all of this can help save the species here in Ireland.
Further information
A review of the Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey published in Bird Study can be found here (this link is to be added soon)
The website of the Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey is www.ihhws.ie Ryan Wilson-Parr is Honorary Secretary of the Irish Raptor Study Group and PhD candidate studying with Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). The research aims to investigate the wintering ecology of Hen Harrier and ascertain the seasonally and biogeographically disparate ecological requirements of Hen Harrier in Ireland and the implications for progressing an effective conservation strategy for the recovery of this declining species.
Please help PROJECT CamTag by donating to our JustGiving campaign here
The Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey is one of Ireland’s longest running ecological studies. Ryan Wilson-Parr, provides here an overview, not only providing high-quality information to help protect the species, but also inspiring and giving opportunity to a whole new generation of harrier-philes and conservation scientists.
Ryan is currently undertaking his PhD on Hen Harriers at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.
Thank you to Ryan for supplying this, my first guest blog, please take time to comment or ask any questions to Ryan who is happy to respond on this blog.
The Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey (IHHWS) was established in 2004 to explore what was until then a relative mystery; what do Hen Harriers do outside of the breeding season?
A new venture
When I came to Ireland in September 2009, one of my first hopes was to get involved in Hen Harrier monitoring and conservation on the island. I had completed my Master’s on Hen Harriers in Scotland and was keen to get involved! One name synonymous with Hen Harriers is Barry O’Donoghue. I made contact with Barry and immediately realised that this was a person who, from a very young age had been dedicating his life to these birds and the conservation of their landscape. Barry was very supportive and facilitating and I soon began to check out a few suitable spots in my new home county of Sligo and contribute to the Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey which he co-ordinated in his own time. This brought me to some of the quietest and most remote parts of Ireland, watching over bogs and reedbeds at dusk in winter. For much of the time, it was a case of trying to find new roosts. Even in the worst of elements, those winter mornings and evenings provided a unique perspective and connection with nature. When a roost was found, it was hugely rewarding and big lift for the survey! Not alone would we have harriers to watch during winter evenings, but it would be a giant step towards protecting that site and yet another piece in the jigsaw, bringing us a bit closer to a fuller understanding of their non-breeding ecology. I was one of hundreds of contributors to this study, which is still going strong after 17 seasons. During this time, numerous roosts have been made known to National Parks & Wildlife Service and a clear picture has emerged as to the species’ ecology and conservation requirements. Urgent attention is now needed in terms of translating this knowledge into policy to help a declining national population during this crucial period which accounts for two thirds of its annual lifecycle!
The Findings
Through a massive effort involving thousands of hours of coordinated surveys and thousands of records, great insight has been gained on Hen Harriers during the non-breeding period. More than 200 roosts have been discovered all across the island. Almost half of the roosts are in ‘upland’ locations, which is interesting because of the general assumption that Hen Harriers simply disperse to lowland/coastal areas in winter. More than half of the roosts are communal i.e. occupied by multiple birds on consecutive nights. The maximum number of Hen Harriers recorded at a communal roost on the one evening was 16! Reliably counting multiple harriers at roost takes experience and skill, given the harriers will often drop to roost and rise again, meaning inexperienced surveyors might ‘double-count’ individual birds. Mostly, roosts hold about 1-3 Hen Harriers. It is important to consider that many of these roosts are not just important habitats for Hen Harriers, but for a range of species including Short-eared Owls, Merlin, Kestrel and Barn Owl.
Data provided from satellite tracked birds has identified new roost sites. A number of new roosts have also been located from tagged young birds dispersing from Britain, with two or three tagged Hen Harriers visiting and wintering in Ireland from Britain. These birds set up core wintering ranges around clusters of regularly used roost sites for several months between November to March. Some individuals have returned to winter in Ireland in consecutive years, finding their way to the exact same patch of bog as the previous year! The sat-tagged British birds often head back over the Irish Channel before the breeding season to their natal regions, or occasionally find new areas to attempt to breed. Similarly, Irish born birds have previously been recorded by Barry O’Donoghue to travel to Britain. Clearly, our Hen Harrier meta-population deserves more linked up conservation efforts between agencies and eNGOs in Ireland and Britain.
One of the most striking findings of the research has been that over the 17 years so far, almost a third (31%) of roost sites have been lost. Pressures and threats include the disturbance/removal of roosts (e.g. through burning and wind farm development) and changes to the surrounding landscape (e.g. agricultural intensification and afforestation with conifers). In a number of cases, roosts have been planted with forestry, even when these locations were made known to Forest Service. As things stand, there is effectively little by way of protecting hen harrier outside the breeding season. A recent Bird Study publication arising from the IHHWS provides some positive and appropriate recommendations by supporting landowners to maintain roost habitats and improve habitat quality and prey availability in the areas surrounding roosts. This in turn could help farm income and boost wider biodiversity in the countryside.
“One of the most striking findings of the research has been that over the 17 years so far, almost a third (31%) of roost sites have been lost”
What now?
The IHHWS provides a solid platform on which to base necessary conservation action for hen harriers in Ireland. A holistic approach to conserving the hen harrier is now possible. One cannot protect a species by looking only at a quarter of its lifecycle or dependencies. It is known that the national Hen Harrier population is suffering from poor over-winter survival. Now that we know where Hen Harriers are, what they need and what threats and pressures they face throughout the year, measures can be put in place to address these.
Furthermore, it has been inspiring to watch a whole new generation of people getting to survey and know more about Hen Harriers, building their skillsets while simultaneously contributing to one of Ireland’s largest ecological studies. I, myself am also grateful to the hard work of all these individuals, as I analyse in detail, the data that this long-running study has generated. Ultimately, it is hoped that all of this can help save the species here in Ireland.
Further information
A review of the Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey published in Bird Study can be found here (this link is to be added soon)
The website of the Irish Hen Harrier Winter Survey is www.ihhws.ie Ryan Wilson-Parr is Honorary Secretary of the Irish Raptor Study Group and PhD candidate studying with Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). The research aims to investigate the wintering ecology of Hen Harrier and ascertain the seasonally and biogeographically disparate ecological requirements of Hen Harrier in Ireland and the implications for progressing an effective conservation strategy for the recovery of this declining species.
Please help PROJECT CamTag by donating to our JustGiving campaign here
PROJECT CAMTAG 