Anthony Morton said:I know you'll correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the IoM, which covers around 366,000 acres, currently has some 49 Hen Harrier nest sites.
When the 'de-keepering and back to nature' experiment on the 25,000 acre Langholm Moor began in 1992 there were just 2 Hen Harrier nest sites. this increased rapidly and had reached 28 nest sites in 1997, resulting in 154 Hen Harriers working the area.
Yet by 2004 this number had declined rapidly with only two pairs remaining on the moor, of which only one bred successfully.
Sources -
http://www.bloodybusiness.com/news/...s_articles/claws_out_on_a_silent_moorland.htm
http://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/langholm.htm
N.B. - I do not shoot (not even clay pigeons!) and have no interest in it whatsoever. However, I believe these items do make interesting reading.
I've actually been to Langholm this year and I saw most of the species that some people suggest are absent, including Curlew, Wheatear, Skylark, Meadow Pipits and even (gasp) RED GROUSE! This was despite the fact that several raptor species were present.
No doubt some people reading this forum will be pleased to hear that the Harrier nests failed this year due to 'mysterious' circumstances.