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Message: <blockquote data-quote="terry pickford" data-source="post: 1564342" data-attributes="member: 53816"><p>There has never been any suggestion that gamekeepers were involved in the failure and deaths of the 3 hen harrier chicks or the loss of both adult birds on estates in Bowland owned by United Utilities Plc this year. It is however par for the course that a number of individuals,  for what ever reason, protecting their jobs or concerned at the bad publicity, choose to dismiss the truth. In the past in Bowland there have been several instances where young peregrines of several weeks old, including nests on UU property, have been found dead with full crops indicating the birds were entirley healthy post death. In all instances the adult birds had disappeared in just the same way as this year at the hen harrier nest. In the hen harrier case in my opinion,  it is no coincidence both adult hen harriers were never seen after the remains of the chicks had been found. There is consensus among amatuer raptor workers, who's voiced concernes do not count, that after one or both adult birds had disappeared, the chicks in the nest were left to starve and die of hypathermia. At this point it is predictable other predators such as stoats or weasals would visit the nest removing two chicks and then eating the carcas. It is also our view that one if not both adult birds tending the nest were shot. Breeding raptors do not desert a nest containing healthy young, unless forced to do so.</p></blockquote><p></p>

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