Shooting Times & Country – 21 August 2019

Record hen harrier fl edges

Golden eagle in trap mystery

Ithasbeena recordbreeding
yearforEngland’shen
harriers,with 47 chicks
fledgedfromnestsacross
thecountry.Elevenofthe 15
successfulnestswereonland
managedforgrouseshooting,
emphasisingyetagainthe
importanceofgrouse moors
tohenharriers.
Thetotalbeattheprevious
record,setin2006,bya
singlechick.Thesuccess
ofthisseasonnowmeans
that,despitetheBeastfrom
theEastandthisyear’swet
spring,thetotalnumberof
chicksfledgedinthepasttwo
yearsis greaterthanwere
fledgedinthepreviousfi ve
yearsputtogether.
Thebirdsalsobred
ina widervarietyofareas,
withsuccessfulnestsin
Northumberland,Yorkshire,
LancashireandDerbyshire.
DrAdamSmithofthe
GWCT said: “More hen

harriersbetterdistributed

hasbeenourconservation

goalformanyyears.

“Sothetrendtoward

moreharriersbreeding

successfullyintheEnglish

uplands over the past two

yearsis veryencouraging.

Wehopesuccessful

grousemoorsmanaginga

co-existencewithharriers

willbecomea regular

partofourmoorland

management scene.”

Gamekeepersfromestates
inGrampianhavejoinedthe
huntfora goldeneaglethat
appearstohavetrapattached
toitsleg.Thebirdwas
photographedbya tourist
with what appeared to be

a Fennorspringtype trap

onitsleftleg.

Thephotographwas

passedtothepolicewho

appealedforinformation.

Thepicturewastakennear

Crathie, which is on the

borderofHMTheQueen’s
BalmoralestateonDeeside.
Thepoorresolutionofthe
pictureandtheverylong
rangeatwhichit wastaken
makethedetailsunclear.
Thishasledsomepeople
tosuggestthatthebirdwas
carryingthetrapinitstalons,
presumablywiththeintention
ofeatingitscontentsrather
thanhavingbeencaughtbyit.
However,keentoresolve
theissue, 15 gamekeepers
fromestatesinthearea
tooktothemountains
tosearchforthemissing
eagle.PoliceScotlandhave
askedforanyonewhohas
informationaboutthebird
tocontactthem.Sergeant
KimWoodsaid:“Enquiries
areongoinginconjunction
withourpartneragencies
includingtheRSPB.Wewould
encourageanyonewhohas
informationthatcouldhelp
tolocatethiseagletocontact
The bird in this image appears to have a trap attached to its leg the police on 101.”

Hen harriers have thrived on managed grouse moors this season

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE • 7

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To do this week

FISHING

Trya hopper.

Hoppersare

fliesthatimitatethelong-legged

insectswhichaboundinthelate

summer.Fisheddryorwetnearthe

surfaceona summerevening,theycan

bedeadlyforbrownandrainbowtrout.

Hoppershavea reputationforpulling

troutupfromthedeeps,soyoudon’t

needtowaitfor rising fi sh before trying

them out.

SHOOT

Phoneround

thebeaters.

Withthepartridgeseasonfast

approachingandpheasantsonlya few

weeksfurtheroff,it is timetorallythe

troops.Aneveningspentringinground

willletyoucheckwhowillbeavailable

tobeatandpick-upthisseason.This

informationwillhelptoavoidany nasty

surprises at the last minute.

Weekend Twitter poll

62%Notyetsadly

14%Walked-up

8%Ye s ,d r ive n

15%Driven and walked-up

Have you ever shot grouse?

follow us @shootingtimes Respondents: 197

Thepartridgeandpheasantseasonsare

imminent so contact your beating team