9 hours ago
It is set to be a "very
poor" year for hen harriers, with only a handful of nest attempts so far,
the RSPB said.
The "persecuted" birds
are the focus of a government
plan to
increase their numbers across moorlands in England.
Raptor Persecution UK, a
conservation group, said the plan was not working and the RSPB should withdraw
support.
The action plan, launched in
January by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and
supported by organisations including the RSPB and the Moorland Association, was
set up to revive the bird's fortunes.
It followed the disappearance of
five male hen harriers from sites in Lancashire and Cumbria, in 2015, leading
to the collapse of nests.
The hen harriers' predation of
grouse has been a source of conflict on moors used for shooting, but there was
hope the diverse partners could come together and reverse the decline.
However, several incidents have
led some conservation groups to suggest that little has changed.
In April, a video emerged
apparently showing an armed man using a decoy bird to attract a hen harrier in
the Derbyshire Peak District.
In both incidents hen harriers
had been spotted in the area.
A spokeswoman for Raptor
Persecution UK said: "There has been clear evidence that illegal raptor
persecution is continuing.
"The RSPB should withdraw
its support of the Hen Harrier Action Plan and join the increasing call for a
ban on driven grouse shooting."
Martin Harper, the RSPB's
conservation director, said it was too "premature to change tack" and
hoped by the end of the season there might be progress.
