Bowland raptors flourshing

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Hen harriers and peregrines are thriving in certain parts of Lancashire.

By Selena Masson, Shooting Times

Wednesday, 02 July 2008

According to experts, early indications of ongoing raptor monitoring show that numbers of threatened species in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, are at a record level.

Lancashire Police are delighted at yet another year of record success levels for breeding attempts of some of our sensitive species, particularly hen harriers and peregrine falcons, wildlife crime officer PC Duncan Thomas told Shooting Times.

Comparing this year's results with the 10 nesting pairs of hen harriers last year, he commented: "We have record numbers of peregrines and another similarly superb number of harrier sites. Every year we are finding more new sites, most being reported to us by gamekeepers and shooting tenants.

It remains our objective to create an atmosphere of co-operation with the people that manage these areas and to support them across the full range of rural issues. We can?t meet keepers every spring and talk just about harriers, they need our support on important issues such as poaching, fly-tipping, illegal off-roading and illegal fire starting. Also, we must not
forget that the quarry species themselves need protection from disturbance during the breeding season. It's frustrating that estates are often reluctant to publicise the many successes, but we understand that the last thing they need is hordes of well-meaning birdwatchers crawling all over the moor."

The rest of this article appears in 3 July issue of Shooting Times.