Northern England Raptor Forum Annual Review 2019 1 Acknowledgements The production of this, the eleventh Northern England Raptor Forum Annual Review, is the result of the collaborative efforts by the members of each of the constituent NERF Groups who have kindly shared their data with the Forum. We would like to express our thanks to all the individuals who allowed us to use their photographs, and to Mark Eaton and the RBBP for allowing data in press to be used in advance of publication. Wilf Norman again proof-read the Review and made many helpful suggestions. Northern England Raptor Forum Steve Downing, Chairman David Raw, Secretary Steve Davies, Treasurer Judith Smith , Editor Members Bowland Raptor Study Group Calderdale Raptor Study Group Cheshire Raptor Study Group Durham Upland Bird Study Group Friends of Red Kites Manchester Raptor Group Northumbria Ringing Group North York Moors Upland Bird (Merlin) Study Group Peak District Raptor Monitoring Group South Peak Raptor Study Group General enquiries should be made to: Northern England Raptor Forum, c/o 25 Pinewood Crescent, Heighington, Co Durham, DL5 6RR Website: www.raptorforum.co.uk The Northern England Raptor Forum is supported by: Northern England Raptor Forum - working in partnership with Operation Owl This Report should be referenced as: Smith, A.J., Norman, W. & NERF et al. 2020. © 2020 Northern England Raptor Forum [NERF]. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, without permission from NERF. 2 The views expressed in the NERF 2019 Annual Review are not necessarily those of NERF. Northern England Raptor Forum Annual Review 2019 3 Contents Acknowledgements 2 Useful telephone numbers 5 Foreword 6 Chairman’s Report 7 Secretary’s Report 14 Geographical coverage 17 NERF 2019 Annual Review 18 Species monitoring 18 Persecution and Black Hole species 20 Summary 21 Combined statistics 22 Species Reports Editor’s Note 23 Buzzard, Common Buteo buteo 57 Goshawk, Northern Accipiter gentilis 34 Harrier, Hen Circus cyaneus 44 Harrier, Marsh Circus aeruginosus 39 Hobby Falco subbuteo 94 Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus 28 Kestrel, Common Falco tinnunculus 84 Kite, Red Milvus milvus 50 Merlin Falco columbarius 88 Osprey Pandion haliaetus 24 Owl, Barn Tyto alba 61 Owl, Eurasian Eagle Bubo bubo 65 Owl, Little Athene noctua 72 Owl, Long-eared Asio otus 75 Owl, Short-eared Asio flammeus 79 Owl, Tawny Strix aluco 68 Peregrine Falco peregrinus 99 Raven, Common Corvus corax 105 Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Accipiter nisus 31 Summary of Raptor Monitoring in Shropshire 111 Summary of Raptor Monitoring in the Washburn Valley 114 Rarer species monitored by NERF in 2019 117 Appendices 1. Combined NERF monitoring data 119 2. Combined productivity graphs 120 3. Ring recoveries 122 NERF Group contacts 127 Photographs: Front cover – Barn Owls at the eclipse of the moon, January 21st 2019 (Gordon Yates) All other photographs - Acknowledgements are given with the photo. 4 Useful telephone numbers If you discover a wildlife crime please report the details to the Police, obtain an incident number and ask that, in addition to sending an Officer to the scene, the report is brought to the attention of the Force Wildlife Crime Officer. If the incident is a ‘crime in progress’ dial 999. The national non-emergency telephone number is 101 and Crimestoppers 0800 555111 Cheshire Constabulary 0845 458 0000 Cleveland Police 01642 326326 Cumbria Constabulary 0845 330 0247 Derbyshire Constabulary 0345 123 3333 Durham Constabulary 0345 606 0365 Greater Manchester Police 0161 872 5050 (General Enquiries). Humberside Police 0845 125 3545 Lancashire Constabulary 0845 125 3545 Northumbria Police 0345 604 3043 North Yorkshire Police 0845 606 0247 South Yorkshire Police 0114 220 2020 West Yorkshire Police 0845 606 0606 RSPB: Investigations Dept. 01767 680551. Investigations Officer (Howard Jones) 07834534142. Hen Harrier sightings: RSPB hotline 0845 4600121 or [email protected] Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (Natural England) 0800 321600 CEH Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme 01524 595830 WARNING: dealing with raptors which might have been poisoned Some poisons are exceptionally toxic and can be absorbed directly through the skin. Raptor Workers finding a raptor suspected to have been poisoned, should exercise extreme caution before handling a carcass. Butyl gloves offer some protection and may be used. Note: The current Natural England practice is to wear two pairs. However standard, thin, household gloves are not effective against many of the poisons found and should not be used. If the carcass is recovered it should be dropped into a bin liner. This bin liner should be placed inside a second with the butyl gloves dropped into the space between the 2 bags. The bags should then be securely tied. In every event it is advisable to wash or sterilise hands immediately after contact with a dead animal and in all cases before eating or smoking. It is essential that all suspected poisoning incidents are reported to the local Police and that an incident number is obtained. The cause of death will be determined by either the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme [PBMS], telephone 01524 595830. Email [email protected] or the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme [WIIS] telephone 0800 321600. The information should also be passed on to the RSPB Investigations Team telephone 01767 680551 or email [email protected]. For confidential reports of raptor persecution call 0300 999 0101. Sick or injured birds can be reported to the RSPCA, telephone 0300 1234 999 All information and telephone numbers correct at September 2019. For Local Police ‘Dial 101’ and ask to speak urgently to a Wildlife Crime Officer - please also ask for a wildlife incident number. Thanks to Yorkshire Red Kites who compiled the original version of the above warning. 5 Foreword Liz Ballard, Chief Executive, Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust I feel very privileged to have been asked to write this year’s Foreword for the 2019 NERF Annual Review. Of course, I am writing this in the autumn of 2020, as we look back to a spring and summer in lockdown and forward to a possible second peak of Covid 19. But if nothing else, this strange year has reminded many of us of the beauty and wonder of the natural world, the joy it gives us and how reliant and interconnected we are with it. And birds of prey are very much part of that story, often bringing ‘awe and wonder’ to those fortunate enough to see them overhead. Often people have their favourite bird of prey - mine is the Goshawk. Usually this favouritism goes back to some memory, some experience of first ‘meeting’ such a bird, or having some incredible and unexpected insight into their private world. A moment when we become part of their world rather than them being part of ours. And the work of the raptor monitoring groups gives us more insight in to their private world. The data and stories that are collated together here in this report provide a brief glimpse in to the lives of our northern raptors: where they nest, where they hunt, how well they breed, how their offspring have survived and inevitably how they die. This monitoring, often involving hours of dedication in remote and wild locations, is so vital to improve our understanding of these birds and how we impact on their long-term survival – no, not just their survival – but their ability to thrive. Inevitably this leads me to refer to the darker stories that these data tells. The loss of birds, not to natural causes, but to habitat loss, intensive management, poisoning, trapping, shooting, egg theft and disturbance. Using monitoring data and satellite tag analysis, Murgatroyd et al. in Nature Communication, (http://go.nature.com/2JuoRfo) found that 72% of 58 tagged hen harriers in the study were confirmed or thought likely to have been killed illegally. This shows how critical monitoring is to help us understand what is happening in our natural world and what we need to do to reverse these declines. So now is the time to turn this data around. It’s time to consign illegal wildlife persecution to the past, alongside slavery and no votes for women. We need everyone: police, the public, gamekeepers, conservationists, estates and…you…. to stand up for these birds with better, tighter legislation, stronger penalties and zero tolerance for law breakers. And, if grouse shooting continues to be part of that picture, then license it or ban it. But let’s just get on with it. Look at the data and protect these special birds. 6 Chairman’s Report: September 2019 - September 2020 Welcome to the eleventh Northern England Raptor Forum’s Annual Review. The previous 10 Annual Reviews have all been printed and provided in the traditional hard copy format. I am sure that those of you who are fortunate to possess one, more or perhaps all of the Annual Reviews from 2009 to 2018 will agree with me that they were superbly produced and informative documents containing very valuable datasets. All of the previous reports are available on line and can be accessed by visiting raptorforum.wordpress.com The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many, unpredictable ways and on behalf of the NERF family I would like to express our condolences to our supporters who have lost loved ones during these very difficult times. One consequence of Covid-19 is that the NERF Management Team, in consultation with the South Peak and Dark Peak Raptor Study Groups, decided that because many of our members and supporters are in the ‘at risk’ demographic it would be irresponsible to increase their health risks if we were to hold our traditional annual conference in November. The NERF Conference is not just about listening to excellent presentations it is an opportunity to meet our peers to discuss matters of common interest face to face; something that would have been impossible whilst complying with the current physical distancing guidelines.