Meadows in Roeburndale

It may sound obvious but 100 years ago Britain’s countryside was a very different place.
Back then it would have been awash with colourful flower-rich meadows and grasslands that were an intrinsic part of our agriculture and people’s daily lives.
The scale of the decline is breath-taking

Fast forward to today and over 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s, that’s a startling 7.5 million acres (3 million hectares). Species-rich grassland now only covers a mere 1% of the UK’s land area.
And what remains is mostly scattered fragments of just a few acres and vulnerable to disappearing under the plough. The seriousness and causes of the decline has been outlined in a report by the charity Plantlife.
According to the charity’s botanical specialist, Dr Trevor Dines, all that remain are just 26,000 acres (10,500 hectares) of lowland wildflower meadow and 2,223 acres (900 hectares) of upland hay meadow in the UK.
“The scale of the decline is breath-taking,” he says.
This loss of meadows and species-rich grasslands is without parallel in the history of nature conservation in the UK according to Save Our Magnificent Meadows, a partnership project led by the charity Plantlife to promote and protect our vanishing meadows.
They also say that in the UK, more priority species for conservation are associated with grasslands than with any other habitat type.
So to celebrate these now very rare and special spaces and to raise awareness of their striking decline, the first ever National Meadows Day is being held on Saturday 4 July.

Hen Harriers

Desperate days as 5th male hen harrier ‘disappears’

By raptorpersecutionscotland 11 Comments

Categories: 2015 persecution incidents, News and Persecution Incidents in England
Tags: hen harrier

Another male hen harrier has ‘disappeared’ from an active nest – the 5th this year.

Three males vanished from nesting territories in Bowland in late April/early May (see here).

Another male vanished from its nesting territory on Geltsdale last week (see here).

And now the 5th – last seen on the United Utilities Estate in Bowland on 29th May (see here).

Is it shocking news? Yes, but not because we didn’t expect it. It’s shocking because the persecution of this species is so, so brazen.

It should now be clear (as if it hasn’t been for decades) that the people responsible, and the grouse-shooting industry that shields them, need to be brought to their knees.

We can all do that.

We must do that.

We will find a way to do that.

Henry in Bowland 2

Courtesy of Mark Avery's blog

Henry is pining for a ringtail. He’d heard that the Forest of Bowland was his best chance for a hot date.  ‘this one looks rather cute’ Henry told me. ‘I’m sure you’re right, Henry’, I said ‘They all look much the same to me’. Henry gave me a bit of a glare, I thought.
He came across these interesting figures in John Armitage’s blog which show that it is the United Utilities land where Hen Harriers have most often nested successfully in Bowland in the period 1981-2005 in this area. Two thirds of successful nests were on the UU land and the other third on the three sporting estates of Abbeystead, Bleasdale and Clapham.
Natural England’s excellent report (before they were muzzled, castrated and chained up), A Future for Hen Harriers in England? shows that Hen Harrier nesting success was far higher on one side of the Bowland fence, the United Utilities’ side of the fence, than it was on the other side, the grouse moor side. Isn’t nature remarkable? How can such big differences, 65 pairs raising an average of 1.96 chicks/breeding attempt on UU land, compared with a mere 18 breeding attempts, producing an average of 1.22 chicks/breeding attempt on the grouse moor side of the fence, have come to pass in the period 2002-2008?
I told Henry to be careful.
#HaveYouSeenHenry?

Missing Hen Harriers on Forest of Bowland

Three male hen harriers disappeared form this area. The RSPB are offering a reward for information:

http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/channel/newsitem.asp?c=11&cate=__15936

Trees on the farm

Photo Courtesy of Alan Charlton

Photo Courtesy of Alan Charlton

Photo Courtesy of Alan Charlton

Photo Courtesy of Alan Charlton

Photo Courtesy of Alan Charlton

Photo Courtesy of Alan Charlton

Photo Courtesy of Alan Charlton

Barn Owl Box

                                  We're hoping to attract a pair of barn owls to a new home

Photo courtesy of Anand Prasad

Rod's design is taking shape...

Nick's climbing skills are needed

.. the box is heavy

Now it's ready...hopefully an acceptable habitat ...watch this space!!

Walk up the "Open Access" tracks on the fells past the pine sheep shelter

Our sheep love the shelter beneath the pines at the cattle grid on Roeburndale West road .The open access of the fell goes from the gate at the cattle grid opposite the farm entrance all the way up to the top which gives almost 360 degrees view of Lakes and Dales.

The open access gate to the fell.