First off, the stonking shot of the male Hen Harrier above is by Andy Hay/RSPB/PA Wire and very nice it is too.
Next, here's the latest gloomy reading on the Press Association wires about Hen Harriers outside of the Forest of Bowland - seems like the story of persecution just won't go away......
HEN HARRIERS SHOW NO SIGN OF RECOVERY
By Emily Beament, PA Environment Correspondent
Hen harrier numbers are showing no signs of recovery in England, conservationists warned today.
There were just a handful of successful nests again this year, despite estimates by the RSPB that the country's uplands could support at least 200 breeding pairs of England's most threatened bird of prey.
A monitoring programme by the RSPB and Natural England found there were just 10 nests where the chicks were successfully reared, out of 19 attempts.
Last year the figure was 14 successes from 23 attempts, and the number of successful nests in England has not exceeded 15 in any year since 1994.
The RSPB believes the numbers of the bird of prey remain low because of illegal killing by grouse moor managers to stop them preying on young grouse.
The charity's director of conservation Mark Avery said: "There is no natural reason why hen harrier numbers are so low.
"If there is no illegal killing, as some grouse-shooting interests would have us believe, then where are the missing birds?"
He added: "This year's numbers are a huge disappointment given the good track record of lowland land managers in helping to conserve iconic birds of prey like the red kite."
The majority of the successful breeding attempts were in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire, which is managed in a partnership with shooting interests, landowners and managers.
The hen harriers' stronghold saw a total of 25 birds fledging successfully - with 10 successful nests on land managed by United Utilities and one on surrounding grouse moors.
There were five attempts at nesting in the north of England, with two successful nests and six chicks fledging. Five of the chicks fledged from a single nest in Northumberland.
Sir Martin Doughty of Natural England said the Bowland site was a snap shot of what should be happening nationally.
"Small populations of species can be highly vulnerable to chance events and we cannot literally have all our eggs in one basket.
"If we lose the hen harrier in Bowland, we could lose it in England. We must have a much larger and widespread population of this fantastic upland bird."
This year, no harriers bred successfully on large areas of ideal habitat managed on grouse moors in the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, with a breeding attempt failing in the Peak District after the disappearance of two female birds.
The RSPB is challenging upland landowners in England to help increase hen harrier numbers to 40 breeding pairs by 2010, with half of those on grouse moors.
The hen harrier became extinct in the UK in Victorian times and recolonised Scotland - where there are now 630 breeding pairs - in the interwar years.
They only began to come back in England in the 1970s and numbers remain extremely low.
Enjoy them while you can.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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11.09.08: Wild Pink Feet at Marshside today - 4 adults and 6 juvs.
What a damn shame and saddening news in the modern age regarding one of our most beautiful and fantastic birds.
Whatever people may say about United Utilities regarding prices etc, they are doing an amazing job in Bowland.
Long may it continue.
Flushed Wryneck from inside Sandplant Compound (southern edge), flew across Marshside One to Hesketh Golf Course at 1.40pm.
Marshside: Osprey over Sandgrounders Hide, heading towards Churchtown.
3 juv Little Stint on Birkdale beach, about 300 yards out from the boardwalk this evening. With Dunlin and Ringed Plover.
Hen Harriers: interesting to compare the situation in Ireland, both North and South. The moorland habitat is essentially similar to that in England, but there are no intensively-managed moorland 'shoots', and Red Grouse are quite thinly distributed. The Hen Harrier population is robust, and increasing in several regions.