Happiness is a day in Derbyshire!

Last weekend saw the second Hen Harrier Day (HHD) take place.   Although there were several events around the Country, as last year I was drawn back to my home county of Derbyshire, this time to the Goyt Valley near Buxton.

Derbyshire hills, with vegetation burned off

Saturday evening was spent listening to Mark Avery, Mike Clarke (CEO RSPB), Finlay Wilde (brilliant young conservationist), Jeremy Deller (Conceptual artist) and Chris Packham (amongst others).   Speaking of the reasons why it is so important for our natural heritage to be restored and preserved, and how the blanket monoculture of grouse shooting is changing our landscape, each speaker brought a different perspective.

Mike Clarke talked of his early birding days in Kent, seeing hen harriers at Cliffe Pools and Capel Fleet Viewpoint - both places I regularly visit and where I have had the pleasure and delight of seeing the same species in the past - my last being a male at Capel Fleet three years ago.      

Finlay showed a "mash-up" - a film showing how he (and his Dad) built the large scale props for this year's HHD - a huge poison bottle, model rifle, gin trap and shooting butt - which was used as the lectern.    He brought great news - Ecotricity are going to sponsor some radio transmitters on hen harriers, adding to those already sponsored by LUSH (producers of some of the best smelling cosmetics ever).   You can purchase a Hen Harrier Bath Bomb in support (while stocks last!).

Jo Smith and team

Chris Packham rounded off the evening with a great speech, factual, emotional, passionate and considered - brilliant as always!

After an overload of emotion, it was time for us all to prepare ourselves for an outing in the Derbyshire hills - not before we had availed ourselves of a Famous Grouse, enjoyed in the foyer of the Palace Hotel!

Driving to this year's venue, huge expanses of moorland stretched in every direction, some covered in bracken and heather, others sadly burned as part of the "land management".   Travelling towards the Goyt Valley, brought back memories of family walks as a child, being dragged along by my parents, mum pointing out plants and insects, dad striding ahead and me moody that I couldn't stay at home with my friends!   How pleased I am that I had those walks now, although rather distant memories, so much of what I learned in those early years came back to me.

Mark Avery sorting out the seating arrangements (Lol)

A short walk from the Car Park to the meeting point could have taken around 10-15 minutes, an hour and a half later we had just arrived, with a few minutes to spare.   The journey was slow and thoroughly enjoyable - taking photographs of all sorts of things that I will probably never be able to fully identify.   People were offering advice and suggestions along the way - from "you'll never get there if you keep taking photos" to "thats Tachina grosso" - happy days, lots of lovely people willing to share.

The meeting itself was great, lots of supportive people who want to bring our uplands and moors back to a thriving biodiverse environment which has room for wildlife as well as people, and with that change from monoculture grouse production where all predators are culled to ensure that the maximum income comes from grouse shooting (particularly driven grouse shooting) will come a return of the Hen Harrier and other top end predators including buzzard, fox, stoat, weasel - even hare are being killed.

Chris Packham listens to Mark Avery

Great speeches from Mark Avery, Charlie Moores (BAWC), Jeff Knott (RSPB),  Jo Smith (Derbyshire Wildlife Trust), and Chris Packham.   A passion for wildlife ran through all their presentations, a desire to change our denudation of habitat and biodiversity back to a thriving community, and most of all a wish to make the area where we met into a safe place where hen harriers and other birds of prey would be breeding and thriving.  

Buoyed up by the stirring talk and the huge crowd it was soon, reluctantly time to leave and our walk back to the car park probably took even longer than before.   Again, helpful locals gave ID - Antler moth and Dark-green Fritillary to name but two.   Bilberry was fruiting well, harebells dipped their heads in the sunlight, ragwort, foxgloves and heather were all flowering well.   On the avian front a stonechat family kept in close contact with each other - the juvenile looking well fed and content, and just to add to our delight, as we neared the end of the walk, a peregrine soared overhead - hopefully one day we will see more than one bird of prey in a day walking in Derbyshire!

Thanks to everyone who organised and attended, and Pete for his entertaining company and whiskey!

More photos of the day can be seen here