Hen harriers (stuffed and mounted) came under spotlight at specialist taxidermy auction in Yorkshire

 

The female hen harrier - how this bird came to be in the hands of a taxidermist is not known

                                                            

IN the run-up to Hen Harrier Day (today, August 10), an  adult female, was one of the main attractions at a specialist taxidermy auction in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on Wednesday.

The pre-sale estimate of  auctioneers Tennants was that it would fetch between £350 and £450.

But the hammer only fell when the bidding had reached £500.

The taxidermist was John Burton of Ebrington in Gloucester.

Later in the same sale, there was less interest in another Lot - a pair of birds believed to have been stuffed and mounted in 1953 by Thomas Salkeld of  Over Kellet, near Carnforth in Lancashire.

The pre-sale guide price was £250-£350, but the price achieved was a more modest £180.

Both Lots were trumped by the Montagu's Harrier - the work of William Hart of Christchurch in Dorset.

The hammer price of £800  easily surpassed the pre-sale estimate of between £350 and £450.

A pair of the birds - reflecting their plumage condition, the hammer price was not as high as expected

One of the 'stars' of the sale - the male Montagu's harrier

The Wryneck says: How depressing! Such a sad end for these once-vibrant birds. By what route do hen harriers, highly protected raptors,  reach the workshops of taxidermists? One likes to think it is legal, but is it? Regrettably, it seems there is an after-market for dead specimens of these once majestic 'sky-dancers'.