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| The RSPB has issued this photograph of its Geltsdale reserve |
THE RSPB's former conservation director, Mark Avery, has welcomed his former employer's decision to extend its Geltsdale reserve in Cumbria by purchasing adjacent land.
However, he has warned of increasing conflict ahead with the owners of neighbouring grouse shooting estates who resent the encouragement given by the charity to raptors such as Hen Harriers whose diet includes grouse chicks.
Says Dr Avery: "The RSPB is coy about how much money this has cost, how much land is involved and exactly where it is at Geltsdale.
"The elephant in the room is that of intensive grouse shooting.
"Geltsdale is not just a valley it is a series of hills and they border intensively managed grouse moors.
"I had conversations with a land manager with interests near Geltsdale and he left me in no doubt of what he thought about birds of prey and the RSPB.
"Be in no doubt, Geltsdale is on the front line when it comes to the conflict between intensive grouse shooting and nature conservation.
"The RSPB strengthening their land ownership and management options here is a very good thing.
"But nobody would expect that all grouse moors can be bought out (but that day might come when grouse bags fall low enough) - and persuading decision-makers to ban driven grouse shooting would be a decisive victory."
Geltsdale is a patchwork of blanket bog, heath, grassland, meadows, woodland and rolling hills - habitats that are home to a range of threatened species including Golden Plovers, Curlew, Ring Ouzel, Merlin and Short-eared Owl as well as Hen Harrier.
There are also hopes that Golden Eagles might be encouraged to breed just as they probably did in previous times before they were persecuted to extinction in England.
The RSPB is hoping to raise the money for its land purchase via a fund-raising appeal to members.
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| Spot the species - the RSPB likes to present Geltsdale as a 'North Pennines Paradise' |
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