It’s odd for any conservation organisation to oppose government plans to increase hen harrier numbers (RSPB fights officials over hen harriers, Dec 7). Some may feel the RSPB is being hypocritical for objecting to a technique they use themselves on other species including corncrakes, cirl buntings and spoon-billed sandpipers. We don’t know if the concept of removing eggs from the wild, hatching them in captivity and releasing them back into the wild, a few months later, will work for hen harriers, but since it has been successful for other species for over 40 years, it’s not unsurprising that Natural England would like to find out.
Andrew Gilruth
Director of Communications
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