Bless them. They just can’t help themselves

BBC’s Breakfastime programme ran a short item on Monday’s show, relating the experience of a jogger attacked by a buzzard during his morning run. The chap received a gashed head and in the process joined the ranks of an increasing number of those reporting similar incidents. On came an RSPB spokesman, who surprisingly rushed to the birds’ defence. Prompted by a sympathetic BBC interviewer, the attack on the runner was dismissed as an isolated incident, possibly occasioned by the proximity of buzzard chicks.
The RSPB man went on to tell viewers that after being the victim of relentless persecution the buzzard was now a huge success story. Now, in the interests of balance this might have been the point to mention the evidence that the resurgence in buzzard numbers has been accompanied by an increase in losses at lambing times, a diminution in the numbers of kestrel and evidence that the buzzard has negative impact on the now very rare grey partridge. But that’s not the sort of balance the BBC goes in for. Clearly feeling the point about persecution was not being hammered home enough and mindful of the approaching opening of the shooting season it was a case of cue fifteen or so seconds of stock footage of a hen harrier, accompanied by a voice over informing viewers that not all birds of prey are success stories and that the hen harrier continued to face persecution from grouse shooters. Oh dear.