Terry Pickford introduces Nick Miles (Jimmy King) from Emmerdale to Hen Harriers in the Forest of Bowland.

Hen Harriers breeding on the United Utilities Bowland estate this summer have produced a bumper crop fledgling 13 chicks in total from 3 nests, ( broods of 5, 4.and 4 males) . This remarkable outcome has resulted in one of the most successful breeding seasons for Hen Harriers inside the Forest of Bowland  for possibly a decade. At least 9 of these chicks have been fitted with satellite tags. The next 2 months will be crucial for the long term survival of all these fledged chicks. As many of these young Harriers migrate from their safe natal territories on the UU estate settling onto adjacent shooting estates in private ownership, their security based on the 2014 and 2015 seasons could be under threat. As witnessed in those two seasons the disappearance of 7 birds, which included two recently fledged chicks (Sky and Hope 2014)  both fitted with satellite tags on the UU estate, followed in 2015 by the loss of 5 adult breeding male Hen Harriers, 4 from Bowland and a single male from Geltsdale. All these 5 Harriers failed to return to their nests after flying off to forage and find food to feed their incubating female partners. The disappearances of each male then resulted in the failure of at least 25 eggs contained in the five nests which went cold after each nest was then deserted by the 5 females.

Information from the parts of the Scottish Highlands are telling us many pairs of Hen Harriers this year were made up of immature birds, both male and female. If this detail is correct this could point to the fact that adult mature birds of both sexes were very thin on the ground.

On the other hand information from Bob McMillan from Skye Birds reports more successful Hen Harrier nests this year on the inland than in previous seasons, with few if any failures after nest visits to examine and ring were curtailed.

The North West Raptor Protection Group are aware of two Peregrine nesting attempts made in the Forest of Bowland this year, both of which were established on moorland owned by United Utilities PLC. One of the two nests was successful fledging 4 young. Unfortunately the second nest contained an unknown number of eggs failed in early April after the clutch of eggs disappeared within just 14 days of being laid.

It is being reported there were two EO nesting attempts made on the United Utilities estates by different pairs located several miles apart. The first nest may have been abandoned after being visited and disturbed when containing eggs by two unidentified males at 06.30 in early April (eye witness report). We have not heard of a second breeding attempt for this pair, so perhaps we should be prepared to accept the worst.

The second pair where more successful managing to hatch and fledge at least 2 owlets.