Hen harrier nest web cam and news of Hen Harrier Day

Now our Derby web cams are showing an empty nest, you can watch a new and exciting web cam trained on a hen harrier nest in SW Scotland, organised by Hen Harrier Action:

Tarras Valley Nature Reserve: Hen Harrier Nest-Cam☀️18/06/22 - YouTube

Currently the female has small chicks but as they grow, the action in the nest will increase.......
As you may know, hen harriers in the UK (and especially in England) are at a very low ebb, threatened by persistent and totally illegal persecution on driven grouse shooting moorland.

Chris Packham examines a hen harrier killed by an illegal leg trap

Read more about the 'disappearance' of two male hen harriers on the Derbyshire Peak District moors earlier this spring on the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's website:
Sudden disappearance of two male hen harriers in Peak District | Derbyshire Wildlife Trust .

And if you live in Cheshire or can travel there, Hen Harrier 'Fest' this year is near Macclesfield on 24th July:

Hen Harrier Fest 2022 - Wild Justice

This is the first 'real' Hen Harrier day since the excellent one at Carsington in Derbyshire in 2019 attended by over 1500 people with speakers including Iolo Williams and Chris Packham!

Iolo Williams at Carsington Hen Harrier Day 2019

A minibus is available to take anyone wanting to go to HHF. For details please contact us at peregrines@derbyshirewt.co.uk .

The Project Team
Ps There's a lovely nest cam on a pair of hobby's with small chicks in Dorset here:
Hobby (Falco subbuteo) LIVE nest camera, Dorset, UK, 2022 - YouTube 


 

Gaining skills and a Watch point report...

 FINAL WATCH POINT CANCELLED: (SATURDAY 18th June)

With much regret we have decided to cancel Saturdays final Watch Point due to heavy rain being forecast to move in during the morning. Our apologies if you were hoping to drop by and say 'hello' one last time. The birds will still be there, and we'll be there for our next breeding season in 2023. 

Watch Point report for Saturday 10th June by Helen:
We had great views of all three juveniles during today's watch point. One of the male birds (XL) and his sister (XK) could be seen together on the nave roof, and it was exciting to see the adult female fly in low overhead and drop prey down to them. The other male juvenile (XJ) seemed content to spend the morning resting on top of the tower. The adult male was also perched on one of the cameras at the side of the nest platform.
We were kept busy with lots of visitors, including some very enthusiastic children and their parents from a Wildlife Watch Group in Matlock Bath, who were keen to ask questions and find out more about the birds.

The three juveniles are gradually gaining hunting skills but it will be some time before they can fend for themselves.
They usually stay around the tower and Jurys Inn until August when they may begin to drift further away.
Next Watch Point is on Wednesday 15th June.
Please scroll down to the previous post for more information about the project (and how you can donate to support it).

Here are three more great photos of the juveniles taken today (11 June) by Dave Farmer ( gdfotos.co.uk ):

The Project Team