As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Wednesday 2 August 2017

Bird’s decade first nest attempt in the Dales



Published: 17:58 Tuesday 01 August 2017 Updated: 09:21 Wednesday 02 August 2017

It is believed to be the most intensively persecuted bird of prey in the UK, leaving it on the brink of extinction as a breeding species in England, and so a first attempt by hen harriers to nest in the Yorkshire Dales National Park has been hailed as a positive sign.

Despite their species’ struggles, several hen harriers lingered in the Cumbrian part of the park this spring and a male paired up with two females in a rare example of polygyny in the bird kingdom but a practice common in hen harrier breeding populations. They attempted to nest in the park, in what was the first such attempt by hen harriers in the Dales for ten years. While neither nesting attempt was successful, park chiefs spoke of their hopes for a more positive outlook for the species. One failure happened early in the season, the other midway through the incubation period. With no evidence of human interference, it is thought that both attempts failed because of predation by foxes.

David Butterworth, chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, which joined colleagues from Natural England in keeping watch over the birds, said: “The Authority is fully aware of all the issues surrounding hen harriers in the uplands, so it was really encouraging that the birds’ presence was welcomed by all stakeholders. “We hope that the enlightened attitude towards the presence of these birds is the start of a more positive outlook for this species, which will lead to the hen harrier returning as a regular breeding species within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.”

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