Scotland’s wildlife is amazing, but it's in crisis. We want to see greater protection for all nature and greater commitment to action on species recovery specifically, including for some of Scotland’s most iconic wildlife. In today’s blog James How, Senior Site Manager, tells us why he's picked Hen Harriers as his favourite Scottish species.
Why are Hen Harriers important to Scotland?
Because they are just fantastic – beautiful hunters of our moors and marshes – they are the Scottish wilderness personified. The blue grey males agile and feisty, bigger brown females graceful and tough. What more could we want from any species.
Tell us about a time you saw a Hen Harrier in real life/up close?
I am lucky enough to see Hen Harriers almost every day and often from my kitchen window, but I am always pleased and excited to see them.
Where do Hen Harriers usually live?
On Islay they breed on the heather moorland, often hunting over the farmland and marsh areas. In winter they use the same habitats to hunt over roosting often together at communal roosts in heather or reedbeds.
A male Hen Harrier gathering nesting material. Andy Hay
What do Hen Harriers need to survive/thrive?
Peace from persecution and protected wild habitats.
What’s a fun/surprising fact about Hen Harriers?
Hen Harriers are sexually dimorphic (males and females look different), but as juveniles they are all brown, however the males have a greyer eye colour than the females.
Can you tell us a short personal story about Hen Harriers?
I have monitored Hen Harriers breeding and wintering for 22 years. I often have to visit nest sites and occasionally ring young harriers. When I was learning to ring harrier chicks at their nest site I had walked into a nest way up on the moorland. There were 4 beautiful chicks at just the right age to ring, so I set up ready to ring the birds and take measurements. (Now at this point it is useful for you to know that firstly Hen Harriers can be very aggressive in their protection of their nests and secondly that I have a pony tail.) I was concentrating hard when I realised that the female from this nest was one of the aggressive ones. Before I could do anything else, I found myself eyeball to eyeball with the upside down female harrier- which had taken exception to my presence had come in to warn me off, grabbed my ponytail (maybe thought it was a rat), got its talons caught and there it hung face to face with me- just as confused as I was. We managed to untangle the bird and me with no harm to either, and over the next few weeks I was able to watch all the young fledge from that nest with the amazing mum.
Learn more about our #SaveScotSpecies campaign here, and pick your favourite species here. Don’t forget to send our digital postcard to your MSPs asking them to make species recovery a priority.
Main image: A female Hen Harrier on heather. Andy Hay