I’ve just spent the day checking part of the estate for harriers, and also ring ouzels (also a bit of a passion of mine). From home I could see that the hills were shrouded with low cloud, but the forecast was for a significant improvement (fool that I am, I believed them!).
At the car park, packing my rucksack, I realised that I’d not brought anything to drink (more fool!). So it was off to the local shop to buy something, only to discover that I had just 80p to my name. Asking the shop owner how much a particular drink was, his reply being, “90p”, I groaned loudly and asked if he had anything for 80p or less. Amazingly, he said that I could take my chosen drink for that amount! My faith restored in human kindness, off I went.
In the intervening time, the cloud had lifted and the sun was making tentative signs of breaking through. More joy, the forecast was accurate! I might actually see something.
Once up onto the fells, a male harrier soon made an appearance, carrying food to its mate. However, the female wasn’t cooperating, and the male circled around for a few minutes looking for her, before disappearing from view. He soon returned, accompanied by the female, and they slowly circled around, climbing higher and higher together. Magic.
The harrier activity I reported on last time seems to have settled down a little bit in the last few days, and this may be coincidence, but we have also located two further nests, taking the total to seven confirmed nesting attempts.
This is really pleasing, as this equals last years number of nests. And I’m still hopeful for one, or possibly two, more nests. However, this is just half the story, as of course what actually fledges from the nests is more important than anything else. So we have some way to go yet.
For the last three years we have operated a harrier nest camera in partnership with Natural England, Lancashire County Council Countryside Service and United Utilities. Last year was a little fraught, as we didn’t have a suitable nest to use until quite late in the season. This year, however, the harriers have been a lot kinder to us, and have nested in a very convenient location. The task for tomorrow is to take the equipment that has been in storage over winter, up onto the fell and roughly lay it out ready for us going ’live’ in a three weeks time.
Sound easy, but believe me, carting this kind of gear across moorland is no easy job, even with an all terrain vehicle.