Peter Christian is a birdwatcher and photographer with a keen eye for detail. Here, he describes how he was lucky enough to capture an incredible photographic series of a hen harrier in pursuit of a meadow pipit, providing a rarely glimpsed view into lives of these extraordinary birds. All photographs are kindly reproduced with Peter's permission and remain his copyright.
As a keen birdwatcher and hobby photographer on the Isle of Man, it's thankfully not too uncommon to encounter Hen Harriers. On a walk on an upland track recently however, I witnessed something I've never seen before.
Initially distant in the valley below I spotted the unmistakable presence of a male Hen Harrier. A striking bird to say the least. What's more, it was hunting a Meadow Pipit - wow! They looked to be heading my way, so I grabbed the camera and tried to capture something of it.
I was surprised at the sheer agility and perseverance of the Harrier in its efforts to catch the Meadow Pipit. At one moment they were quite close to me but I found it almost impossible to focus the big telephoto lens on them.
As they climbed and dived moving farther away I persevered and got a burst of frames away.
I hoped these would at least capture something of this life and death pursuit.
As they disappeared further out of sight I put the lens down and reflected on something special. Then, as photographers usually do, I flicked through the images and hoped I'd at least have one or two that weren't blurry! To my surprise I'd actually managed to capture something of it. Not the best shots I've ever taken, but a Hen Harrier hunting, it doesn't get much better.
I have a feeling that the Pipit escaped that day, it looked like it found cover, but I'll never know for sure.
For more fantastic photography, follow Peter on Twitter @manxmannin.
Such encounters are increasingly rare on mainland Britain, where last year’s National Hen Harrier Survey revealed a 14% population decline since 2010. By contrast the Isle of Man population of this threatened bird appears to have been holding steady over the last few years.
Neil Morris of Manx Birdlife, explains the history and importance of hen harriers to the Isle of Man.
In 1977, the first Hen Harriers bred on the Isle of Man in Glen Rushen plantation. Numbers climbed to a possible all time high of 51 pairs in 1998. More recently, breeding censuses indicate the population has fallen from this peak to a (perhaps) stable 30 'nesting attempts' per annum. This represents approximately one nest per 7.4 sq miles, which compares to just four pairs in the whole England (50,000 sq miles compared to the island's 221 sq miles).
Clearly, Hen Harriers like the Isle of Man; and the island's community likes its Hen Harriers! In a recent fundraising drive through the Groundwork Trust and Tesco's 'Bags of help' scheme, Manx BirdLife received 57,000 'votes' to support Hen Harriers. The second-placed charitable cause received 37,000 votes. But we must not be complacent. Research is needed to understand exactly why the island offers such a stronghold for the species, and to ensure the potential risks to its continued fortunes are understood. It's a salutary thought that if the brood management plan proposed by Natural England were implemented in the Isle of Man, then we would be required to remove up to 27 out of our 30 nests (i.e. 90%).
The island’s continued interest in its birds and other wildlife is crucial to their protection. Peter’s fantastic series of images will do much to help keep Hen Harriers uppermost in the community’s hearts and minds.
Following on from the successful satellite tagging of young Manx female, Aalin, last year, two more hen harrier chicks have been tagged on the Isle of Man this summer and we can’t wait to share their journeys with you.
Keep watching this space for further updates and be sure to follow us online at www.rspb.org.uk/henharrierlife or on Twitter @RSPB_Skydancer.