Every summer for the last three years we have been filming a hen harrier nest in the West Mainland and showing the live images on a screen in the Kirkwall Tourist Information Centre. For the first time, this year we put the camera in (over a period so as not to disturb the nesting female) before the eggs hatched. We were expecting them to start hatching from about the 12th but when I went into the TIC on Monday to my amazement there were three chicks. A fourth chick hatched sometime between the camera going off at 4.30 and on again at 9.30 yesterday morning and as of midday today, that remains the tally. There were six eggs laid so we’ll have to wait and see what happens to the other two eggs. The stage our chicks are at, although this image is from a previous years' nest.A lot of the time the female is just sitting on the chicks and pulling bits of twig and heather around her – rearranging the furniture, I call it. Every so often she disappears for a couple of minutes and returns with some food – so far it’s been small birds – obviously provided by the male, although we never see him. Then she tears off tiny bits to feed the chicks and you find yourself willing on the smallest to get its fair share. The four chicks look just like little aliens and it’s hard to believe that in a few weeks they will look very much like the magnificent birds they grow up to be. The whole thing is riveting and is a real draw for folk coming into the TIC.
Watch this space for news on more arrivals and possibly some pics (of the screen images, of course). More information
Jenny Dewar (RSPB Visitor & Publicity Assistant)