Natural England have reported another increase in the number of breeding hen harriers in England, with 31 breeding attempts, 24 of which were successful, fledging 84 chicks.
These numbers are the highest recorded in recent times and Natural England have published a new blog providing an update on the status of the work being conducted under the Hen Harrier Action Plan, of which the GWCT are partners.
Part of the Hen Harrier Plan is a five-year trial of brood management, in which eggs of nesting hen harriers are reared in captivity and released as adults. This year two nests were used - one in North Yorkshire and one in Lancashire – with all eight chicks successfully reared and released as fledglings. This builds on the eight brood-managed birds from 2020. Six of these survived their first winter, and five attempted to breed this year, of which four were successful.