3


Good habitat… the key


Eric Meek, Orkney Area Manager for RSPB Scotland, said: “Although nearly all hen harrier breeding sites in Orkney are protected SSSIs, SPAs or are RSPB reserves, the males range widely outside these areas while hunting, leaving them vulnerable to grazing regimes and habitat destruction.” “It is fantastic to see the Orkney population thriving after so many years of decline and demonstrates their ability to bounce back if given the opportunity. The story here, in effect, is that if the habitat is in good condition and the weather is not too awful and there is no illegal persecution, then hen harriers will thrive.” The term charismatic could have been coined with the hen harrier in mind.


The male is a stunning pale grey with black wing tips, and whilst the female is primarily a less exotic brown she has a wonderful distinctive white ring around her tail – earning her the nickname ‘ringtail’.


But the males raise eyebrows when you learn that in some instances they have been known to operate a harem. Some males have been recorded as supporting three nests, with one particularly energetic individual associated with no fewer than seven partners! Mind you their hunting prowess is well-known, and a highlight is the ‘food pass’ where the males drop prey in mid-air for the passing female to catch and carry back to the nest. When raptor numbers plummet there is always cause for concern. The birds are predators at the top of the food chain and as such they are superb indicators of the health of our countryside. Overcoming a loss of habitat takes real commitment and energy. It is a wonderful achievement on the part of many devoted Orcadians to have so spectacularly arrested this decline.


3


The main prey for Orkney hen harriers like this stunning male are Orkney voles, skylarks, meadow- pipits and rabbits.


4


The female hen harrier is larger than the male and predominantly brown. It was known as a ‘ringtail’ because of the distinctive white ring around the tail feathers.


“It’s wonderful to see the Orkney hen harrier


population thriving”


56


The Nature of Scotland


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68