Harriers @ Langholm

 wow, what a season!.. We have been holding our breath again this year and wondering if we'd see harriers back at langholm.  We have been so lucky to have two nests. A total of ten young harriers have fledged from Langholm moor this year.. and we have been enjoying some spectacular viewing.
 Four of the ten young birds have been sattelite tagged and we will be following their progress on this blog.
There are mixed opinions about giving the harriers 'human' names but we've found that the tag numbers are so similar it makes it very difficult to follow and naming the birds helps people connect with them a little more. The young harriers face a very dangerous journey, the natural dangers facing them mean that their chances of surviving their first winter is already low, but these birds face the added pressure of human persecution.

 So time to meet the birds, because our schools here break up so early for the summer, it is difficult to get help from our fabulous youngsters to name the birds, so this year volunteers on this project have been asked to suggest names for the birds..

(we do not assume the right to name these birds, you can of course call them what you like, but this is our interpretation and we shall use these names to follow the birds in futuremonths, and hopefully years).

 Muckle Knowe

117313  (female)     Grainne (pronounced Grawn-ye)  this name was suggested by Fiona Russell

Fiona said, ‘I am flattered to have the opportunity to name a hen harrier chick. I was up in Inverness-shire at the end of April on a course and had the unexpected joy of seeing a pair of harriers.  The course, focussing on environmental issues and wildlife writing, also had elements of myth and folklore.  From this, and my interest in Celtic tales, and from seeing the harriers during the course, I decided to name the chick Grainne. Grainne is a central figure in the Middle Irish text, Grainne and Finn. I had thought of Dervla, meaning ‘the poet’s daughter,’ but I preferred the name Grainne. It is not unlike the Gaelic word for sunshine, grian.  I hope this chick will grow to be a successful breeding hen harrier, and one that will have many days flight in the sun.’

117315   (female)     Miranda (named after the comedienne) this one was named by the local Langholm Explorer Scout group who have done so much for this project.. fantastic group of young people..

 Whita

117314 (female)      Hattie (Our wonderful Moorland Musical featured a  song called  ‘Grouse free diet’, written by Aly McCluskie which stars Hattie the harrier)

117316 (male)        Blue (This name was inspired by Blue-gled the Scottish name for a male hen harrier)


 Grainne 117313 (female) and Miranda 117315 (female) .. first flights

 117314 Hattie (female) and 117316 Blue (male)