An incredible season at Langholm

Well the breeding season is drawing to a close.. although no one has told the barn owls (two pairs have begun on second broods already). The great weather and high vole numbers have made for an incredible season at Langholm moor this year but birds are now beginning to move away. The diversionary feeding of the Hen Harriers is coming to an end and young harriers are beginning to disperse across the moor. Grouse counts are under way and the decision whether or not to shoot grouse this year is not far off.

 

A total of 47 young hen harriers have fledged Langholm Moor this year.. which is phenomenal ..  now comes the time when they leave the safety of Langholm and venture off on their own.  We can only watch and hope as many as possible can survive their first winter and breed next year.

 

It is also time to say goodbye to the wonderful RSPB seasonal staff, Anna McWilliams and Kirstie Hazelwood, it has been a real pleasure working with you and to the hard working MSc students Kat Fingland and Sarah Emerson  .. good luck with your write up and all the best for the future..

 

Name a Hen Harrier

Thank you to everyone  who entered our 'Name a Hen Harrier' competition, we received some wonderful suggestions. I was glad to pass on the decision to the wonderful team at the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project, as there were so many great name suggestions.  

 

The chosen names are:

Female      Annie (made up of letters from her mother Grainne's name)..

Annie (Grainne's daughter)

 Male          Sid - (named after a character from the animated film Ice Age.. apparently Hen Harrier chicks up until about a week or so old look like this Sloth character called Sid), below is a short video clip.. you decide!

'Sid' male chick having his harness checked for a good, comfortable fit

 

 

 



Follow the Langholm Harriers

So this year we'll be following 5 satellite tagged Harriers from Langholm moor: Grainne, Hattie and Miranda (females all tagged in 2013) and Annie (female) and Sid (male) 2014.

 

Hattie and Grainne have made no major movements away from the moor, Miranda is still safe in Northern Ireland.  We'll be working with some fab folks in Ireland and Northern Ireland to bring you more detailed info on Miranda's movements http://henharrierireland.blogspot.co.uk/.

 

Annie is the offspring of Grainne; this is only the second time the satellite tagging of Hen Harriers harriers from successive generations has been done and we've been wondering whether the movements of mother and daughter would show any similarities.. One of the things I love about harriers is that they remind us again and again how unpredictable they are.  Annie has caught us on the hop and left the moor already, having flown north west just a few days ago.. 

 

24th -30th July Langholm Harrier movements

Many thanks to Stephen Murphy (Natural England) for this info.

Sid is wearing an RSPB tag and we looking forward to receiving an update on his movements soon.

The decision was taken this year to colour ring the other young harriers, so watch out for black rings with yellow text..

Harrier chicks wearing colour rings

We've enjoyed some great 'Wildlife Detective' activities this summer; including one cloudy morning  - which meant perfect conditions for the reptile refuges .. Common Toads, Common Lizards, Slow Worms, Voles, Common Shrews, Ant nests made for a very exciting morning.

Olivia investigating a Slowworm and Callum discovering a predated pheasant egg

Callum getting up close and personal with a Common Toad

We've had a month of fantastic 'Watching the moorland skies' events - great to meet lots of new folk and fantastic views of the birds:  Hen Harriers, Short Eared Owls, Merlin, Kestrel, Grouse, Curlew, Stonechat, Whinchat and Hobby to name but a few.  Yesterday evening (July 30th) was our last guided watch event this summer; Short Eared Owls, Buzzards, and Kestrels all put in an appearance but it was the first time in months I've spent time on the moor and not seen a harrier..

As we near the 'Glorious 12th' - the beginning of the Grouse shooting season in August, the press and publicity surrounding the Hen Harrier and Red Grouse moor conflict increases..
So are 'we' any closer to resolving it? I think if there was an easy solution then we wouldn't still have a problem..  Check out some of these links and decide for yourself..

 What is Hen Harrier day 2014?  http://birdersagainst.org/projects/hen-harrier-day/

RSPB are calling for Licencing of Grouse moors,  see what Martin Harper has to say -  http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/martinharper/archive/2014/06/26/our-uplands.aspx   

Download your free Grouse Shooting and Hen Harrier guide from GWCT here:  https://www.gwct.org.uk/news/news/2014/june/a-licensing-premise/

If you would like to sign the e-petition asking for the Defra Hen Harrier Joint Recovery Plan to be published follow this link:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/67527




Why did the furniture maker name his creations after a skylark?

no this isn't the beginning to a bad joke.. but an excuse to champion one of the project's most dedicated volunteers -   Daniel Lacey a local furniture maker and big supporter of he Making the Most of Moorlands Project has been inspired by moorland wildlife in naming his latest pieces..
Daniel is a regular volunteer for the Making the Most of Moorlands project, giving hours of his time to maintain the bird feeding station, designing and building new pheasant proof feeders, designing a bird hide, building and erecting barn owl boxes, offering up his workshop for Langholm Scouts nest box workshop and generally being a very helpful person!

Daniel designed and built this easy to clean ground feeder at our Moorland Bird feeding station - which has helped attract wonderful species like Brambling

Langholm Scout group hard at work building nest boxes for Pied flycatcher and Redstarts 

Daniel sharing his woodworking skills with the next generation

Daniel asked for some help naming his new creations;  as I know Daniel has a deep love for wildlife and the natural environment I suggested using the BTO species codes used for bird ringing..  who wouldn't love a SPOFL.. (Spotted Flycatcher), or a MEAPI (Meadow Pipit).. ? Check out some of Daniel's wonderful work below.

Daniel has offered to make a donation to the Making the Most of Moorlands project for every sale he makes.. so the education and community work we do here, will benefit from his work.. how generous!

This piece is called SKYLA - after the Skylark

BAROW - named after a barn owl

BLAGR - Black Grouse

PIEFL  - Pied Flycatcher

If you are interested in learning more about Daniel's work visit his website http://www.daniellacey.com/ or visit the CLA gamefair this weekend at Blenheim Palace.. where Daniel is exhibiting.. 18th - 20th July

We are currently working with a local jeweller and chocolatier to inspire some more moorland creations so ... watch this space.

 It is a wonderful time to visit the moor and watch the harriers and the other wonderful birds on the moor. You can safely watch and photograph the birds from the road but please remember a licence is required to approach the birds or photograph them off the road. These are very rare birds and this is an excellent opportunity to watch them at close quarters safely.

Why not drop into the Eskdale Hotel on Langholm high Street to see nest footage from one of the Harrier nests at Langholm.

 The Hen Harrier nest camera stars of 2014 have now fledged and are spending very little time in the nest.. so the Display in the Eskdale will be showing highlights from this season from incubation, hatching and growing chicks, so if you missed anything drop in and  watch the Langholm Hen Harrier story. 

 We will shortly begin sharing the movements of our satellite tagged birds here too.

  .......or join us for a Guided watch - 'Watching the Moorland Skies' -  every Wednesday evening 6pm - 8pm  in July. NY3986 , look for the Making the Most of Moorlands Banner or contact cat@langholminitiative.co.uk for more details

Watching the Moorland Skies

An excellent evening was had by all on Langholm Moor yesterday at our 'Watching the Moorland skies' event. Beautiful sunshine and light winds made for perfect viewing conditions of a variety moorland species including a family of  Merlin; the young birds gaining confidence on the wing but still filing the air with their food begging calls.

 

We were surrounded by Short Eared Owls - with both adults and young birds active it was difficult to know which direction to look in. The harriers didn't fail us and we enjoyed wonderful views of young birds exercising their wings and pestering their parents for food.  Kestrel, Raven and an appearance by a Hobby made a lovely addition to the evening. Red Grouse broods with good sized young could be seen grazing on blueberries as they kept a wary eye out for anything that might like to make them lunch.



A young Short Eared Owl (Bob Little)

The activity in the skies was very engaging, but the invertebrate life on the ground was also drawing our attention.



Emperor Caterpillar
 



Northern Eggar Moth

 

 Two young Hen Harriers (one female and one male) have now been fitted with Satellite tags and we will follow their progress on this blog. Our competition to name a hen harrier closes tomorrow Friday 11th July.. send your name suggestions to cat@langholminitiative.co.uk or drop into the Eskdale Hotel on Langholm High Street and post your entry into the nest box.

 

 

 

  It is a wonderful time to visit the moor and watch the harriers and the other wonderful birds on the moor. You can safely watch and photograph the birds from the road but please remember a licence is required to approach the birds or photograph them off the road. These are very rare birds and this is an excellent opportunity to watch them at close quarters safely.

 

Why not drop into the Eskdale Hotel on Langholm high Street to see nest footage from one of the Harrier nests at Langholm and enter our 'Name a Hen Harrier 'competition.

 

  .......or join us for a Guided watch - 'Watching the Moorland Skies' -  every Wednesday evening 6pm - 8pm  in July. NY3986 , look for the Making the Most of Moorlands Banner or contact cat@langholminitiative.co.uk for more details

We are just a small charity and rely on donated photographs.. many thanks to Chas Moonie for these beautiful photos of Hen Harrier.

  

First young Harriers seen on the wing

This season is flying by.. is seems only days ago that the harriers were skydancing overhead signalling the beginning of an incredible season ; this weekend the first 2014 harrier chicks at Langholm have been seen taking their first tentative flights. 

 

  It is a wonderful time to visit the moor and watch the harriers and the other wonderful birds on the moor. You can safely watch and photograph the birds from the road but please remember a licence is required to approach the birds or photograph them off the road. These are very rare birds and this is an excellent opportunity to watch them at close quarters safely.

 

Why not drop into the Eskdale Hotel on Langholm high Street to see nest footage from one of the Harrier nests at Langholm and enter our 'Name a Hen Harrier 'competition.

 

  .......or join us for a Guided watch - 'Watching the Moorland Skies' -  every Wednesday evening 6pm - 8pm  in July. NY3986 , look for the Making the Most of Moorlands Banner or contact cat@langholminitiative.co.uk for more details

 check out these wonderful images of Hattie and her male taking diversionary food from the feed posts. Many thanks to the LMDP staff for allowing us to share these images.

Hattie



Hattie's male
 

First LMDP wing tagged harrier seen back at Langholm

There has been a sprinkling, rather than a flood, of wing tag sightings of Langholm Hen Harriers in the last few years but each and every sighting is exciting. Until a week or so ago, none have been seen back on their home ground but just recently a wing tagged adult male harrier was seen at Langholm. The bird was tagged by Aly McCluskie in 2011 and I was lucky enough to be there to see this brood tagged. The left wing tag (yellow) indicates that the bird was tagged at Langholm, the right wing tag (dark blue) indicates the year the bird was tagged 2011 and the number 1 tells us exactly which bird in the brood it was. The bird was seen twice in the day and the sighting of the right wing was very distant so I have only just received confirmation of the year this bird was tagged (many thanks to all involved). This is the first Hen Harrier, wing-tagged during the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project (2007 - present) that has been seen back at Langholm.  We have no idea what this bird has been up to since he fledged the moor but it great to know he is alive and kicking (so to speak)..
 click on each image to see it enlarged.. (these views were distant so forgive the image quality).

Right wing tag indicates the year (2011) John Wright



 the left wing tag Yellow - indicates Langholm John Wright

 

What a year at Langholm

This year is turning out to be one of those years I have only dreamt of being part of.. sleep is becoming one of those things that needs to be done but feels like wasted time away form the moor. With eleven Hen Harrier nests it is rare to visit the moor and not see a harrier. The harrier action  is just one aspect of what seems to be a great season for wildlife on the moor; visitors to the moor have enjoyed  incredible views of Short Eared Owls (now feeding fledged young) Red Grouse broods meandering their way through heather and blaeberry; Whinchat singing from what feels like every bracken patch, bumper Barn owl broods, and an increase in wader sightings.

Hen Harriers have experienced a difficult past ( o say the least) and while we are enjoying this wonderful season at Langholm and celebrating the success of three nests in England this year, Harriers still face a very uncertain future. There are various theories being suggested as to why harriers are doing so well at Langholm this year - maybe the high vole numbers, maybe the mild winter leading to better overwinter survival of young birds, maybe a combination of these and other factors. Whatever the reason, 45+ young harriers fledging from Langholm this year can only help the struggling UK population.

The March grouse counts showed favourable results  http://www.langholmproject.com/   but it is too early to say whether that has translated into good breeding success and enough grouse to shoot this year - one of the aims of the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project.

Name a Hen Harrier

Last year 2013/2014 thousands of people followed the progress of four satellite tagged Hen Harriers Hattie, Grainne, Blue and Miranda from Langholm moor on our project blog.  This summer two or three young harriers will be tagged by Stephen Murphy of Natural England and we’ll follow their progress on our blog. http://langholmmoorland.blogspot.co.uk/

 To make it easier to follow these wonderful birds, we are inviting you to take part in a competition to name this years tagged Harriers.

 In 2013 four young harriers were tagged and named by local volunteers

Hattie - inspired by the harrier featured in our moorland musical

Grainne  - Celtic for Grace..

Blue    - named after the Scottish name for a male Hen Harrier ' Blue gled'

Miranda - named by Langholm local Explorer Scout Group after comedienne Miranda Hart

What would your name suggestion be?

Email your Hen Harrier name suggestion, your own name and contact details to cat@langholminitiative.co.uk  or drop into the Eskdale Hotel on Langholm High Street where our nest cameras are showing footage from one of the Langholm Hen Harrier nests 11am – 11pm; you can post your name suggestion and details into out 'nest box'. The fantastic team of staff and volunteers at Langholm who have helped to monitor and protect the harriers this year will choose which names will be given to the tagged harriers this year.

One chick has already been tagged – one of Grainne’s (Celtic for Grace) chicks – so we’ll be following both mother and daughter this year. We’ll need names for both male and female chicks so get thinking.

 To find out more about our project visit our website www.langholmmoorland.co.uk, project blog http://langholmmoorland.blogspot.co.uk/  or follow us on Facebook and Twitter Langholmmoorland. For information about the scientific work going on at Langholm visit The Langholm Moor Demonstration Project website  http://www.langholmproject.com/ .

If you would like help on where and how to watch Hen Harriers and other incredible moorland wildlife at Langholm safely get in touch with Cat Barlow  cat@langholminitiative.co.uk for information about guided walks and guided watches.  Hen Harriers and other raptors on the moor have legal protection from disturbance so it is important to be careful where you go but you can watch and photograph from the roadside without needing a licence. Hen Harriers, Red Grouse and most other moorland birds are ground nesting, it is vital to keep your dogs on leads on and around moorlands at this time of year.

Meanwhile our nest camera brood are growing fast