News

To further our work on the hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) NHRP intends to develop a large research project to investigate spatial and temporal population trends in harrier abundance, breeding season diet, foraging success and ranges, prey provisioning to chicks in relation to habitat availability, causes of breeding failure and intraspecific genetic variability of the species in NI.

This project is a pilot to any larger scale project to follow. The main aim was to determine the likely success of satellite tags in defining post-fledging survival and dispersal as well as identifying over-wintering roosts.

On Tuesday 21^st July, a satellite tag was deployed on a female hen harrier nestling in Co. Antrim. There were 3 chicks at the nest, however, one had already fledged and the other had an old injury to one talon making it unsuitable to carry a tag.

Deployment of a second tag was postponed as prospective nests with suitably aged chicks were predated. Consequently, future deployments will occur during 2010.

Thus far, the data stream indicates the bird is alive and has dispersed from the Antrim hills moving large distances to the Sperrins before returning to the Antrim Plateau and southern County Antrim.

The tag has a solar panel to recharge the battery and data should continue to be acquired for several years.

This project was funded through the Natural Heritage Research Partnership (NHRP) with field working being completed in collaboration with Natural Research Ltd and the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group (NIRSG).