Hen Harriers
(asked on 10th October 2017) - View Source
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hen harrier nests there were on (a) RSPB and (b) non-RSPB reserves in each of the last five years; how many of those nests failed to have any chicks fledge in each of those years; and what the known causes of each of those nest failures were.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has primary control over access to two known hen harrier breeding sites: the RSPB reserve at Geltsdale and United Utilities landholding in the Bowland Fells, a special protection area.
Table 1. Breeding data from sites primarily controlled by RSPB
Year | Area | Outcome | Likely reason for failure |
2014 | Bowland | 5 chicks fledged |
|
2014 | Bowland | 4 chicks fledged |
|
2015 | Bowland | Nest failed | Unknown - chicks dead in nest |
2015 | Bowland | 1 chick fledged |
|
2015 | Bowland | Nest failed | Male missing |
2015 | Bowland | Nest failed | Male missing |
2015 | Bowland | Nest failed | Male missing |
2015 | Bowland | Nest failed | Predation |
2015 | Geltsdale | Nest failed | Male missing |
2016 | Geltsdale | 1 chick fledged |
|
Table 2. Breeding data from sites primarily controlled by other bodies
Year | Area | Outcome | Likely Reason for failure |
2013 | County Durham | Nest failed | Female disappeared/deserted |
2013 | Northumberland | Nest failed | Abnormal eggs |
2014 | Cumbria | 2 chicks fledged |
|
2014 | Peak District | 4 chicks fledged |
|
2015 | Cumbria | 2 chicks fledged |
|
2015 | Cumbria | 3 chicks fledged |
|
2015 | Cumbria | 3 chicks fledged |
|
2015 | Northumberland | 4 chicks fledged |
|
2015 | Northumberland | 5 chicks fledged |
|
2016 | Northumberland | 2 chicks fledged |
|
2016 | Northumberland | 5 chicks fledged |
|
2017 | Northumberland | 4 chicks fledged |
|
2017 | Northumberland | 3 chicks fledged |
|
2017 | Northumberland | Nest failed | Suspected predation |
2017 | Northumberland | 3 chicks fledged |
|
2017 | Northumberland | Nest failed | Likely bad weather - chicks dead in wet nest |
2017 | Yorkshire Dales | Nest failed | Suspected predation |
2017 | Yorkshire Dales | Nest failed | Suspected predation |