Three more satellite-tagged Hen Harriers vanish on moors in northern England

By Michelle Blade
Published 21st Aug 2023, 15:53 BST
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Three satellite-tracked Hen Harriers have suddenly disappeared over land managed for driven grouse shooting.

All three disappearances have happened within days of the Glorious Twelfth, the official start of the shooting season for Red Grouse, and a time where grouse numbers are managed to be at their peak level to ensure a successful shooting season.

Hen Harriers, are a rare, protected species, known for their acrobatic ‘skydancing’ courtship display over the uplands.

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The Hen Harrier is categorised as a red listed species in the UK, due to its low population levels.

Apollo the hen harrier, who has flown from his nesting site in Bowland, Lancashire to his winter home in Extrremadura, Spain, twice in two years. His brother Dynamo, meanwhile, has ventured less than 50 miles in the same period. (2021).Apollo the hen harrier, who has flown from his nesting site in Bowland, Lancashire to his winter home in Extrremadura, Spain, twice in two years. His brother Dynamo, meanwhile, has ventured less than 50 miles in the same period. (2021).
Apollo the hen harrier, who has flown from his nesting site in Bowland, Lancashire to his winter home in Extrremadura, Spain, twice in two years. His brother Dynamo, meanwhile, has ventured less than 50 miles in the same period. (2021).

Martha was a one-year-old female Hen Harrier. She was tagged as a chick at Mar Lodge, a National Trust for Scotland estate in Aberdeenshire in the spring of 2022.

The satellite tracking data shows that Martha moved into Northumberland in early August 2023 and gave her last transmission from Westburnhope Moor near Hexham, in the North Pennines on August 9 2023.

Selena was a juvenile female tagged on United Utilities land in Bowland in the spring of this year.

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Her satellite tag showed that she had just moved to the Yorkshire Dales before her last transmission from Mossdale Moor near Hawes, in the Yorkshire Dales on August 11 2023.

Hepit was another young female Hen Harrier.

She had also been tagged as a chick on United Utilities land in Bowland this year, before moving to the Yorkshire Dales last month.

Hepit’s last transmission came from moorland at Birkdale Common near Kirkby Stephen, on August 15 2023 – an area where nine other satellite-tagged Hen Harriers have vanished or been found dead with injuries consistent with persecution since September 2020.

Beccy Speight, the RSPB's chief executive said: “This is the first time so many Hen Harriers have gone missing in such a short space of time, all on driven grouse moors.

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"If these magnificent birds are ever going to have a sustainable population in England this has to stop, productivity from nests means nothing if the birds don’t survive.”

All three incidents have been reported to the police and the NWCU (National Wildlife Crime Unit).

If you have information about anyone killing birds of prey which you wish to report anonymously, call the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101.