TWENTY-six young hen harriers have fledged from seven nests in Northumberland this year, the Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership has said.
Northumberland continues to be a stronghold for rare hen harriers, one of the UK's most endangered species, and 2022 is the eighth year in a row multiple nests have been successful.
This year there were nine monitored nests with young birds leaving from seven of these.
The nests were on both Forestry England land and two private estates in the county.
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Eight more youngsters have taken to the sky than in each of 2020 and 2021.
The total of known birds fledged in Northumberland since 2015 is now 106.
The Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership comprises Forestry England, RSPB, Northumberland National Park Authority, Natural England, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation of the Ministry of Defence, Northumbria Police and local raptor experts, who monitor prospective nests and watch pairs when they settle, working with local landowners.
Gill Thompson, National Park Ecologist and chair of the Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership, said: "It’s fantastic that we have again had birds fledging in several locations around Northumberland.
"Thanks to those raptor workers, land managers and staff from the partner organisations involved this year."
Tom Dearnley, Forestry England Ecologist, added: "Our efforts in enabling nature to recover on Forestry England land couldn’t be better rewarded than this year’s figures."
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