Successful summer for Mar Lodge Hen Harriers
No fewer than 32 Hen Harriers fledged at Mar Lodge Estate NNR in western Aberdeenshire this summer, it has been revealed.
The figure is the highest number since Hen Harriers colonised the estate, which is managed by National Trust for Scotland, in 2016.
The 32 fledglings came from eight successful nests, the estate revealed. In total, 11 pairs were noted on territory.
No fewer than 32 Hen Harriers fledged at Mar Lodge Estate NNR this summer (Steven Fryer).
A Mar Lodge statement on X (formerly Twitter) said: "It is likely that the breeding success this year was in part due to the extremely high vole numbers present which also benefitted other species such as Common Kestrels and owls. We recorded many more Short-eared Owl sightings than usual this year."
The positive news comes soon after a run of satellite-tagged Hen Harriers suddenly disappeared in suspicious circumstances in early August.
