Hen harriers go live at RSPB Forsinard!

[Birdie Wife]

Hot off the press... *drum roll*...

... The hen harrier nest at Forsinard is now on the live CCTV in the centre!! A press release is being prepared. She's on five eggs, due to hatch any time now... anyone fancy doing a sweepstake? :cool:

[the_count]

popped up to forsinard on friday and ...... she's still on eggs lol:lol:

[Birdie Wife]

... the nest has failed... all five eggs disappeared over the weekend. Sorry to anyone who came to see them yesterday :~(

Another nest has been located, this time with three young chicks, and the camera is being moved onto them in the nest few days, so watch this space. Hopefully we should have live images again by the end of the week.

[Liz]

Oh no!!! That is awful.:~(

Hope to see the other nest soon.

[the_count]

We got there quite late on Friday and the RSPB centre closed while we were there so we were probably the last members of the public to see the nest with eggs. Was it natural predation or some numpty on an egg collecting frenzy, do they know? Hope to get back up there soon and check out the new nest and buy some more jam from the station cottage lol the stuff we bought on friday has already gone, it was scrummy.:lol:

[Aaldtimer]

The webcam should be able to supply the evidence against the culprit!:(

[dafi]

You would hope so Auldtimer but i heard today that the forsinard camera cable has been cut. I dont know if this is anything to do with the ruined nest. I think the enginer is on his way to sort it and once hes been there he will be coming over here to our harrier cam thats just stoped working.

Its a sad state of affairs right enough.

[Birdie Wife]

Quick update for you - we don't suspect anything untoward happened with the cable but nothing was caught on camera - the last images were of the female contendedly sitting on her eggs. The camera doesn't run throughout the night, to save on batteries - it's on a timer from 9-5pm when the centre is open. The way the cable was pulled down hill could indicate that a heavy animal like a deer had accidentally tripped over the cable and dragged it some distance before the connection broke. It is probably just coincidence that the eggs disappeared at the same time - we have lost nest before in the past. In fact, two years ago, the nest was predated twice (first clutch eaten - female re-laid - those eggs eaten as well...) and we had nothing to show to visitors from mid-June onwards!

The CCTV engineer is up today to wire up the new nest so with any luck we should be back on by the end of the day. Thanks for your concern everyone!

[ClachanHope]

Sad about the nest, and lets hope the other one is more successful. I know that deer can also chew through cables, I hope it was something like this that happened.
But why are you telling the public the times that the camera operates?? Is this not leaving it open to homosapien predators.?????
I also hope you don't advertise where this nest is.
Nest raiding is surprisingly common.
I myself have in the past reported 3 suspicious looking characters who were driving about the country in a van with a ladder???? I saw them going up and down forest tracks, but thankfully they turned out to be RSPB.!!!! I was a bit embarrassed, but still didn't regret reporting them.

Good luck to the hen harriers

[dafi]

Fingers crossed you get to enjoy the next ones!!

[Aaldtimer]

[quote=ClachanHope;562552]Sad about the nest, and lets hope the other one is more successful. I know that deer can also chew through cables, I hope it was something like this that happened.
But why are you telling the public the times that the camera operates?? Is this not leaving it open to homosapien predators.?????
I also hope you don't advertise where this nest is.

Birdie wife, it may be a good idea to explain where the "centre" is to be able to view all this exciting stuff! :)

[Birdie Wife]

Hi Auldtimer,

Thanks ClachanHope for your concern and well done for keeping an eye out. No, we don't advertise where the nest is, and we never would! Our harriers, unlike ospreys, don't make a nest in the same place each year, and we spend hours searching and locating nests each year. Homosapien predators would still have to find the nest to rob it and all the equipment is very well hidden ;). The signal from the nest is wireless too so no chance of following a trail from the VC.

Apologies for anyone who doesn't know where we are, you can pick up a leaflet for RSPB Forsinard reserve at any local TIC. We are on the road between Melvich and Helmsdale, about 14 miles from Melvich. Guess I have to do the full visitor into now - we also have guided walks 2-5pm Tuesday and Thursday until the end of August (no booking required), visitor centre, audio-visual room showing 40minute video of the local wildlife and area (it's really good too! The wildlife AND the video that is!) and self-guided trails as well.

www.rspb.org.uk/forsinard (http://www.rspb.org.uk/forsinard) :Razz