Category: News

RSPB announces another record year for Hen Harriers in the Forest of Bowland

Statement from the RSPB (4 September 2025)

ANOTHER RECORD YEAR FOR HEN HARRIERS IN THE FOREST OF BOWLAND

Hen Harriers are one of the most charismatic yet also most threatened bird species nesting in our uplands. The Forest of Bowland has long served as their most important breeding stronghold in England thanks to collaborative conservation efforts centred on the United Utilities Bowland Estate, where the RSPB is working in partnership with United Utilities and their tenants to monitor and protect these amazing birds.

During the 2025 breeding season, RSPB staff and volunteers recorded 14 Hen Harrier nests on the United Utilities Estate, of which 12 were successful and fledged an outstanding 40 young. This represents the highest number of fledglings recorded in over 40 years. 

Hen Harriers. Photo by Pete Walkden

However, as reported last month there was also a disappointing setback in the form of two adult males disappearing from neighbouring nests within a few days of each other, something not seen on the United Utilities Estate in years.

At one affected nest, the chicks had already begun hatching and, with the help of some supplementary food provided by RSPB staff under licence from Natural England, the female was able to fledge two chicks on her own. At the other nest, the female was still incubating and deserted her clutch after the male disappeared. 

One additional nest failed as the female was not provisioned sufficiently by her polygamous male and was forced to hunt herself, leaving her young chick unattended and exposed to the elements. Male Hen Harriers often mate with more than one female (known as polygamy), however, when prey availability is low, they may struggle to provide sufficient food for both broods. 

Overall, it was a very good breeding season for Hen Harriers in Bowland. Together with an additional nest recorded by Natural England on a private estate, which fledged 2 chicks, a total of 15 Hen Harrier females bred within the Bowland Fells Special Protection Area (SPA). This meant the SPA again exceeded the threshold of 12 breeding pairs for the second time since 2022.

This sustained recovery over the last eight years reflects highly successful partnership working in Bowland and the commitment of landowners and tenants. However, the species’ overall recovery in England still faces ongoing threats such as illegal persecution, changes in land use and habitat loss.

ENDS

Fantastic work by all those involved – well done.

We still haven’t seen the overall results of the 2025 Hen Harrier breeding season in England but the word on the ground is that it’s been another poor year for Hen Harriers on private estates managed for driven grouse shooting and a good year for those nesting elsewhere. Quelle surprise.

Last year the grouse shooting industry blamed bad weather for the sudden drop in the number of breeding Hen Harriers on private grouse moors, although bad weather didn’t stop Hen Harriers breeding on United Utilities land in Bowland, the RSPB’s Geltsdale Reserve in Cumbria or Forestry England land at Kielder.

Last year there were just five successful nests on privately-owned grouse moors in England and I’m not expecting much to have changed this year. We’ll have to wait for Natural England to publish the 2025 breeding season numbers to find out if this is accurate, and who knows when NE will get its act together to do that.

This is the statutory agency that is STILL suppressing details about the death of at least seven satellite-tagged Hen Harriers, most of whom were found dead over a year ago and yet are still listed on Natural England’s tag database, implausibly, as ‘awaiting post mortem’ (see here for a previous blog about these birds).

They’re not ‘awaiting post mortem’ at all. The post mortems were all completed months ago (and in one case, over 18 months ago). Those post mortems have provided evidence (that I’m aware of) that at least some of these seven dead Hen Harriers were killed illegally.

The longer this information is suppressed, the further public confidence drops in any agency’s ability or desire to tackle these crimes.

Statement from Northern England Raptor Forum on collapse of Yorkshire Dales Bird of Prey ‘partnership’

Last month I welcomed the decision by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to terminate the so-called ‘Bird of Prey Partnership’, after its abject failure over five years to tackle the ongoing illegal killing of birds of prey on grouse moors within the National Park and neighbouring Nidderdale (see here).

A view of a distant grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Photo: Ruth Tingay

One of the original ‘partners’, the Northern England Raptor Forum (NERF), which represents raptor fieldworkers who monitor bird of prey populations and are often in the frontline of discovering persecution crimes, has published a statement also welcoming the end of the ‘partnership’.

It’s well worth a read if you want an insight into why these so-called ‘partnerships’ repeatedly fail.

You can read the NERF statement here.

Peregrine from Charing Cross Hospital found with shotgun pellet in leg

One of London’s resident breeding Peregrines, Tom, from Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith, is receiving veterinary care after an x-ray revealed a shotgun pellet lodged in his leg.

According to reports on social media, Tom was found grounded at the weekend and was taken for assessment at the South Essex Wildlife Hospital. It’s not clear from the information published whether the shotgun pellet was the cause of his grounding or whether it is an old injury that he’d survived.

All photos from South Essex Wildlife Hospital

Hopefully Tom will make a speedy recovery and can be returned to his territory ASAP.

The South Essex Wildlife Hospital has featured a few times on this blog, involved in the treatment and often successful rehabilitation of shot raptors from the south-east. It’s a registered charity – if you’d like to make a donation to support its work, please click here.

Wild Summit – Bristol Beacon, 11 Sept 2025

Organised by Wildlife Countryside LINK, the inaugural Wild Summit takes place at the Bristol Beacon on Thursday 11 September 2025.

From the Wild Summit website:

‘Nature brings immense value to our lives, to the economy and to communities. Whether it’s protecting communities from flooding and extreme weather, supporting rural areas and food production, helping tackle climate change, or improving our mental health, nature underpins it all.

At our first Wild Summit, we’ll bring together nature lovers, community campaigners, businesses, politicians, officials and policy experts for a day of presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and conversations focused on the critical importance of investing in nature. We’ll celebrate the incredible work being done by charities, community groups, innovators, and land managers, as well as explore the vital roles of tourism, research, upskilling, and corporate and government projects in restoring our natural world.

The goal? To help the UK meet its target of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030‘.

Amongst the contributors is Wild Justice:

Past, Pheasant, Future

Why are 50 million non-native chickens released into our countryside every year?

Pheasants are a familiar feathered face of the countryside; plastered all over tea-towels, cushion covers, and our roads. But how did they get here? What impact are they having on our environment? And why are there so many?!

Join Wild Justice for an interactive and visual dive into the past, present and future of what George Monbiot describes as the ‘bronze plague’.

For the full programme of events, click here.

FAQs, click here.

To buy tickets, click here.

British Farmland Bird of Prey Initiative

The British Farmland Bird of Prey Initiative is a new project set up by Nigel Middleton and Twiggy Bigwood, offering expert support for landowners and conservation groups across England who want to host raptors on their land.

Services include site visits and consultation, habitat surveys, the provision, installation and monitoring of nest boxes, and planning mitigation for Barn Owls.

The British Farmland Bird of Prey Initiative website is HERE.

Conference: A Wilder Future for the Uplands

For those of you interested in the uplands, UKEconet and the South Yorkshire Biodiversity Research Group are co-hosting a three-day conference in Sheffield in October.

The conference includes two days of presentations and discussion and a field trip to the Peak District on day three.

Key themes include the management and protection of important temperate rainforests such as Borrowdale in Cumbria, natural regeneration, Curlews, peat cutting, grouse moors and rewilding.

Desolate uplands in the North Pennines. Photo by Ruth Tingay

A Wilder Future for the Uplands: Unleashing the Power of Nature to Recover and Restore the Countryside

1-3 October 2025

Speakers include Kate Hanley (RSPB Dove Stone), Sara King (Rewilding Britain), Ian Rotherham (Sheffield Hallam University), Andrew Weatherall (RSPB), Danny Udall (Eastern Moors Partnership), Jade Allen (National Trust), Mary Colwell (Curlew Action), Daniel Cameron (National Trust), Luke Steer (Treescapes Consultancy), Mark Avery, James Fenton and others.

Conference information page here

Booking page here

Draft programme:

2025_conf_a_wilder_future_for_the_uplands_draft_prog_2Download

Defra announces additional biosecurity measures for gamebird releases amidst heightened risk of Avian Influenza

Defra has announced increased biosecurity measures for gamebird releases amidst the heightened risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also known as ‘Bird Flu’.

All of England is already in an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) with mandatory biosecurity measures. Additional biosecurity measures were announced yesterday for gamebird rearers and gamebird shoot operators and will come in to force next Tuesday (26 August 2025).

These additional measures are apparently intended to minimise the risk of Avian Influenza spreading from gamebirds to wild birds and vice versa.

Large Pheasant release pen with unobstructed easy access for wild birds. Photo: Ruth Tingay

Defra made the announcement in a press release, as follows:

HEIGHTENED AVIAN INFLUENZA RISK WARNING ISSUED TO BIRD KEEPERS AND GAMEBIRD REARERS

Bird keepers are today being warned of a heightened avian influenza risk and are urged to tighten their biosecurity measures, particularly those involved in running a shoot or game bird rearing. 

This includes commercial poultry keepers and game bird rearers and shoot operators. The risk from avian influenza continues to rise, particularly in coastal counties which are on bird migration routes and parts of the country with a significant gamebird industry

An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) with mandatory biosecurity measures remains in force across Great Britain. It has been in England updated today to include additional biosecurity measures for game bird operations.

These measures reflect the specific disease risks associated with the game bird and shooting sector at this time of year and are intended to protect both wild and captive bird populations.

During outbreaks, there are also controls on the release of game birds in areas of known high risk which must be abided by. The release of game birds is not permitted in any avian influenza disease control zone.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, said:

“We are seeing increasing outbreaks of avian influenza, particularly in coastal counties. Gamebird operations, alongside all other poultry keepers, must take action now to protect their birds and limit the risk of further outbreaks.

“Strong biosecurity remains our best defence, and we urge all keepers to take immediate steps to strengthen their measures. We will continue to monitor the situation closely“.

Changes for gamebird keepers include: 

  • Disinfecting any vehicles upon first entry to the site and each day they are in use; 
  • Providing one feeding station per 60 released game birds; 
  • Cleaning feeding and watering stations daily to remove faecal matter, feathers and spilled feed; 
  • Covering feeding and, where possible, watering stations to avoid contamination from wild bird droppings; 
  • Placed pheasants in release pens should not be fed within 50 metres of a water body frequented by ducks and other wildfowl;
  • Placed game birds in release pens should not be fed within 500 metres of any poultry or other kept birds;
  • During the open season, checking placed game birds in release pens daily for signs of avian influenza; 
  • Conducting a daily search of the area within and up to a 50 metre radius surrounding the perimeter of release pens for carcases of dead game birds and dead wild birds; 
  • Reporting dead wild birds to Defra using the dead wild bird reporting tool and disposing of carcases appropriately; 
  • Keeping detailed records of all visitors to the site (including deliveries and collections).

All bird keepers – whether of gamebirds, poultry, or other captive species – must remain vigilant for signs of disease, maintain high standards of hygiene and separation, and report any suspected cases immediately to the APHA. Avian influenza is a notifiable disease, and early action is vital to prevent wider spread. 

Keepers are reminded that gatherings of poultry are banned. This includes birds from multiple locations brought onto a vehicle and then dropped off at other multiple locations. 

Avian influenza is a notifiable disease.  The risk to public health remains very low, and properly cooked poultry, game meat and eggs remain safe to eat. 

ENDS

The UK Chief Veterinary Officer claims, “Strong biosecurity is our best defence“.

Really?

I’d argue our best defence is to ban the release of 60 million non-native gamebirds for shooting, along with the release of at least two and half million ducks, also for shooting, and for which the biosecurity measures don’t apply, as pointed out recently by Katie-Jo Luxton, Global Conservation Director at the RSPB.

Does Dr Middlemiss seriously believe that every game shoot is going to take the time and effort to clean every single feed and water station, every day? It’s hardly likely, given that some shoots are not even bothering to declare their gamebirds with APHA (there appear to be at least 20 million ‘ghost Pheasants’ unregistered according to research by Guy Shrubsole – here) so how on earth does Dr Middlemiss intend to monitor compliance with these latest regulations?

Crows gathering on release pen fence to take advantage of plentiful food supply. Photo by Ruth Tingay

And even if they did comply with the biosecurity regulations, the massively high densities of gamebirds within these pens and in the surrounding area after release provides the perfect environment for the rapid transmission of disease through faeces and other secretions away from feed and water stations.

What if the gamebirds are already infected with subclinical Avian Influenza (acting as a reservoir for the disease but not yet showing outward signs of ill-health) and are subsequently released from a pen? What happens then?

It’s a disaster waiting to happen, not least for raptors that will feed on infected carcasses and succumb to the disease. There are already plenty of examples of this in the UK in recent years. But it needn’t happen if Defra suspended all gamebird shooting during this Bid Flu outbreak. It has the legal authority to do this, but doesn’t appear to have the backbone.

Hen Harrier persecution “is very much linked to grouse shooting” – Craig Best, National Trust General Manager, Peak District

Following yesterday’s news of a successful Hen Harrier breeding attempt this year on National Trust-owned moorland in the Peak District National Park (here), Craig Best, the NT’s General Manager in the High Peak, was interviewed on BBC Radio Derby about the significance of the successful nest and the importance of satellite-tagging the young birds (this year’s two Peak District tags have been paid for by the National Trust and the Peak District National Park).

Craig Best, National Trust General Manager, High Peak (photo supplied)

Craig is well known as an experienced, committed and passionate advocate for restoring the uplands and is the driving force behind significant & welcome changes in how the NT’s moorlands are managed in the High Peak (e.g. see here, here, here and here for earlier blogs).

He’s also not someone who pretends that illegal raptor persecution isn’t an ongoing issue and for that alone, he deserves much kudos.

The interview on BBC Radio Derby with host Becky Measures is just four minutes long and appears to be a cut from a wider conversation, but Craig gets his point across about Hen Harrier persecution. It can be heard here and is available on BBC Sounds for a year.

Here’s the transcript:

Craig Best: It’s brilliant that we’re seeing Hen Harriers nest on our land, on National Trust land in the High Peak, so yeah, you’re right, these birds suffer persecution, in fact they’re the most persecuted bird of prey in the UK.

Becky Measures: Why?

Craig Best: Well, all these birds nest on open moorland in really remote places, and what we’re finding is the vast majority of persecution happens on or near to land managed for grouse shooting. Hen Harriers obviously have to eat, so they’ll eat small mammals such as voles and shrews, but they’ll also take chicks of birds, and I’m sure they will take grouse chicks as well, so unfortunately these birds suffer high levels of persecution across the UK and they’re quite often shot.

Becky Measures: So how does tagging, then, protect them?

Craig Best: Yeah, so interestingly, we tag these birds, which is brilliant because it gives us data on where they fly, and some of these birds fly across the UK, we’ve even had some of the Hen Harriers that we’ve tagged in the past fly to places like France, so they cover huge distances, that gives us lots of information, it gives us information where they roost, where they might be feeding, but importantly, these tags are very expensive, they’re about a thousand quid each, but importantly they track the birds and when the bird ‘mysteriously disappears’ we’ve got some idea where that happens.

Beck Measures: Right, ok, so you’re able to kind of keep an eye on them and know what their movements are. It must be difficult to get the tags on them, though?

Craig Best: Yeah, so the tags are, I mean the people who do it are licenced by Natural England and we’re working really closely with our colleagues at the RSPB, but also there’s a volunteer group in the Peak District called the Peak District Raptor Group and all these individuals are experts, and when the birds are young on the nest, not able to fly, we approach them and carefully apply the tag.

But the tag provides much needed protection, so they’re less likely to be shot because if that tag stops working, or we find it, you know we don’t get the tag movements, clearly that could link to a persecution incident. Not always, sometimes these birds, like many other animals do, die naturally, but quite often what we’re finding across the UK and in the Peak District and places like North Yorkshire, these birds are persecuted and are shot in these remote areas and it’s very much linked to grouse shooting.

We invest millions in the upland landscape in the High Peak to restore our peatlands, restore the peat, you know, this landscape is fantastic for our drinking water, a lot of rain falls on our drinking water so whether you live in Sheffield or Manchester, that’s where it comes from, and we restore the landscape by establishing trees, because these places are just fantastic for nature and provide lots of services, such as flood risk reductions for people’s homes and businesses, but of course we invest this money and these pinnacle species such as Hen Harriers should be in much greater numbers. I think there’s something in order of 30-40 breeding pairs across the UK* so they’re really at risk of extinction if this persecution continues, but because we invest so much money, it’d be such a shame to not have these spectacular birds flying around and you know, like you referenced earlier on, your listeners and many people will have watched Springwatch and we saw a pair of Hen Harriers feeding and flying around and they’re just beautiful to look at and of course they have the right to exist like many other animals in the Peak District.

ENDS

*Craig was referring to England, not the UK. In 2024 there was a total of 34 Hen Harrier breeding attempts in England, of which 25 were successful, which is lower than the last two years, according to Natural England.

‘Springwatch’ Hen Harriers nest successfully on National Trust moorland in Peak District National Park

Press release from National Trust (18 August 2025)

LATEST HEN HARRIER FLEDGLINGS RECEIVE PROTECTIVE SATELLITE TAGS IN THE PEAK DISTRICT

  • Two hen harrier chicks from a nest found on National Trust land, raised by the adult birds featured on Springwatch, have been tagged to protect them from persecution.  
  • The RSPB tagged the chicks thanks to support from the National Trust and the Peak District National Park, and with the help of the Peak District Raptor Study Group.
  • Satellite tagging provides a valuable insight into the preferences and behaviour of these birds, as well as building vital evidence to enable their protection.
  • Hen harriers are one of the UK’s most persecuted birds.

Two hen harrier chicks, hatched from a nest on moorland in the care of the National Trust in the Peak District, have been fitted with satellite tags by the RSPB to protect them from persecution1.

At the same time as providing location data, the satellite tags will provide vital information about the behaviour of this threatened species and an insight into roosting, breeding and foraging sites. The tried and tested method also helps to gather evidence in the fight against criminal activity. Each year in England, around 30 chicks are fitted with these tags.

Specially trained officers from the RSPB fitted the tags, thanks to funding from the National Trust and the Peak District National Park. The organisations are working together along with the Peak District Raptor Study Group to give birds of prey like Hen Harriers the best chance of survival in the area.

The chicks tagged were part of a brood of three chicks from the same nest who have now successfully fledged. They are the offspring of the adult birds which featured on the BBC’s Springwatch earlier this year, spectacularly passing food mid-air.

Successful Hen Harrier breeding attempt on National Trust moorland in Peak District National Park. Photo: Peak District Raptor Study Group

The news of the successful nest has been met with cautious celebration by the conservation partners involved, as the presence of nests and fledging chicks shows efforts to create the right habitats for the birds are taking effect2. However, there is still much to do to protect this important bird of prey from the threats it faces from habitat loss and persecution.

This is the eighth nest attempt to have been recorded over the past five years in the Peak District. Last year there were only 34 nests in the UK compared to 49 in 2022. There are only around 30-40 breeding pairs of hen harriers in England.

Craig Best, General Manager in the Peak District at the National Trust said:

“We have been working hard with our partners to create ideal habitats to attract red-listed birds and provide good homes for them when they move to moorland landscapes over the spring and summer. A significant amount of time and investment is made to do this. These birds need moorland where you find a variety of plants and animals. We’re restoring peatland and ensuring wetlands and grasslands can host a good mix of species which means these habitats become a good place for small birds and voles too, which are a vital food for hen harriers and their young.

“It is wonderful to see successful nests on the land in our care because it is a good indicator that our work is providing them with the conditions they need. However, we need to be cautious and vigilant because despite being legally protected, persecution is still one of the biggest threats to these special birds of prey in the Peak District and across the UK.

“This is harder to address, but we’re taking action to combat these illegal practices. We’re working closely with our partners in the Police, Statutory Agencies, the Raptor Monitoring Group and the RSPB. One way we do this is by supporting tagging the birds and tracking their movements.

“I am delighted that we have been able to give these two chicks this extra protection, and that the data they provide will provide evidence to tackle illegal activity as well as support our conservation efforts.”

One of the two Hen Harrier chicks being satellite-tagged on National Trust moorland in Peak District National Park. Photo by Ant Messenger

Mark Thomas, Head of Investigations at the RSPB said:

“Satellite-tagging of Hen Harriers has been a game changer; it tells us what habitats the birds are using and informs us of the place and reason for any mortality. For a persecuted species this is vital, to inform police investigations, to document associated land uses and to lobby for policy outcomes that aim to provide a better future. The RSPB believes that is through the licensing of grouse shooting, a pragmatic solution to tackle the record high levels of illegal killing in the last five years.”

For example, a recent successful tracking of another hen harrier, fitted with a satellite tag by Natural England on National Trust land in 2022, also returned to the Peak District earlier this year. The tracking data shows the extensive flight-path of the bird, which travels down to Cornwall during the winter months, before returning to the Peak District each summer, flying approximately over 550 miles between wintering sites and breeding grounds and choosing to spend time in the moorland habitat, not far from where it fledged, after stopping off in Wales along the way. 

Phil Mulligan, Chief Executive Officer at the Peak District National Park said:

“It is vital for our ecosystems and the health of the landscape in the Peak District National Park that we do all that we can to welcome and protect these stunning birds of prey. I look forward to the day when there is a healthy population of hen harriers here. It is great to hear that hen harriers which started their life in the Peak District will help us gather important data to improve the chances of the species in the future.”

Editor’s notes:

  1. Despite having the highest level of protection under UK law and a designated species of high conservation concern, Hen Harriers are being illegally killed in the UK.

In the last five years, the number of confirmed and suspected Hen Harrier persecution incidents has increased with 102 recorded between 2020 and 2024. 89% of these incidents took place in northern England. 2023 was notably the worst year on record with 34 Hen Harriers confirmed to have been killed or disappearing under suspicious circumstances. The impact of these crimes is most evident in England with numbers recorded in 2024 representing only one tenth of the upper estimate of potential breeding pairs for England (323-340 pairs) as outlined by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee Report in 2011. Information taken from Hen Harriers in the Firing Line – RSPB report 2025.

2. Work undertaken by the National Trust includes cutting heather to allow a more diverse range of moorland plants such as sphagnum moss, bilberry and cottongrass to grow, which helps attract the different insects and small mammals which the birds rely upon for food.  The charity is also working closely with tenants to ensure their land management practices support the vision for more birds of prey in the area.

ENDS

UPDATE 20 August 2025: Hen Harrier persecution “is very much linked to grouse shooting” – Craig Best, National Trust General Manager, Peak District (here)

Chick success after translocated Golden Eagle breeds with one of ‘our’ wild satellite-tagged birds in south Scotland

One of the translocated Golden Eagles in southern Scotland has bred with one of ‘our’ wild satellite-tagged eagles, resulting in the successful fledging of a male eaglet.

This is the first fledging event from a nest of one of the translocated eagles and marks a major milestone for the South Scotland Golden Eagle Project.

The chick has been named ‘Princeling’ by Sir David Attenborough.

Golden Eagle chick ‘Princeling’ having a satellite tag fitted (Photo copyright Ian Georgeson)

The breeding pair got together in 2024 and built up a nest but didn’t breed. That’s not unusual behaviour for young Golden Eagles who can take up to six years to mature, although in areas where there’s little competition for territories (e.g. through depletion of the population by persecution, as in south Scotland), breeding can happen much earlier.

Emma, the female, had been translocated to south Scotland in 2021 and was named by the Scottish Government’s then Biodiversity Minister, Lorna Slater MSP, in memory of the women’s rights and equality advocate, Emma Ritch.

Keith, the male, fledged from a wild nest in Dumfries & Galloway in 2018 and was named Keith after a member of the local Raptor Study Group. He was satellite-tagged as part of a project run by RPUK and Chris Packham in association with experts from the Scottish Raptor Study Group and we’ve been tracking his movements ever since.

Here he is prior to fledging in 2018 (Keith is on the right, one of his parents on the left). This is footage from a nest camera which are routinely installed (under licence) at nest sites to help researchers monitor young eagles after they’ve been fitted with a satellite tag to ensure the tag/harness is not causing any health or welfare issues.

Photo copyright Scottish Raptor Study Group

After dispersing from his natal territory in November 2018, Keith hung around in Dumfries & Galloway for a few months before then suddenly making a beeline for the border and in to England. He stayed in Northumberland for a while (and was joined by at least one other tagged Golden Eagle that had been translocated to south Scotland) before heading back in to Scotland and heading over to his old haunts in SW Scotland before eventually finding his own territory and settling there in October 2023.

After their unsuccessful breeding attempt in spring 2024, Keith and Emma were photographed together in October 2024 on a camera trap at a food platform provided by the South Scotland Golden Eagle Project. They looked to be in excellent condition:

Keith on the right, with the much larger female Emma. Photo copyright South Scotland Golden Eagle Project

The location of their successful breeding attempt this year has had to remain a secret because, as we’ve seen, (here and here) Golden Eagles, along with many other raptor species, still face the threat of illegal persecution in this region and beyond.