Harriers jet into the sky near Glasgow
The stars of Glasgow's own wildlife soap opera - four hen harrier chicks - have donned their L-plates and taken to the skies after days of anticipation.
Hundreds of visitors to Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, near Lochwinnoch, have been following the day-to-day antics of the local family, watching CCTV images of mum and dad working flat-out to bring in record numbers of prey items. Their patience was finally rewarded when the chicks successfully left the nest, taking to the air one by one.
The hen harrier still remains one of our most threatened birds and the project, part of the RSPB's Aren't Birds Brilliant! Initiative, gives visitors a unique opportunity to experience their day-to-day lives first hand. As well as on camera, guided walks enable people to see the birds out on the moorland.
Kirsty Norrie, the Project's Hen Harrier Information Officer, said: "This is a fantastic boost to the hen harrier population in Scotland. Hopefully these youngsters will continue to thrive, learn to hunt, and one day return to the Park to raise their own chicks."
"There are only around 600 pairs of hen harriers found in the UK, and 2% of these breed in the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, so it is a brilliant to have four chicks fledged already."
There's still plenty of opportunity to see live images of these charismatic birds as the youngsters will continue to return to the nest to be fed for the next few weeks. There are also free guided walks available every Saturday at 2pm until the 23rd July, so you might even see a hen harrier in real life. There is a free bus service running at 1pm on Sat 14 July from Lochwinnoch to Muirshiel.
The visitor centre can be found off the A737 Paisley/Kilwinning road and by following signs for Lochwinnoch. Then take the B786, following signs for Muirshiel. For more information and to book a place on a guided walk or get a lift on Sat 14th, call 01505 842 803. You can also visit the website at www.rspb.org.uk/brilliant or read the 2007 Hen Harrier Blog at www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk.
