Hen Harrier Returns to Wicken Fen

The first Hen Harrier of the winter was recorded at Wicken Fen on Sunday 8 November.

The Hen Harrier is England's rarest bird of prey although the Harrier is a frequent visitor to Wicken Fen in the cold winter months. The best time to see Hen Harriers is at dusk when the Harriers come in to roost on Wicken's ancient Sedge Fen.

During the breeding season Harriers head to the uplands of Northern England, Wales and Scotland returning to lowland areas such as the fens for the cold winter months.

Research conducted by Natural England and the RSPB indicate that a combination of a harsh winter and a possible shortage of prey in the spring meant that some pairs failed to breed this year with only six successful Hen Harrier nests recorded nationally.

The arrival of the first harrier was recorded by National Trust volunteer and former Warden, Ralph Sargeant, who visits the fen every evening during the winter to watch the harriers come into roost. According to Ralph the best time to see the harriers is on a slightly windy night when the birds can spend up to an hour flying over Sedge Fen before dropping down to roost:

"On a still night the harriers arrive late and drop straight down into the Sedge to roost. If it's windy they may not be able to hear predators moving around in the Sedge and so spend plenty of time flying over the sedge searching for potential danger before landing to roost".