A BIRDS of prey report has revealed there were 15 hen harrier nesting attempts across the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale last year.

But, while the number, the highest recorded in the combined areas, has been welcomed by David Butterworth, the chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, he has warned against complacency, and says illegal persecution still goes on and birds continue to go missing.

The report states: "In 2023 there were a total of 15 nesting attempts in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale National Landscape with 12 successfully fledging 47 young. This represents the highest number of nesting attempts recorded in the area."

In 2022 there were 10 hen harrier nesting attempts across the area with six of those proving successful.

In addition, at least two pairs of Marsh Harriers were observed nest building in Nidderdale in 2022 with at least one brood of young fledged. This represents the first successful breeding in the area for this species.

However, despite the best efforts of partners and many landowners to engage in bird of prey conservation, there were six confirmed persecution incidents recorded in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in 2022, compared to 10 confirmed incidents within both protected landscapes in 2020 and seven in 2021.

Data for 2023 will be released later this year. Additionally, Natural England reports 11 tagged hen harriers as ‘missing fate unknown’ across the area in 2022 and 2023.

Mr Butterworth said: “I applaud the efforts of local landowners who are undertaking bird of prey conversation across the national park and it’s hugely encouraging to see Natural England reporting the growth in hen harriers at a 200-year high in England.

"However, persecution still persists and birds are still going missing so we mustn’t kid ourselves that it’s job done. We will continue to work with partners and others to finally see an end to the mindless killing of these incredible birds”.

The report says there was a reduction in shooting and poisoning cases in 2022 compared to 2020 and 2021, but adds there may have been fewer cases sent for testing because many of the dead birds of prey that were sent for testing to Defra for avian influenza did not undergo any further analysis to identify cause of death and were incinerated whether they tested positive or not.

Killing birds of prey is illegal. Anyone with concerns about a possible wildlife crime should call 101, and anyone witnessing a suspected wildlife crime should call 999 and ask for the Police.

Find the full report at: https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk