A female Montagu’s Harrier looks very similar to a female Hen Harrier. They can be rather difficult to tell apart unless you are familiar with the two species (or one of them very well). Both are brown, the same shape and with a white rump.
Did you see the item on the One Show yesterday about Montagu’s Harriers? Aren’t they lovely birds?!
Montagu‘s Harriers are being satellite-tagged – as are Hen Harriers – so that we can understand more about their movements and their longevity. Two British-tagged birds have already moved to West Africa.
Mike Dilger’s report was all about how he hoped that we would be able to follow the movements of ‘Mo’ as she migrated to Africa and then returned to the UK. However, ‘Mo’ (named after LUSH’s owner’s, Mark Constantine’s, wife) has suddenly disappeared in north Norfolk – in the area near Great Bircham (where the windmill is). Either she was taken by a Red Fox (and the tag taken underground) or the bird may have experienced some calamitous event which stopped the transmitter from working – perhaps like being shot. We’ll probably never know what happened but it is rather unusual.
Ben Koks of the Dutch Montagu’s Harrier Foundation, who fitted the tag, said: “Since 2005 we have tagged 58 Montagu’s harriers, and a sudden loss of signal is exceedingly rare. It is very unusual that an experienced bird like this would abruptly disappear, especially whilst the tag was in the process of sending data, as it had done successfully for the previous few weeks.” And these people know what they are talking about – look at the tags they have on other birds and what fascinating information they are disclosing.
Mark Thomas, RSPB Senior Investigations Officer, said: “There are very few possible reasons for Mo’s disappearance, either she was caught by a fox and the tag was immediately taken underground, or she suffered illegal persecution and her tag was deliberately destroyed. With only seven pairs in the UK the loss of a breeding female is a serious setback to this threatened bird of prey.”
Mike Dilger said: “It’s a very sad situation. I personally helped to tag Mo: she was a beautiful, healthy harrier and by now she should be zipping through the skies of Senegal. This is a tragic loss of an amazing, and rare bird.”
The tag fitted to this bird was sponsored by owner of LUSH Cosmetics, Mark Constantine, who has offered a reward of £5,000 for information on the missing harrier.
The Norfolk Constabulary has launched an investigation into the bird’s disappearance. Anyone with any information about the missing bird is asked to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
For those of you who don’t know north Norfolk, Great Bircham is close to the Sandringham Estate, and quite close to the Holkham Estate too.
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The closest estate appears to be Houghton.
Altogether too many estates, too many gamekeepers, too many pheasants.
If anyone swallows the fox idea they are as silly as a fox who swallows a sat.tag. I had the privilege of watching the male from this nest hunting on a number of occasions – such a stunningly beautiful bird and so precious. I could not commit to paper what I would like to do to those who are responsible for the death of the female. But I have no doubt no one will ever get to the truth. There is no integrity/honour anymore on estates which farm pheasants or grouse. Its all about money.
Watching a schedule one bird from the nest, Hopefully you had the required permit for a schedule one bird Stella. This species has nested with mixed results for nearly 6 years and more with no persecution so why now? In fact apart from one incident at/near Sandringham I would hardly put North Norfolk as wildlife crime hotspot. I have seen Marsh, Hen and Montague in this county. I have also seen on one time a Hen Harrier drift across a shoot, there was a solitary whistle blast, the shooting stopped, the bird drifted across towards me and my camera, clear of the shooting there was then two whistle blasts and the shooting continued, Harrier in one piece.
I have seen however a Marsh Harrier hit by a car(mine) and dropped it into a rspca shelter where it died from it injuries (oct’2008) and have found numerous Barn Owl’s….ever considered this? After all negative comments can easily turn good hunters to bad, if they believe they are judged to be bad…get the evidence first and if it turns out to be foul play I will say sorry for this comment, if it turns out to be a fox kill or collision will YOU say sorry?
Joe, as this happened 6 weeks ago, I’d say the fact that the detail has leaked now suggests there has already been a fair bit of investigation into what happened? It’s the proof that’s likely the sticking point,
On the subject of the satellite tags, do some of these transmit continuously? From following the cuckoos, I’d understood that their transmitters only transmitted for short and intermittent periods. Anyone know how it works?
Ever considered the tags have stopped working and the bird is fine, technology and all
Joe – could be a possibility.
I understand Stella to mean that she has watched this particular bird not that she did so from anywhere close to the nest. I don’t think a permit would be required to enter anywhere within the home range of the bird which according to BWP can be within a radius of as much as 8 or even 12 kilometres or the nest.
These so called countrymen could barely tell a tree sparrow from a house sparrow, never mind two species of raptor. They’re all the same to them.
What are the chances of a fox catching a Montagu’s Harrier that isn’t even on a nest?
What are the chances of a Montagu’s Harrier being shot near Norfolk ‘sporting’ estates?
No further questions Your Honour.
Well a Montague Harrier bred OK in North Norfolk apart from foxes almost getting it until landowner put a wire mesh fence up, then that made it obvious to us birders and many were arrested for disturbing it, 12 in total, REMEMBER THAT! I could also repeat what one worker said about a French tagged bird that turned up at Minsmere but that’s been said before, so before screaming persecution let’s have the facts to hand