June 2009

THE overriding feature of May has been the miserable weather: day after day of low cloud, drizzle and rain along with low temperatures. Much of this weather came from the East, which, as the old saying goes, is not fit for man nor beast.

Whatever the weather, the grouse have no choice but to get on with it. They have sat and hatched in far from ideal conditions. Grouse are more robust than other game bird chicks and need far less insects in their diet, as they are able to switch to new green heather rich in goodness. All of the radio tagged birds eggs' have hatched, having been checked regularly over the 24-day incubation period. The cut strips and other bare areas on the moor allow us to spot brood muck or sitting foil – large droppings left by the hen – when we see these, we know there's a nest not far away. Two of the radio tagged grouse were killed during the nesting period – both by birds of prey and both in the same vicinity. I suspect that a buzzard took them while they were feeding away from their nests. Another nest failed, but the hen is fine. This might be due to disturbance by humans, as the nest was very close to a popular walking route.

The weather has had an effect on raptors, too. A peregrine nest appeared to be washed out, but the birds have nested again in an old raven's nest and have one chick. The harriers all but disappeared during May and, as time drifted on, we wondered whether we would have any nests this year. But, low and behold, and despite hours of observation, we recently discovered that a pair had settled in a new area. The hen has laid five eggs and is currently incubating them. Cameras have been set up to monitor the nest. However, because of the irregularity of the pair, none of the pre-lay diversionary feeding put out at the original suspected site of the nest was taken. There is another pair about, but it is not yet clear what their intentions are, as they are very elusive. There is definitely one pair of merlins with four eggs and an additional pair, although their nest has not been found.
All the raven's nests have been successful, albeit producing smaller broods than last year.

The moor is now many shades of green, with the bracken about to engulf everything underneath it for another year; yellow tormentil and the bright pink cranberry flower add a touch of colour, cotton grass waves in the wind and the moss is crowned with golden capulets. On the odd sunny day, adders make the most of a glimpse of the sun and the day-flying emperor moths emerge from their Kevlar-like cocoons eagerly looking for a mate.

On a practical note, I am delighted that the moorland tracks that had become virtually impassable have now been repaired, which will enable us to carry out our duties in a more efficient and safe way. Access on the moor remains a key issue, particularly as the locations of this year's harrier nests are further off the beaten track than last year and will take longer to feed.