A round-the-clock watch at a nest built by one of Britain's rarest birds has paid off - with five chicks making an appearance.
The hen harrier chicks hatched at a secret location in the Northumberland in the north of England.
The creatures are under threat from hunters and a team of bird-lovers have been watching the nest 24 hours a day.
There as few as 15 pairs of breeding hen harriers in the country, so the chicks are very important.
One of the team said: "This is better than we could ever have hoped for.
"It is more important than ever that we maintain the 24-hour guard on the nest over the coming weeks."
Hen harriers eat red grouse chicks and, because grouse shooting is popular, some land-owners don't like the birds being on their land.
Home
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
