A new report released by WildLand Cairngorm follows the stories of young birds of prey as they navigate the Highlands and demonstrates the positive impact that restoration work has had on native raptors in the region.

^{A Goshawk fitted with a solar tag. Credit: Ronan Dugan}

Since 2019, WildLand Cairngorm has been working on a tagging and monitoring initiative for Hen Harriers, Golden Eagles and Goshawk on their estates in the Cairngorms National Park. The information gathered from the tags has increased the understanding and safeguarding of these vulnerable birds. Over the past five years the data from the tags has offered experts a deeper insight into their habitat requirements which in turn has altered the way the land in which they nest is managed, thereby offering the birds greater protection.

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Through this project, WildLand Cairngorms is proud to have witnessed and documented the resurgence of species such as the Hen Harrier. A valuable asset to the regenerating ecosystem, during 2022 and 2023 the team were pleased to record a 100% survival rate for their Harrier nests. The Golden Eagle has also increased in numbers in the region – from four breeding pairs in 2021 to seven in 2023. And 2021 saw two pairs of Goshawk, previously persecuted to extinction in the UK, breed successfully on WildLand for the first time.

Over the last five years the team at WildLand Cairngorms has been able to track the movements of the raptors, gaining a better understanding of their movements, threats and requirements to assist their long term productivity. They can see that their birds have travelled extensively across the Highlands – with some Golden Eagles being tracked as far as the Inner Hebrides!

^{Tracked Golden Eagle flights lines, as recorded by Wildland Cairngorm}

Ronan Dugan, Field Ecologist at WildLand Limited, explained, “The tagging and monitoring has allowed us to make careful observations of the birds across their suitable habitats which has been fascinating and incredibly useful. For example, we observed the Hen Harrier most frequently nests on our regenerating native moorland. This is encouraging as we know as conditions improve we will have ample and more resilient habitat for them in the future. The expansion of native woodland in the Cairngorms has been extremely important for the return of the Goshawk and the prey they depend on. An elusive predator of the forest and open spaces, we are very grateful to have goshawk back breeding in the landscape, adding to the important predator prey balance in a rapidly regenerating large scale conservation area.”

WildLand Cairngorm has also been working closely with partners from out with the region to bolster numbers of Golden Eagle. Once widespread throughout southern Scotland, only a handful of pairs of breeding Golden Eagle remain in the region. With little breeding success and little movement between the main Scottish population of eagles, in 2021 WildLand Cairngorm were please to be able to facilitate the translocation of a single Golden Eagle chick to reinforce the southern population.

Ronan discussed, “One pair of Golden Eagles within WildLand Cairngorm has been very productive in recent years - they have hatched twins for four consecutive years. The provision of this young Eagle to the South of Scotland Project and the wider collaboration it has brought has been very beneficial. We are delighted to hear that the chick is doing well in its new home and hope it will have a long and productive life.”

Ronan continued, “Here at WildLand, and indeed the greater Cairngorms Connect partnership area, we are very fortunate to focus our efforts into the landscape scale restoration of the land. It is truly wonderful to witness and document the resurgence of species. We feel projects such as our tagging initiative complement the restoration work we are undertaking on our land. We will endeavour to continue our efforts in giving our cherished wildlife the best home we can. In addition, we hope our tags and transparent communications will keep our birds safe as they travel further afield.

“Providing a safe and regenerating refuge for these birds is the best way to bolster their national population and so we will continue to monitor our tagged birds and breeding population at WildLand Cairngorm closely.”

^{Ronan Dugan, Wildland limited Field Ecologist. Credit: Ronan Dugan}

WildLand Cairngorm, encompassing Gaick, Glenfeshie, Killiehuntly and Kinrara, works to restore parts of the Scottish Highlands to their former natural splendour and to enable a more sustainable future. Their goal is to protect and regenerate old growth forest, regenerate woodland as part of a recovering mosaic of habitats across the Cairngorms region, enrich biodiversity and preserve and enhance the human infrastructure and opportunities of the WildLand estates. Recovering habitats at scale may allow the return of missing key species in time, the natural return of some long missed raptors being a good example.

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^{Main image: Male Hen Harrier. Credit: Ronan Dugan}