Unusual Hen harrier behaviour, Orkney. (1 Viewer)

[dafi]

I saw something I have never seen before tonight. As I was coming away from Russadale quarry I had the dog running on a right good bit in front and was messing about in the heather just off the track. A hen harrier came over Chris's house down the field and over the heather. It made for the dog and circled around it five or six times. It really looked as if it was looking to nail anything the dog would have put in to the air. I might be assuming a lot here but it really looked like it was taking advantage of the dog buldering about. Has anybody ever seen a wild bird interacting with a dog like this ?

 

[delia todd]

That's such interesting behaviour to observe Dafi.

Wildlife is so clever it seems! What did your dog make of it?

 

[Nutcracker]

I'd guess natural behaviour for a bird to look for what wolves might flush, but a very worrying degree of naivety that it hasn't yet discovered that dogs are associated with humans, and therefore with extreme danger. Sadly, that harrier won't last long once it reaches a grouse moor :-C

 

[dafi]

The female in question is likley the breeding female from that area. This track in the heather is a right of way and regularly walked by dog walkers. I wondered if it was learned behavoiur or just an opertunistic occurence. It may have seen mippits going up from the distance and been drawn by them.

Delia, Ty has just started to be alowed to run in the hill and heather over the last week. For months now he has had to stay close to me when we are up the peat hill tracks. The harrier didnt phase him one bit from the look of it although it looked quite close at times. I trained him from the off not to chase cats, rabbits and birds on the shore. Im happy to say that he has picked it up well.....but he is a collie !!¬

 

[delia todd]

I like the sound of Ty Dafi.

 

[stevo]

I'd suggest that it's no different to when a hen harrier is hunting and a merlin follows it to see what the harrier puts up.

Steve.

 

[wolfbirder]

I'd suggest that it's no different to when a hen harrier is hunting and a merlin follows it to see what the harrier puts up.

Steve.

I've seen that several times over the Dee estuary at Parkgate, with Merlins picking off birds in the wake of a hunting Hen harrier, such as Skylarks and pipits.