Skydancer Day will celebrate its 6th year of upland wildlife and Hen Harrier conservation by livestreaming on YouTube from Nottinghamshire today.
The annual event, which falls on May 9 this year – one day after Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday – is organised by wildlife charity Hen Harrier Action and this year it will take place at Attenborough Nature Reserve southwest of Nottingham city centre.
Also known as ‘skydancers’ due to their iconic courtship display, Hen Harriers have been suffering from illegal persecution primarily by managed grouse shooting estates, making their presence and their spectacular spring display a rare occurrence.
Hen Harrier Action’s co-chair Paul Samuels said: “They look terrific, they are fantastic looking birds, and it’s always so exciting seeing one.
“However, the numbers of breeding pairs we should have is way higher than what we do have, so as a species they’re not doing well at all.”
During a skydance the male performs several aerial sequences in flight, involving climbs, plunges and rolls, culminating in a food pass, where the male drops a prey item to the female in mid-air, while she flips on her back to catch the offering.
This year’s livestream starts at 11am and will include a mix of films and live interviews and it will be hosted by naturalist Lauren Cook and television presenter Ajay Tegala.
Tegala said: “One thing I’m especially excited about this year will be opening the moth trap and trying to identify on-air which species of moths we’ve managed to find.
“It’s so much fun because you never know for sure what you’re going to get!”
The show will also include a segment about the Wildlife Trust’s ambition to reintroduce the European elk, a species once native to Britain, which became extinct around 3000 years ago.
Viewers will also receive exclusive updates from the UK Wildlife Crime Unit and the RSPB Investigations Team on bird crime in the UK.
The Attenborough Nature Reserve was opened in 1966 by Sir David and is home to hundreds of birds including kingfishers, bitterns, sand martins, as well as otters and a variety of plant and insect species.
Skydancer day will be available to watch here: https://youtube.com/live/W1LhQJ1wYos
Featured image: male Hen Harrier in flight (by Wikimedia Commons)
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