Nature features

For dedicated birders, there can be few more satisfying jobs than being able to help protect the nest of a threatened bird of prey.

In April 2008, it was confirmed that a pair of hen harriers, one of England's rarest birds, was nesting in North Tynedale. At the beginning of May, it was revealed the pair was incubating six eggs.

And on 27 May it was announced that all six eggs had hatched. The first hatched on 15 May and the last on 23 May.

On 2 June, sadly it was revealed that one of the chicks had died. It was last seen on 27 May but had disappeared by the following afternoon.

Phil describes the birds as spectacular

The chick was the last of the six to hatch and it is believed it was not able to compete with the others for food.

When the chicks were ringed in June, it was discovered they were all female.

By 23 July, the five chicks were all successfully airborne. The chicks' movements over the coming months will be monitored thanks to miniature radio transmitters carried by the birds.

The birds' arrival signalled the start of a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week operation to keep watch over the nest.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says illegal killing or deliberate disturbance is considered the main reason why hen harriers are absent from almost all areas of moorland in northern England.

Spectacular birds

The nest guard was coordinated by Phil Curtis and involved a team of up to 35 volunteers.

The 49-year-old former firefighter has been involved with hen harriers since 2002 and 2008 was the third year the birds have been in Tynedale. Speaking to him it is quickly apparent how passionate he is about protecting the birds.

He said: "I have always been interested in birds and birds of prey in particular.

Phil watches images from the nest camera

"Once you fully understand the plight of these birds and see and study them at close quarters and see them fail - it's a passion, it's an obsession. You feel as if you can do more for these birds."

He describes the birds as "spectacular" and says the male birds' courtship displays are amazing to see.

Phil said since 2006, there have been five hen harrier nests in the area and three have failed.

In 2006, a female bird left her nest and shortly afterwards shots were heard and she was not seen again but a second female raised three chicks.

In 2007, eggs vanished from a nest. The female had another clutch but then disappeared. Another female had five chicks.

Stiff penalties

In England, the RSPB recorded 15 successful hen harrier nests in 2007. Research has shown that the uplands of England could support up to 200 pairs of nesting harriers.

In April 2008, the charity warned that illegal shooting was threatening the survival of Britain's bird of prey population.

It believes some killings are being carried out by those who see birds of prey as a threat to the grouse shooting industry.

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) has said it condemns persecution of birds of prey.

Screen showing the female hen harrier on the nest

Hen harriers feed on rodents and small birds and sometimes kill grouse chicks.

Those found guilty of killing birds of prey can face penalties of up to £5,000 and a jail sentence for repeat offending.

Unique job

Phil had a team of up to 35 volunteers and there were two shifts each day to guard the nest - between 8am and 8pm and then 8pm to 8am.

He praised the team for their dedication and enthusiasm for the job and said they are all there because they want the opportunity to do something positive and make a difference.

He said it is a unique job and they all felt it was a privilege to be there.

The nest watch is a partnership between the RSPB and Forestry Commission with support from the Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club.

The aim is to be a deterrent to prevent anyone from approaching the nest.

There was a security camera over the nest and one covering the approaches to it. Those guarding the nest had telescopes and night vision equipment.

Images from the cameras were fed back into a trailer near the site. Solar panels were used to power a generator which was used for the screen where the images were shown along with a gas cooker which the volunteers used for food and drinks.

Rewarding job

One of the things Phil was keen to do was raise awareness of the hen harriers and having the images from the nest was a great way to do that. If walkers were passing by and were interested they were invited in to watch the images and find out more about the hen harriers.

Phil said coordinating the nest watch is a physically and mentally demanding job but said his rewards come from seeing the birds and seeing other people enjoy them.

He said: "Having spent time here you do bond. You do get involved and it does become quite personal.

"When these birds take their first flight the months of hard work is made worth it."

Dave McKeown and Mike Emerson are volunteers

Volunteers Dave McKeown and Mike Emerson agreed that it is a very special role. Both are keen birders.

Dave works for North Tyneside Council and helps people with learning disabilities to live independently and Mike works in environmental services for Gateshead Council.

Dave said: "I have always been into bird-watching. You always want to put something back into what you get out of it.

He said he had learnt a lot from other people working on the nest watch.

"They are beautiful birds and it is doing something worthwhile. It is a privilege to see them here in our own back garden, so to speak," he said.

Positive experience

Mike agreed and said he also loves to be out in the countryside.

He said: "Just look around. I spend most of my time in an office so coming out here is great.

"To be here at dawn is phenomenal when the dawn chorus fires up, or last thing at night. It's really stunning."

The nest watch was carried on until the young birds had hatched and flown.

Phil's ultimate hope is that at some point there will no longer be a need for the nest protection but he believes it will carry on for the foreseeable future. His ultimate hope is for a self-sustaining population of hen harriers in England.

He said despite the negative aspect of there being a need for the nest guard, it is a project to be proud of.

He said: "There are so many positives here. It's a really positive experience and we can take away an awful lot from this including introducing other people to the birds."