22/06/2026
💚 Sorrel the Hen Harrier: still flying, still breeding, still inspiring hope
Some birds become more than a sighting. They become a story. Sorrel is one of those birds.
Ringed and satellite-tagged as a young Hen Harrier in 2016, Sorrel has spent nearly a decade showing just how remarkable, resilient and wide-ranging these birds can be. From Langholm to Dumfries & Galloway, Arran, the Cairngorms, Geltsdale and Kielder, her journeys have connected landscapes, conservationists, volunteers, raptor workers and local communities across Britain and Ireland.
This year, we’re delighted to share that Sorrel’s latest brood have now been ringed, another positive chapter in the life of an extraordinary bird.
Hen Harrier conservation rightly attracts close interest, particularly around tagging, nest monitoring and the welfare of individual birds. The Hawk and Owl Trust has supported Sorrel’s monitoring since the beginning, when she was fitted with a satellite tag as a young bird in 2016, and her story shows why careful, licensed and experienced monitoring remains so valuable.
Long-term tracking helps build a clearer picture of where these birds travel, the pressures they face, where breeding attempts succeed or fail, and where protection is most needed. In Sorrel’s case, almost a decade of information has helped connect conservationists, raptor workers and local teams across different landscapes, enabling them to share knowledge and work together responsibly.
Continuing this work matters because every season adds to what we know, supports better protection for Hen Harriers, and gives birds like Sorrel, and now her newly ringed young, the best possible chance.
Sorrel has successfully fledged multiple broods, endured failed nesting attempts, travelled huge distances, and returned year after year to raise young. She is proof that long-term conservation can make a difference — and that every surviving, breeding Hen Harrier matters.
We are proud to be part of her story, grateful to everyone who has helped monitor and protect her over the years, and thrilled that another generation of Hen Harriers is now taking its place in the skies.
Here’s to Sorrel, her newly ringed brood, and everyone working quietly, carefully and responsibly for the future of these magnificent birds. 🐣🦅
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