CONSERVATIONISTS trying to save one of England's most endangered birds of prey were yesterday celebrating a major success in their campaign.

Six hen harriers have been safely reared in the Yorkshire Dales in what is the first successful breeding in the area in the past nine years.

A nest was discovered in April by members of the Yorkshire Dales Upland Bird Study Group and has been closely monitored.

The pair of birds managed to hatch and rear all six eggs over the summer without any mishaps.

The chicks have been wing-tagged to help collect as much detail as possible about them as they mature into adult birds.

Radio tags have also been fitted to some of the chicks to allow English Nature field workers to follow their progress once they have left the nest, providing detailed information on feeding areas and their movements.

Although once widespread, the hen harrier is regarded as close to extinction in England and the recovery project is seen as vital to its survival.

Co-ordinator Richard Saunders said: "We are absolutely delighted that this pair of birds has managed to raise six healthy chicks. But we still have a long way to go before we can be satisfied that hen harriers can survive in England without our help in the wild."

* Anyone wanting to report a hen harrier sighting or to find out more about the project is asked to contact Mr Saunders on (01539) 792800.