SLOWLY, WE CRAWLED uphill in the Land Rover along a rough, stony road that cut between two high fells, listening intently to the irregular pulse of Stephen Murphy's radio receiver. An expert employed by Natural England to monitor the Forest of Bowland's hen harriers, Stephen had given up his Saturday to meet me early that morning in the lovely village of Slaidburn, and just after Sam we headed off in search of the female harrier he had seen 'sky-dancing' only the day before. Would she still be theretoday, I wondered - it was asking a lot to see such a rare British bird on my first attempt.
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