Here is the moment we promised - video from a helicopter survey for nesting raptors in Alaska. Bryce Robinson filmed this on 13 May 2015 while conducting aerial surveys for Gyrfalcons on the Seward Peninsula. As you can see, a helicopter is a great platform for finding all sorts of raptor nests on the tundra. Gyrfalcons, Golden Eagles, and Rough-legged Hawks are all out there, but nests are perched high on cliffs, and separated by tens of miles. Only by flying can we cover this much ground and get the data we need to monitor and manage populations of these raptors.
It's worth saying that helicopter surveys in 2015 were funded by the Eppley Foundation for Scientific Research. Thank you very much for making this possible.