Helping hand for our Curlews
Sam’s role as Curlew and People Officer for Curlew Connections Wales* is part of a 3 year project to work closely with landowners and farmers to improve the population of the diminishing curlew. Sam explained that curlew numbers have been severely depleted because of cutting for silage which clashes with bird nesting and chick rearing, plus forestry and increased numbers of predators. The purpose of the project partly is to identify breeding sites and then to monitor and protect nests with electric fencing so that the adults can incubate the eggs and rear the chicks until they are ready to fly at 6 weeks old. Because the nests are on the ground, they are in danger of predators such as badgers and foxes. The most common habitats used by the birds is semi-improved grassland and dry heathland.
Volunteers and farmers have been very involved in finding the sites within the 12 specific ‘Important Curlew Areas’ across Wales. Part of Sam’s remit is to support farmers to adapt their farming practices in nest fields to give Curlew chicks a chance to survive and thrive. So far 40 farmers have been involved in the monitoring stage with 25 able to support further into the Spring and Summer. As a farmer herself, Sam understands the challenges of balancing conservation and a farm business. Some farmers have been exceptionally supportive and have enjoyed having curlews on their fields. They have been able to identify 6 Curlew breeding hotspots in Rhydtalog and Llandegla Moor and village, in the Berwyn Mountains above Llandrillo and Morwynion Valley, Glyn Ceiriog, Dee Valley and Mynydd Mynyllod. Through the project they have been able to identify just under 40 Curlew pairs. Almost 40 acres of productive grassland was left unmown until August last year to encourage breeding of the curlews. These farms were reimbursed in recognition of income forgone. Another 30 acres of rich hay fields across various small farms was left uncut by supportive landowners.
In order to sustain the UK Curlew population each pair would need to produce 3 chicks every 5 years. At the moment, even with the help of the community because of the low survival rate of chicks, the current rate of the identified pairs only equates to one in 5 years. Low seasonal temperature and low volume of insects which the chicks feed on, and a high population of predators all exacerbate the success of a chick developing into an adult.
Sam and the rest of the project staff have managed to get their message to over 10,000 people through their community engagement. However further education about the risk to Wales Curlew is needed as well as teaching people to help wildlife and livestock in general by keeping dogs on leads and keeping their distance from breeding grounds. Keeping to footpaths especially around farming land is vitally important so we can give the Curlew, and other ground nesting birds, a chance.
A Curlew Celebration Event will be held in Chirk Castle on March 14th. 10am- 12pm .All Welcome and for more information keep an eye out on the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley National Landscape social media channels.
You can watch a short film about the Curlew’s plight ‘ Stunned by Silence here with sound track by David Gray.
*Curlew Connections Wales is a conservation project supported by Welsh Government’s ‘Nature Networks Fund’, delivered by the Heritage Lottery Fund. One million pounds has been allocated to support breeding curlew in Wales, focusing on three ‘Important Curlew Areas’. As a collaborative, GWCT is leading in Montgomeryshire alongside partners in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB and Bannau Brychieniog National Park.
Curlew Connections Wales aims to tackle the key issues driving the low breeding success of curlew, monitoring and understanding curlew populations within these areas, implementing predator management and habitat works at the forefront. With breeding curlew predicted to be extinct in Wales by 2033, an important aspect of the project is to connect the landscape and people to these iconic birds. A team of dedicated Curlew and People Officers are working closely with farmers, landowners and land managers, alongside a workforce of volunteers to improve the fledging success of local populations of curlew throughout Wales.