Newsletter Spring 06 P1-4.Fh11
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Newsletter Spring 2006 SIMON PUTS UP A SIGN ASKING WALKERS TO SIMON PUTS UP A SIGN ASKING WALKERS CARE NOT TO DISTURB NESTING BIRDS TAKE Bowland farmer wins national Beer for hen harriers Bowland Brewery, maker of the fine Hen Harrier conservation award bitter, is helping to protect hen harriers in the Forest of Bowland. A Bowland farmer has been presented with the RSPB's National The brewery, owned and run by master brewer Lapwing Champion award for his achievements for conservation. Richard Baker, is contributing money for each pint of Hen Harrier bitter sold over the bar and for each Simon Stott, who runs Laund Farm near Chipping Simon has been working for some time with the bottle of Hen Harrier bitter sold at the Bashall Barn with his father John, has created the ideal breeding Bowland Wader Project to try to achieve perfect farm shop at Bashall Eaves, north of Clitheroe. habitat for waders by managing fields that were conditions for breeding waders on the farm, The generous donation will go towards funding the once infested with rushes in order to encourage and has enjoyed watching the increase in birds Birds of Bowland hen harrier monitoring scheme, grassland back, and has also created several returning every spring to use his fields for nesting. run by the RSPB and English Nature and supported shallow scrapes to provide important insect-rich For further details of the Lapwing Champion by United Utilities. feeding areas for adults and chicks in the spring. Award and how to enter for 2006 please contact So if you are out and about in Bowland and are He has also put some of his less productive land the Bowland Wader Officer on 01200 426433. feeling parched, you can sink a pint of Hen Harrier into Defra’s Countryside Stewardship Scheme safe in the knowledge that your pint is helping to with the aim of managing it to create good preserve and protect this wonderful bird. conditions for lapwings, redshanks, curlews and snipe. For more information about Bowland Brewery, CHRIS TOMSON you can visit http://www.bowlandbrewery.com/ The judges were impressed with the range of work Simon has done to provide good conditions for breeding waders on his land; they were also Discover Bowland’s birds particularly impressed with his efforts to explain the importance of rush management to so many Learn about how the Forest of Bowland Area other farmers during demonstration events held of Outstanding Beauty is managed for the benefit on his farm in 2004. of wildlife, by joining expert guides from the RSPB United Utilities and English Nature. Walks focusing All the hard work at Laund Farm has resulted in on birds of prey – especially the area’s special bird, a notable increase in birds using the land. In 2003, the hen harrier – will feature alongside migration Simon had four pairs of lapwings. Now, thanks and farm wildlife walks. The cost is £5 per person to the work he has carried out, that figure has (except the farm wildlife walks, which are free risen to approximately 20 pairs in 2005. of charge). All profits go towards funding vital conservation work in the area. To reward his efforts, Simon received a £1,000 cash prize, as well as a silver plaque and a prize For an information leaflet or to book, please kindly donated by Jordans Cereals, who sponsor contact the RSPB’s Anna Sugrue on 01484 the competition. 861148 or e-mail [email protected] Focus on. Upland birds on the United Utilities’ Rush management Bowland estate REDSHANK (CHRIS GOMERSALL, rspb-images.com) After the success with hen harriers in 2004, we waited with bated breath to see what Damp grassland on farmland is a very important the cattle eat the new rush growth, but will would happen in 2005. habitat for breeding birds such as lapwings, destroy the larger tussocks by trampling. redshanks, snipe, curlews and reed buntings. Things got off to a slow start and work was However, damp grassland is very prone to rush If the infestation is bad, then a regime of cutting hampered by poor weather during much of March infestation. and baling in August followed up by weed wiping and April. However, by the end of April we had in September, repeated for two or three years located five hen harrier nests, with the prospect Low levels of rush cover are beneficial to breeding will help to reduce the onset of another rush of more to follow. By the end of May our nest birds as the tussocks provide good cover for infestation, especially if after the mowing and tally had grown to eight and by the end of June, nesting birds and for concealing chicks; heavy weed wiping, the area is grazed with cattle. 11 nests had been found! This was the highest infestations can have a negative affect on the number of nests for at least 15 years. value of the grazing pasture. Finding and keeping The Bowland Wader Project has secured grants this happy medium can be a tricky problem. to help deal with severe rush infestations in areas that hold or used to hold high numbers of breeding Once a field has more than about a 40% cover waders. Using a combination of the techniques of rushes, management by sheep grazing or above, this has delivered significant increases in mowing alone is unlikely to stop the problem breeding waders in a few years – one farm went from worsening. A heavily infested field isn’t from four pairs to 24 pairs of lapwings in a couple just of little use for breeding birds; it is of little of years following rush management work tied or no use for grazing and can be harmful to together with other basic wader management. sheep, amongst other reasons it can be very difficult for wet fleeces to dry out. If you want further advice on dealing with rush infestation or general advice on wader management Cattle grazing after mowing rushes very low on your land, please contact the RSPB Bowland to the ground can be very useful as not only will Wader Officer on 01200 426433. (MARK DARBYSHIRE, DEFRA) HEN HARRIER CHICK, BOWLAND (CHRIS ADAMS) Two of the nests failed during the course of the season, but the remaining nests managed to produce a respectable total of 19 fledged young. The productivity of each pair was down on last year’s exceptional numbers, it was thought that this was due to poor numbers of key prey species, particularly voles. In contrast, the estate’s peregrines had a poor breeding season. We only located six nests compared to the usual seven or eight. In addition, three nests failed completely, whilst the others managed to fledge just five young between them. The fortunes of this species seem to fluctuate widely from year to year, but the recent national survey revealed that they are still increasing in numbers. There were a total of seven merlin nests located. It is believed that six of these nests were successful, but having our hands full with It patrols watercourses (although in many cases hen harriers, little time was devoted to this Upland streams they can wander quite a distance from water) species during the fledging period. during the warmest months of the year. Water courses in the uplands tend to be fairly Ring ouzels are one of the other key species that hostile places, changing in some cases into Given their sometimes violent nature, these we monitor regularly. This year saw their continued raging torrents within minutes of heavy rain. streams often wash away banks, which in turn decline, with only 12 territories located, compared They are also generally poor in nutrients and create new shingle beds. These areas of gravel to 14 last year and as many as 30 in the early can be quite acidic. are quickly colonised by plants such as foxgloves, 1990s. This worrying situation continues to which can create a brilliant sea of purple flowers mirror the national decline. Not surprisingly, the creatures that live in this in late spring and early summer. environment are well adapted to cope with Amongst the songbirds, the stonechat population these harsh conditions. Take the dipper – most The areas of gravel are also used by many insects, continues to increase, with 46 territories found young songbirds leave the nest at about two particularly for sunning themselves. This in turn this year. Also on the increase are wheatears. weeks of age, when feathers have still to finish provides an ideal food source for birds such as In 2004 these smart little birds suffered a minor growing, and in many cases still unable to fly. grey wagtails and common sandpipers. The river population crash, from 27 pairs in 2002 to just However, the dipper’s young don’t fledge until gravels are also the favoured nesting sites of 16 last year. The population stood at 22 pairs this they are nearly three weeks old, thus they enter oystercatchers, the eggs of which blend in so year. Whinchats managed to hold their own this the water fully insulated and waterproofed well with the surrounding stones. year with 19 pairs, compared to 18 last year. against the cold. Reed buntings, after a bumper year in 2004 with These stream valleys, nestled amongst high 18 pairs, experienced a decline to just 11 pairs. One of the most dramatic insects in this country hills, are one of the best places to be on a warm can be found in this type of habitat. The golden- summer’s day.