Uplands Blog

Grouse moors appear to form important refuges for breeding merlin. However, recent merlin declines have been suggested to be due to intensified cutting and burning of heather to favour grouse, thereby reducing both the availability of tall heather for nesting and the numbers of small birds, particularly meadow pipits, which themselves have declined by 40% between 1970 and 2010 and are currently on the amber list of Birds of Conservation Concern.

The period immediately following sunrise is usually said to be the best time to survey for most diurnal species, but was it the same for pipits?

With the merlin gone for the winter, we have been busy in the uplands taking field measurements to understand what makes habitats suitable for nesting merlin. As merlin are specially protected, it is important that they are not disturbed while they are breeding, so we collect these measurements after the breeding season ends.

The Uplands team are pleased to deliver some new research from the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project.

The Uplands team are pleased to deliver some new research. Please see below abstracts from two of our published papers from this year.

Scotland hosts two thirds of the remaining 5,000 black grouse males in the UK, where they occupy moorland and woodland fringe habitats. The last national survey in 2005 identified overall stability in northern areas, but 49% and 69% declines in the southeast and southwest.

For many years, the GWCT and others have used a figure of 75% for the percentage of upland heather moorland found in the UK. Some have questioned the basis of that estimate and we discuss it here.

This week saw the 12th North of England Grouse Seminar in Harrogate, run by the GWCT’s Uplands Research Team. Almost 200 delegates with a wide variety of backgrounds gathered to listen to the most up-to-date science around moorland management.

The GWCT Uplands Team are delighted to deliver an updated version of our medicated grit best practice guidelines.