Recently, I had the privilege of attending Flo Blackbourn’s presentation “When conservation strategies collide: rewilding and the future of waders” at the 2026 conference of the International Wader Study Group. Flo offered a persuasive call for dialogue to find common ground between wader conservationists and rewilders, which resonated with my own background in rewilding and
I want to begin with a swallow, a butterfly and a frog. So often now, we see these creatures through the lens of a problem: climate change, pollution, declining populations, changing land use. Before we have even looked closely, the animals have become evidence of something going wrong. That is true, but it isn’t
This is a summary of the talks from the different countries at the 2026 AEWA conference in Finland. It comes as no surprise to know that there is still much work to do across Europe to protect the birds but it is only through collaboration that we will succeed. The talks from different European countries
The State of Things – An AEWA Conference Summary Read More »
With The Odyssey prompting so much public discussion, perhaps we can learn something from a story that has endured for almost 3,000 years. It survived because generations of people carried it, retold it and found fresh meaning within it. It became part of their cultural inheritance. What would happen if we thought about our conservation
Blog post by Kitty Bushell Love is a verb. It’s a widely-quoted lyric, and an excellent philosophy to follow when it comes to standout species like the Curlew. In recent years, watching and appreciating birds has skyrocketed. Since 2018, birdwatching as a hobby has increased by a notable 47%, led by 16-29 year-olds (welcome to
Love Is A Verb: Why Loving Curlews Must Mean Doing Read More »
Blog written by the Biological Recording Company Curlews are among the UK’s most recognisable and well-loved birds, but sadly their numbers are falling fast. The main problem is that too few chicks are making it to adulthood – but the reasons behind that are complex. As ground-nesting birds, Curlews are especially vulnerable to the changing
Heading south from Insh Marshes, our Scottish tour next takes us to two grouse moors: the Rottal and Glenogil Estates. We visit them on consecutive days to learn more about how Curlews are faring on grouse moors in Scotland, a managed habitat which, in England, is known as one of their last strongholds. Our main takeaway from these two visits is that,
By Flo Blackbourn Heading south from Insh Marshes, our Scottish tour next takes us to two grouse moors: the Rottal and Glenogil Estates. We visit them on consecutive days to learn more about how Curlews are faring on grouse moors in Scotland, a managed habitat which, in England, is known as one of their last strongholds. Our main takeaway from these two
For much of my life, I have been circling the story of the Curlew, trying, and often failing, to find words large enough for it. Science has always mattered to me. Of course it has. We need evidence, data, hard-won observation; we need to know where Curlews still breed, why chicks fail, how water moves through fields, how insects vanish, how policies land on real
Telling the Right Stories: Curlews, Farming, Shakespeare and Us Read More »
Based on a article in British Wildlife, July 2026 Curlews sit at the heart of one of the most important conservation debates of our time – how do we restore nature while also protecting the species that depend on the landscapes we have created? Rewilding has brought huge energy, imagination and ambition to conservation. It asks us to think beyond small fragments of protected
You might have heard the news that the Bank of England has opened the public vote to decide which species will feature on the new £5, £10, £20 and £50 bank notes. The species are split into three categories and two species per category can be selected in the vote. The groups and the species
A Note of Hope: Why the Curlew Needs Its Moment in Circulation Read More »
Alex Large, who presented his project in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, to Curlew Action recently writes: A few weeks ago one of my group came onto the group WhatsApp chat with reports of a sad scene only a few miles from our project area. A farmer had been mowing silage and there were scenes of distressed adult Curlews, whose nests had clearly
Before us lay a vast sweep of peatland beneath a heavy Ayrshire sky. It isn’t wilderness in the true sense but an interweaving mosaic of blanket bog, moorland, wet grassland and grazed fields, shaped by the weather, water and human use. At first glance it seemed unassuming, but its purpose quickly became clear, to support wildlife, and especially the breeding waders for which it has become so important. The reserve lies in East Ayrshire, between Cumnock and Muirkirk, where the
Most people have welcomed the forthcoming GCSE in Natural History, but there are critics, most notably Mya-Rose Craig. The issue is not nature education in principle, but inequalities in access to nature and the need to address existing social and racial disparities within the environmental sector. Mya-Rose argues that, unless these barriers are addressed, the GCSE could benefit those who
by Graham Appleton Everyone associated with Curlew Action, or the wider world of curlew conservation for that matter, will be delighted to learn that Mary Colwell has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List. Although officially a recognition that she is now a ‘Member of the Order of the British Empire’, wouldn’t it be great
Conservation is becoming increasingly complex. Climate change, biodiversity loss, food production, renewable energy and land use all demand attention, yet the solutions to one problem can sometimes create challenges for another. It is one of the reasons I find Curlews so fascinating. They sit at the intersection of some of the greatest environmental challenges facing humanity and force
Curlews and the Conservation Dilemma We Need to Talk About Read More »
Hi! My name is Bud, I’m 13 years old and I’ve been into wildlife for as long as I can remember! I have early memories of hearing booming Bitterns at RSPB Westhay and watching Redpolls on my feeders in my old home in West Wales. However, 3 years ago, sparked by a book from my
Southwest Scotland is one of those places where the challenges facing ground-nesting waders become vividly clear. Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank, Snipe and Oystercatcher still breed across these rolling hills and farmed valleys, but their future depends on navigating a web of farming practices, land management, predation, forestry, wind farms and economic pressures. Here, many competing demands are placed on
Protecting Wading Birds in Farmed Landscapes in Southwest Scotland Read More »
It was a pleasure to catch up with David Jarrett from the British Trust for Ornithology in Scotland and explore how his thinking has evolved since we last met more than two years ago. David combines scientific rigour with a genuine passion for Scotland’s uplands and wader populations. Thoughtful, analytical and always open to debate, he is helping to
The Future of Curlews – A Conversation with David Jarrett from the BTO Read More »
The Fundraising Phone Box By Curlew Action Ambassador Steve Woodard In the little Yorkshire village of Wooldale the locals are marking World Curlew Day and Curlew Action in a rather unusual way. The village still has a red telephone box which over the years has been turned into a little community hub for all sorts
