French Curlews Statistics: Around 1,000 pairs across France but the larger populations are concentrated in two main areas: In the east – the Val de Saône (400 pairs) and in the northwest in Normandy (200 pairs). There are smaller populations in other regions. Almost all of them are in farmland. French Curlews mainly winter in […]
A visit to see the new 25 million euro EIP (European Innovation Partnership) project for ten species of breeding waders, which runs for five years from 2024 to 2028. This project builds on the previous excellent Curlew work which laid the groundwork for Curlew conservation in Ireland. This is turn came out of the All-Ireland
Curlew statistics: around 200 – 220 pairs are distributed through meadows alongside rivers, the majority in the east. The population has declined by 60% in the last 20 years with the main issues being agricultural operations like harrowing and silage cutting, and high levels of predation. Distribution of Curlews in Poland. Location In April 2024,
I recently watched Sir Gareth Southgate deliver his moving and emotionally intelligent 2025 Dimbleby lecture. Deliver is a good term, it was presented to us with care and thoughtfulness as though passing on something special. What an extraordinary leader he is. The main message is that young men are hurting, they are suffering from “lack
Over two days in early February, Curlew Action brought together projects from across England and Europe to discuss the increasingly hot topic of headstarting European Curlews. 100 people attended, which is a testament to how important people see this technique as essential to Curlew survival. Day 1 was dedicated to explaining the role of headstarting
After five years, Roger Morgan-Grenville is handing over the reins as Chair of the Trustees. A huge thank you from the team, of course, but also a personal message of gratitude from me for five years of friendship, fun and sharing burdens. Roger was there from the earliest days of Curlew Action, a stalwart and
Curlew Action is five years old on December 31st. Our founding mantra was expressed by the Senegalese environmentalist Baba Dioum in 1968: “We will conserve what we love; we will only love what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” Figure 1 Mary giving a talk for the conclusion of the
A paper published today, Monday 18th November, confirms the global extinction of the Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris). A close relation of the Eurasian Curlew (N. arquata), the last reliable sighting of the Slender-billed Curlew was in Morocco in February 1995, despite dedicated searches by ornithologists. The new paper is a collaboration between scientists from the
This is the second of two blog posts about the IWSG conference, read the first post by Mike Smart. When do we reach the tipping point beyond which there is no option but to act with urgency, determination and vision? From the statistics we are already there, and have been for some time, but on
On the 9th October I attended a day of talks and discussions in the Manor House Country Hotel near Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, organised by the EU-funded RSPB Curlew LIFE project. This was an ambitious undertaking over 4 years which focused on turning things around for Curlews in five important areas: Hadrian’s Wall and RSPB
RSPB Curlew LIFE project and the North West Birdwatching Festival Read More »
As the results of the 2024 Eurasian Curlew breeding season come in, it looks like another mixed year. The poor weather in May and June seems to have had a serious effect in some places but helped in others. Generally, though, the trend is still downwards. But we mustn’t be too disheartened. Curlews are long-lived
In mid-September, I travelled up to Scotland to speak at The Big Picture Conference 2024, held by the growing and influential rewilding charity Scotland: The Big Picture headed up by Peter Cairns as the Executive Director. Peter Cairns presenting at The Big Picture conference. (Photo by Mark Hamblin/scotlandbigpicture.com) I was invited to give the first
Earlier this month I went to an evening event to mark the achievements of Caroline Lucas, organised by the Green Alliance. It was held in the Southbank Centre, and it was packed with 400 people. Here I’d like to share what I took home as the main messages. It felt like the end of an
This is the second of two blog posts from Curlew Action’s visit to Belgium. Read the first one – a diary detailing the different locations visited. Headstarting Belgium’s Eurasian Curlew population is supported by the small but effective headstarting project based at the wildlife rescue centre. It is a service offered for free to Natuurpunt,
This is the first of two blog posts from Curlew Action’s visit to Belgium. Read the second one – with further thoughts from Mary on Belgian and European Curlews. Meet Griet Nijs, a Curlew hero. She works for the conservation organisation Natuurpunt, the largest environmental charity in Belgium. Curlews are Griet’s passion, and she works
This is the first of two blog posts on Curlew Action’s visit to Poland. Read Mike Smart’s blog post. A warm wind blew across a very large field in Eastern Poland, it was mid-April and uncharacteristically mild. In the distance a farmer ploughed one small area, his engine a grating background to the music of
I am intrigued by Lucy McRobert’s article for the Birdwatch magazine, ‘Missed Connections’ (18/01/24). She describes University Challenge panellists being baffled by even the simplest nature questions, and astonished they had never heard of wading birds. Some of the brightest in the land know nothing about the common life that lives around them. No wonder,
We are increasingly coming round to the fact that the future of every one of us depends on a healthy natural world with functional and diverse ecosystems supporting our economy, health and well-being. This much is true, but are we succeeding in making that nature-secure future a reality? Is everyone aware of what this really
People who love waders, like the birds themselves, flock together in the autumn at the annual conference of the International Wader Study Group (IWSG). The range of attendees mirrored the diversity of wading birds scattered across the mudflats surrounding the island of Sylt off the northern coast of Germany, where the meeting was held. I
Mary Colwell, Mike Smart (Curlew Action), Rebecca Pringle (Natural England) with Dutch hosts Henk-Jan Ottens (Montagu’s Harrier Foundation), Gerrit Gerritsen (Birdfriendly Dairy) SUMMARY OF FINDINGS The Netherlands has long devoted attention to “meadow birds” (ground-nesting waders, notably Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Redshank, Ruff, and Curlew). One of the current leaders of the long-term research is Prof.
Curlews in the Netherlands – lessons for the UK lowlands? Summary Blog Read More »
