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Curlews in the Netherlands – lessons for the UK lowlands? Summary Blog

By Mary Colwell | 13/06/2023

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. […]

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Day 1 – Visit to Friesland , NE Netherlands

By Mary Colwell | 02/06/2023

Written by: Mike Smart, Mary Colwell – Curlew Action Rebecca Pringle – Natural England We visited the Netherlands to see how Curlews are faring in the intensive farmland that makes up the majority of this small, highly managed country – can we glean any wisdom on how to help curlews nesting in the lowlands in […]

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curlew action fact-finding mission to finland: May 2023

By Mary Colwell | 24/05/2023

By Mary Colwell and Russell Wynn Summary Finland has a human population of 5.5 million, the UK is nearly 70 million. Finland in 1.4 times larger than the UK. Most people live in the south of Finland. More than 75% of Finland’s land area is forested, but these forests are significantly different to UK woodlands, […]

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Finland trip: day 4

By Mary Colwell | 16/05/2023

Day 4 – Curlews in North Karelia It makes sense when you see curlews in vast peatlands. A large brown bird doesn’t look so big or stand out so much in the vast mires of North Karelia, in fact it looks small, and it blends into the background, camouflaged against the browns, whites, and greys […]

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Finland trip: day 3

By Mary Colwell | 15/05/2023

Finland – Day 3. Linnunsuo wetland and Liperi to see the curlews in the nesting areas in the western part of North Karelia. The sun glinted off the freshwater pools, and the azure sky was filled with the sound of hundreds of little gulls and migrating barnacle geese. In the shallows were dabbling shoveler, teal, […]

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Finland trip: day 2

By Mary Colwell | 15/05/2023

This morning, before we left Helsinki, we were hosted by Nina Mikander, Global Director of Policy for Birdlife International. She put on a magnificent brunch – a big thank you from Curlew Action! Our conversation was wide-ranging, from the declining status of ‘meadow birds’, of which curlew are just one, to the main threats facing […]

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Finland trip: day one

By Mary Colwell | 14/05/2023

Saturday 13th By Mary Colwell We are on our way to Helsinki! A small group from Curlew Action – Professor Russ Wynn (a trustee and ecologist/naturalist), Ellen Bradley (Manager of Curlew Action) and myself – are on a mission to explore the relationship between curlews and trees and predators, a complex but increasingly vital interaction […]

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Natural history gcse: one year on

By Mary Colwell | 08/05/2023

Next to my home in central Bristol is a block of flats that saw fame in the BBC series, The Outlaws, which used them as the set for desolate, inner-city living.  In a small patch of waste ground in the midst of the concrete someone has created a mini garden, complete with flowers, herbs and […]

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Long-billed curlew

By Caledonian | 15/04/2023

The Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, is aptly named for having one of the longest bills of all shorebirds in America. Its plumage contains shades of light brown, speckled with cinnamon and a paler underbelly. Its curved bill is complemented by a long, elegant neck and slender long legs to help the Long-billed Curlew traverse through […]

The logo for World Curlew Day, including text: 'World Curlew Day. April 21' and a silhouette of a Curlew, and green leaves

World Curlew day

By Curlew Action | 14/04/2023

Sometimes it helps to set aside a day to shine a light on something important, and for a number of reasons I chose April 21st for World Curlew Day. It happens to be the birthday of my environmental hero, John Muir, who was born in 1838. It is the average first laying date for curlews […]

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