Curlew Action – Page 2 – Curlew Action

The joke that isn’t a joke: gender bias in fieldwork and the moments that give it away

The joke that isn’t a joke: gender bias in fieldwork and the moments that give it away by Mary Colwell, Prof Jenny Gill Goethe famously said (I’m paraphrasing), “Show me what you laugh at, and I’ll tell you who you are”. A ‘joke’ is usually where the truth slips out, because many a true word is spoken in jest. Recently, a moment in elite sport did exactly

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The Value of Volunteering

By Curlew Action

The value of volunteering to both the recipient organisation and the individual really can’t be underestimated and this is particularly true in conservation. I can say this with confidence having been volunteering for over three years now for the RSPB, BTO and now Curlew Action. The benefits can be enormous. For example the RSPB enjoys

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Memories of the filming phase with the RSPB Life Curlew Project Officers

By Curlew Action

Memories of the filming phase with the RSPB Life Curlew Project officers, during the making of the Curlew campaign film, Stunned by Silence – by Malka Holmes, Greengage Films & Curlew Action Ambassador The Uplands of North Wales 2023-24 Curlew breeding Season 1 I remember I was quite excited when I got the first pin-drop

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Curlew Conservation and the Bard

By Curlew Action

Over the weekend of 6–8 February, we held the second in-person European Curlew Fieldworker Workshop at Lancaster University in the north-west of England. This is Curlew Action’s flagship event, bringing together curlew conservationists, scientists, artists, educators, musicians and others from across Europe to share ideas and inspire one another. It is our contribution to a positive outcome for

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What the Hills Ask of Us

By Mary Colwell

What the Hills Ask of Us Lee Schofield is an author, musician and conservationist. I will be interviewing him on Saturday evening as part of the European Curlew Fieldworker Workshop at Lancaster University (6–8 February). We will discuss his book, his valiant efforts to rewild an area of the Lake District, the personal cost of

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Echoes of a Vanishing Song

By Curlew Action

Echoes of a Vanishing Song by guest writer: Sarah Marles With the slender-billed curlew now officially declared extinct, the Eurasian curlew’s call across the Dee Estuary feels more precious – and more precarious – than ever. At low tide the Dee Estuary lies open; a vast, breathing sheet of slick mud and silt glazed in pewter

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A Turning Point for Curlew Recovery

By Curlew Action

A Turning Point for Curlew Recovery: The UK Curlew Action Plan Launched in the House of Lords On Monday 19th January, the House of Lords became the setting for a pivotal moment in the unfolding story of one of Britain’s most iconic birds: the launch of the UK Curlew Action Plan. Hosted by Lord Randall of Uxbridge the event was

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Curlew Breeding Season 2025: A Round-Up from Across the UK

By Curlew Action

This year’s national Curlew round-up took us from the Angus Glens to Dartmoor, from the New Forest to Northern Ireland. The message was clear: where people, land managers and volunteers work together, Curlews can thrive, but overall, the threats remain stark and urgent. Here is a project-by-project summary of the results. Scotland – Angus &

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The Bird with No Story

By Curlew Action

By Mary Colwell – AEWA MOP, 11 November 2025 On 10 October 2025 the Slender-billed Curlew was declared extinct by the IUCN. It still feels raw to say the deadening finality of that word, extinct. This delicate, long-billed wader, once a part of the wildlife community of Asia/Africa/Europe has gone. A life once woven

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Image shows man dressed as a giant curlew against the backdrop of the Nidderdale Valley in Yorkshire

The Man Who Walked 53 Miles (Dressed as a Curlew)

By Curlew Action

Interview with Matt Trevelyan — The Man Who Walked 53 Miles Dressed as a Curlew by Matt Lewis, RSPB When most people think of endurance challenges, they imagine marathons or mountain climbs, not hiking miles across the Yorkshire countryside in a towering, handmade curlew costume. But for Matt Trevelyan, Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer for

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Image shows a Curlew chick being held with a tractor in the background

A Continental Concern: 2024 European Curlew Breeding Season Update

By Curlew Action

Curlew chick (Photo by WWT) On November 13th, 2024, Curlew Action hosted a free webinar bringing together conservationists, researchers, and curlew advocates from over 15 European countries. Chaired by Mike Smart, former Curlew Action trustee and long-time champion of wader conservation, the event provided a sobering yet hopeful snapshot of the Eurasian Curlew’s breeding

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France Trip Report 2025

By Mary Colwell

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

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Eurasian curlew in ireland. (photo by breeding waders eip)

Ireland Trip Report 2025

By Mary Colwell

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

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A nest of four Curlew eggs amongst grass.

Poland Trip Report 2025

By Mary Colwell

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,

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World Curlew Day – Poetry Competition results

By Curlew Action

Over 16s Winner The Last Slender-billed Curlew, by Emma Price When the last one cried With no other to hear Did she dissolve into nothingness Until just a voice remained, Echo on the wind, softly fading? Or did she wait a while Wondering why no answer came. Was she lonely? Resigned? Or did she continue,

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World Curlew Day competition

By Curlew Action

Every year, we run competitions for World Curlew Day, and this year is no exception, with the return of our poetry, art, and baking competitions! Open to all ages and abilities, we love to receive entries from anyone who finds Curlews an inspiration to create. Winners of each competition will receive a Luke Western Curlew

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A compilation of two photos, each showing a man smiling.

A Change of Chair

By Mary Colwell

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

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