News

TORRENTIAL RAIN PROVES LETHAL

16th November 2005

A new piece of research commissioned by the North York Moors Association, has recorded for the first time, the tremendous damage to moorland bird-life that storms and torrential rain cause.

Local ornithologist, Wilf Norman, carried out an intensive survey of nesting behaviour of three wading birds (Lapwing, Golden Plover and Curlew) on 1km square plots - one each on Spaunton, Rosedale and Sleights moors - during the 2005 breeding between 18th April – 17th July.

The storm and rain deluge that affected the whole of the North York Moors on 19th June was almost certainly responsible for wiping out a significant number of nesting wading birds and their chicks. Said George Winn-Darley, owner of Spaunton Moor, Regional Representative for the Moorland Association and Council member of the North York Moors Association: “Between the 8th and 13th of June, the Rosedale and Spaunton plots had six Golden Plover and 11 active Curlew nest sites. When re-surveyed on 20th June, those figures had plummeted - three Golden Plover and six Curlew nests had been destroyed in the storm.”

The eastern end of the North York Moors was least affected by the deluge which helped save the one remaining Lapwing and Curlew broods on Sleights moor, which were also more advanced.

The successful nesting attempts were compared with the results from a 1996 survey* carried out on the same plots. On Spaunton and Rosedale moors, which are professionally keepered and managed for grouse shooting, the successful nesting attempts of all three birds had at least doubled and on Spaunton Lapwing success had increased by seven times.

Sleights moor is not professionally keepered and is managed mainly for sheep grazing. In part, it is severely damaged by a wildfire. This year, the number of successful nesting attempts for Lapwing were half those recorded on the moors managed for grouse shooting. No Golden Plover nests were recorded at all and only two successful Curlew nests were seen – just a quarter of those present on the grouse moors.

Compared with the 1996 survey, the wader populations on Sleights have remained more or less static at the relatively low levels with Lapwing showing a slight increase and Golden Plover and Curlew a slight decrease in success.

Other factors that lead to fewer nesting attempts or nest failure were also noted. Explains Wilf Norman: “The Western edge of the Sleights plot is an almost uniform expanse of mature heather because it is not burnt on rotation for red grouse. It was easily the most sterile area of the whole survey with only a few Meadow Pipits recorded. Equally, predators such as crows and foxes are controlled on Rosedale and Spaunton but not on Sleights. It seems likely that the lack of these two moorland management techniques lie behind the low density of waders on Sleights.”

Said Rona Charles, Ecologist for the North York Moors National Park Authority: "This is an impressively meticulous piece of research which provides much food for thought. It reinforces various messages – that uncontrolled burns can affect moorland wildlife for many years, that predation can have a significant impact on the breeding success of ground-nesting birds and finally that dramatic weather events can be devastating for wildlife as well as humans."