The 2025 season marked a pivotal moment for the East of England Curlew Headstarting Project.Following several successful years at Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, the project entered a new era with its relocation to Deepdale Conservation Trust (DCT) at Burnham Deepdale. This transition was more than a change of location – it represented a renewed partnership, expanded infrastructure, and
My interest in curlews was ignited in 2019 after the RAF was approached by Natural England to join forces and run a pilot curlew head start project after curlews had been observed taking refuge on active military airfields – some going on to breed, undeterred by the roar of jet engines. Having conducted curlew surveys
In July we released the first 20 headstarted curlew of the year. At Ken Hill all the birds flew out of the pre-release pen into the breeze, but soon returned to the field to forage in the pools. Due to the lovely habitat here some of the birds like Dill (JC) have yet to make
From the fluffy, speckled chicks of spring, our season of curlew head-starting starts to come to a close as the ever-earlier evenings fill with the calls of the charismatic curlew, now handsomely feathered and modelling their impressive down-curved bills. Beginning in late July, the first seventeen curlew of the year were released. An early
On the 8th July RAF partners who advise on the environmental protection and RAF safety on airbases across England, came to visit the curlew, along with Richard from Natural England. Their visit coincided with the hatch of Chutney our 50th curlew and Michael and his team were able to see firsthand what happens to the eggs
First to hatch was Clive, one of four collected from RAF Leeming airfield. It can take up to three days for curlews to hatch from the first break of the shell to fully emerging from the egg. Clive was joined by Charles and Curly who hatched not long after him (we say him, but actually
The curlew recovery for 2023 is underway, and last week 12 more eggs were brought to Pensthorpe, bringing our total to 61 so far. Graham Irvine from Natural England has driven more than 2000 miles, collecting 17 clutches of eggs from the MOD airbases, where curlew nests have been spotted. WWT will be collecting the