Uncategorized

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 …

A New Chapter: The Move to Deepdale – from Transition to Triumph Read More »

When we first set out to pilot GPS tags on headstarted Curlew back in 2021, little did we realise the level of insight we would gain into a previously poorly understood period of most birds’ lives. Wild juveniles and immature Curlew are hard to track with biologging technology, simply because at point of fledge (when …

Where are they now? GPS tracking continues to reveal movements of headstarted Curlew Read More »

Headstarting involves collecting eggs from wild nests, rearing the eggs and hatched chicks in captivity, then releasing chicks back into the wild when they are of fledging age. It has been successfully employed as a conservation strategy for other wader species like Black-tailed Godwit and Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Several Curlew headstarting projects are underway in lowland …

Headstarting project starts to yield returns with a number of birds found breeding in 2025 Read More »

Curlews breed across Europe in grassland, heathland and bog habitats, but are among the most threatened of European breeding bird species. As a result, they are the focus of a suite of conservation interventions across the continent, such as the improvement of grassland nesting habitats, and the protection of nests and chicks from predators and …

East of England project contributes to review of European curlew headstarting projects Read More »

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 …

Answering the call – an RAF volunteer’s experience on the front line of curlew conservation Read More »

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 …

2024 Cohort 1 release Read More »

Sunday 25th May was a very exciting day with six curlew chicks hatching! Carswell (YJ) and his brooder mate Circe (XY) had hatched out overnight and were discovered by staff at 5am. Carswell was one of our smallest chicks; named by staff at RAF Waddington, where the clutch of eggs he came from were found, …

Have you heard the charismatic call of curious Carswell the curlew yet? Read More »

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 …

The class of 2023 are released! Read More »

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 …

Our 50th curlew hatches – with an audience! Read More »

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 curlews are hatching! Read More »