Surveying The Guardians Of The Moors

For me, the spine-chilling ‘cur-lee’ call of the curlew and the musical, liquid ‘tlui’ note of the golden plover are as much part of the experience of the bleak moors of the Dark Peak as the unrivalled sense of freedom they impart.

- Roly Smith

But these guardians of the high moors have suffered a serious decline in recent years, so I was delighted to learn that for the first time in nearly 15 years, a comprehensive breeding bird survey of these and other moorland birds will take place over about 200 square miles of the Peak District this summer.

Natural England and the other organisations that make up the Moors for the Future Partnership are carrying out the survey, in collaboration with landowners and managers. The flagship project coincides with the 15th anniversary of the award-winning partnership, which is based at Edale.

The vast, rolling moorland landscape provides a vital home to many special and increasingly rare birds. In addition to golden plover and curlew, these include merlin, twite, dunlin, short-eared owl, red grouse, skylark, and meadow pipit.