Stone curlews
on Breckland heath, now an official haven from the migrating
birds. |
See
also News - Breckland haven for stone curlews
Stone curlews
must be one of the oddest birds around.
They look
distinctly pre-historical with their beady yellow eyes and knobbly
knees. And they nest on the ground!
It is this
requirement for open ground on which to breed that has caused
the stone curlew problems.
Just any old
open ground will not do – it must be disturbed ground in which
the birds can easily scrabble to make a shallow nest. This choosiness
has resulted in a severe decline in stone curlews numbers over
the past few decades.
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Stone
curlews nest in shallow nests on open disturbed ground
They
nest only in Breckland and on Salisbury Plain, arriving
from their African wintering grounds in late March.
Stone
curlews are wary and easily disturbed by human activity
even at considerable distance
Careful
management of the heath really does make a difference –
the breeding success of stone curlews at NWT Weeting Heath
is an average of 1.71 per breeding pair, compared to 0.55
in Breckland as a whole.
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Once common
throughout southern and eastern England, they now breed only in
Breckland and on the Salisbury Plain.
The key to
stone curlew success is the humble rabbit. Rabbit foraging and
burrowing creates exactly the sort of nesting site they really
like. Their decline became marked in the 1950s with the introduction
of myxamatosis to control the rabbit population.
Undergrazing
of heathland by rabbits meant that the vegetation grew strong
and tall, making it unsuitable for stone curlews.
By the 1970s
the prognosis was poor. Conservationists recognised the need to
actively manage heathland so it would remain attractive to the
species we think of as typical – including the silver studded
blue butterfly, basil thyme case-bearer moth, lizard, adder, bog
asphodel, marsh gentian, nightjar and stone curlew.
Concerted
efforts in Breckland have reversed the neglect, and Norfolk Wildlife
Trust’s (NWT) nature reserve at Weeting Heath is now a strong
hold for this extraordinary bird. The recent Brecks Heathland
project will increase the area of heathland managed by Norfolk
Wildlife Trust substantially – so the news is good for stone curlews!
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Stone
curlews are best seen at NWT Weeting Heath, on the Norfolk/Suffolk
border.
The
nature reserve is two miles west of the village of Weeting,
near Brandon in Suffolk and can be reached on the B1112
and B1106 roads.
It
is open daily from April to August and entry is £2 for adults
and free for children.
Call
the visitor centre on 01842 827615 for further information.
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