This eighth annual bird count in the Weardale uplands was assisted by the Nature Rangers and Young Rangers from the Durham Wildlife Trust. The count was in two parts, one in May and one in June. Both days were sunny and clear days, certainly not characteristic of the weather so far this year.
2023 had been what might once have been described as a fairly ‘normal year’ weatherwise, following a number of unpredictable seasons. 2024 returned to exceptional weather conditions. Rain. From the average weather charts below, winter rain was prolonged, relentless and constant, into the Spring. Persistent rain and relative cold remained even into late Spring and early Summer.
Despite the rain and cold there were early indications that bird numbers might hold in 2024. At the start of the year there was an abundance of voles that had the sky full of short eared owls, happy with an abundant food source. Although temperatures weren’t great, a dry-ish spell at nesting time held a promise that there were going to be a decent number of chicks moving into the Summer.
However, disappointment on two fronts.
The vole population collapsed. A build to a significant population and then a collapse is a known natural occurrence, near cyclical, though there is no science on why this happens.
Despite Spring edging into Summer, temperatures remained seasonally low, feeling colder in the damp air. Then the rain. Persistent. A deluge over two days in May finally decimated the ground-nesting bird population. Chicks and young birds were caught in longer grass made heavy by the weight of rain; wet, cold, and unable to feed.
The impact on ground nesting birds is clear from the count, looking at May and then June.
It might be expected that there would be at least a few more ground-nesting birds off nest later in the season. Instead, we have an almost complete absence bar a few curlews.
Most noticeably absent in any numbers are a range of gulls, which may be down to bird flu. Oddest of all is the absence of corvids; with little around to scavenge?
As we expand the graph by years, we learn more. We already know that the carrying capacity of some key at risk birds is very positive on the moor. The longer the timeframe the greater the confidence in the work undertaken to assure the necessary habitat on which ground-nesting birds will thrive.
Although our count suggests our carrying capacity of many red and amber listed birds is good, we always have room to learn. And with Climate Change in the coming years, we need to be every mindful and vigilant to how the moors are responding to changing weather patterns.
Last year we were able to share a nearby official BTO survey, which covers a more biodiverse range of land types. Looking at this year’s BTO numbers the same pattern as our smaller survey appears.
A marked absence of gulls, corvids and the same relative numbers of ground nesting birds.
Our annual count helps us learn better understand the nature of our bird populations. There are clearly highs and lows.
Although our count shows a carrying capacity of many red and amber listed birds, which is encouraging, the series of poor years with little recovery to note across means that any species means we can only hope for a more average weather pattern going forward a poor year, such as this one, is always a worry about long term sustainability.
And with Climate Change in the coming years, a big unknown in respect of future impact, we need to be every mindful and vigilant to how the moors are responding to changing weather patterns.
Caption: weather patterns on the moor have been less predictable in recent years. This year shows persistent rain and lower temperatures over many months.