Wildlife Trust. The count took place over two sessions, one in May and one in June and both days wear sunny and clear.
It was a cold winter. Snowfall increased and lay longer on the ground, and rainfall was consistent but lower than the year before. Colder ground temperatures help suppress heather beetle, with frozen ground almost the only known impediment to this blight on heather.
Into May and it had still been a wet cold spring, and this delayed nesting. The bird count reflects the early impact of the weather. The prolonged wet weather of 2024 had decimated ground nesting bird numbers. Early May was therefore not promising.
The good news is that warmer weather arrived through May and ground nesting birds were present in numbers and, some at second attempt, were producing a good number of chicks – the curlew increase in numbers is particularly pleasing as the population rebuilds from two years of lower than usual numbers..
This pattern is reflected in the bird count across the two months of May and June.
The number and range of birds was much greater early June than had been apparent in May, and the contrast with 2024 shows clearly the later arrival of many birds.
It is possible to say that 2025 has been a year of recovery. From the low count of 2024 there were signs this year that birds are returning in numbers, particularly the curlew.
However there is a long way to recovery.
The BTO survey of a nearby similar moorland reported a similar pattern of a low May count, noting with no Lapwing, Black Grouse or Skylark, and then a very welcome positive count in June.
More generally, while at our location there were a number of Meadow Pipits spotted in May, Golden Plover and Meadow Pipit were absent until late May across a large area of the North Pennines tops but seemed to be on good numbers by June.
2026 will be the tenth annual bird count for Living Uplands in partnership with Durham Wildlife Trust. What we have learned to date is that assuring a safe and healthy moor is essential to sustaining a carrying capacity of important red and amber listed species, particularly ground-nesting birds who spend the spring and summer nesting on this particular habitat. It is always worth noting that red and amber listed birds dominate across the annual counts.
The value of effective land management to the benefit of ground nesting birds is underscored by the story we noted earlier this year on tagging migrating curlew. Living Uplands is pleased to report that both birds returned to the moor, and much the same spot, this spring. Without this assured habitat, the Uplands cycle of life would be much poorer.
With the uncertainty of future impact of climate change, monitoring bird numbers and tracking weather patterns is essential to understand how we might need to manage the uplands in the years to come.
Caption: weather patterns on the moor have been less predictable in recent years. Last year there was persistent rain and lower temperatures over many months. This year had a notably colder winter, with more snow, and a rapidly warming spring into summer.