THE population of rare black grouse in upper Teesdale has risen dramatically.
But while the iconic upland bird is fighting back in its North Pennines stronghold, extinction is looming in north-west Northumberland, where just six birds are left.
Northern England suffered a devastating decline in the population last year. But the early morning spring counts just completed by researchers from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust show that the 2010 population of 500 males has grown to 820 in the North Pennines.
Fran Atterton, the trust’s black grouse project officer, said: “Overall these are fantastic results and are a credit to the huge amount of conservation work that has been invested in our moorland fringes over the past 15 years by moorland managers, farmers and gamekeepers to improve the conditions for black grouse so that when weather conditions are good in June when the chicks hatch they breed well.”
However, she said further work is still required to safeguard this bird in northern England.
The trust has recently launched a project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, to encourage landowners to establish small pockets of woodland to provide an emergency food source and cover in severe winters.
The fortunes of black grouse were affected by a series of weather related set-backs over the past few years. After celebrating a high of 1200 males back in spring 2007, the wet June weather in both 2007 and 2008 caused high mortality in newly hatched chicks. This was compounded by the exceptional snow fall and freezing temperatures of winter 2009/10 causing the population in northern England to crash to an all-time low of 500 males.
Despite the good news in Teesdale, black grouse in north-west Northumberland have collapsed from 100 males in 2002 to only six this spring and are now facing imminent extinction.
In the Yorkshire Dales, black grouse have increased from 90 to 131 males after males were moved to this fringe area.
Dr Phil Warren, the GWCT scientist in charge of the project said, “The results of this trial have certainly been heartening because it is helping them to expand their range into former haunts. We are now seeing males carrying out their unforgettable mating display in areas where they have been absent for 15 years or more.”
