1
The key period for the black grouse lek is April and May. The males gather at dawn to compete for females by inflating their necks, raising their tails and making a bubbling sound.
2
Black grouse are generally found on moorland edges, where the moor meets grassy fields used for rough grazing and areas of scrubby willow, birch and conifer woodland.
“An early morning walk in the
Borders hills in spring can still be enriched with the sight and sound of lekking black grouse,” explained Chris, “so we’re hoping that there will be some early-rising folk in the area who would like to help us out with recording where the birds are this spring. “Unfortunately, the birds have
disappeared completely from several areas in the Borders and have declined in others. For instance, the area south of Hawick once had hundreds of birds, but it’s now down to just 11. “The decline in numbers is mainly
“.....we’ve got to try and hold on to what we've got.”
due to changes in the way the land is managed. There are more forestry plantations in the hills and these have split up the areas where black grouse can live. There are also fewer grouse moors, resulting in less heather to provide cover for the birds.” It’s not all doom and gloom though.
The efforts of individual landowners and funding from the Scotland Rural Development Programme have resulted in black grouse numbers increasing at some sites. The aim of Chris’s project is to build on this success and improve conditions so that the population continues to grow and the bird’s range expands. Funding has also come in from windfarm developments and this has allowed the project to carry out works to improve the habitat for black grouse and other key upland species. For example, some fences have
been marked so that black grouse are less likely to fly into them, and areas
of old heather have been swiped to break them up. This creates structure in the heather, with different stages providing food and shelter for the birds. The project also works closely with the Borders Forest Trust to create appropriate new broadleaved woodland, which is attractive to the birds. Volunteers and a contract
fieldworker carried out a survey in spring last year and it provided valuable information on where the lek sites are and how many birds use them. This led to a better understanding of how well the species is doing in the Borders. The survey identified three core
areas – Morpeth Hills, the Yarrow and Ettrick valleys and Tweedsmuir – where the long-term downward trend appears to have been reversed. It’s hoped that the success of the birds in these areas can be repeated across the Borders and their populations gradually linked up.
“We’re not going to be able to turn
the clock back 50 or 60 years in terms of black grouse populations across the Borders,” commented Chris, “but we’ve got to try and hold on to what we’ve got.
“We think there are about 230
cock birds across the region and we’re going to resurvey all the Borders sites this spring. So if anyone would like to volunteer to give us a hand, then please get in touch.” You can contact Chris on 01750 725 157 or email
chris@sup.org.uk
2
www.snh.gov.uk
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