Did you knowthat creating real-life solutions to real-life problems is a hallmark of
the Allerton Project’s research and this year it is celebrating its 25th Anniversary? (see page 16)
Spain Forging links with Spain W
e are pleased that Carlos Sánchez, our wetlands researcher,
has been asked to return to Spain to lead a new conservation organisation’s research programme. The Artemisan Trust incorporates hunting, agriculture and environmental organisations across Spain and aims to conduct research, working in close collaboration with the GWCT.
It has been two years since Luis Fernando Villanueva, CEO of APROCA, contacted the GWCT to take part in the first ‘British Spanish small game management meeting’ in Spain. The conference involved talks from the GWCT team and other Spanish organisations,
Carlos Sánchez has left the GWCT to lead the conservation research at The Artemisan Trust in Spain.
with presentations from Nick Sotherton, Roger Draycott and Carlos Sánchez on the work of
the GWCT, including habitat management, predator control and releasing for re-introduction. Luis Fernando and his team were keen to find out more about the GWCT, so visited in 2016 with trips to our Allerton Project farm and Rotherfield Park demonstration sites. It was during this trip when Luis Fernando expressed his interest in creating a very similar organisation in Spain. Finally, in December 2016 The Artemisan Trust was launched. Artemisan aims to develop applied research projects with the main objective of creating a better understanding of game species, their habitats and management, while also improving the profile of the shooting sector in Spain.
Epic journeys for new woodcock T
he Woodcock Watch team acted quickly to tag three new birds ahead of this year’s spring migration, which happened much earlier than we have seen in previous years. The mild weather seems to have prompted an early departure in most of our birds. The ‘Class of 2017’ comprises: Phynodderee was tagged on the Isle of Man and is an adult female woodcock. Her name, voted for by the members of the Manx Game Preservation
Society who funded her tag, originates from a sprite in Manx folklore. Fonthill Abbie III is a juvenile bird and the third bird tagged at the Old Fonthill Abbey Estate. Nellie III is a juvenile bird who was tagged in north Norfolk. We thought she was a British resident, but three weeks after the rest of our tagged woodcock, she left the UK and has since visited Læsø; a ‘Jersey-sized’ Danish island off the north-east coast of Jutland, before stopping in Sweden.
These three new woodcock join a team of existing tagged- birds that continue to transmit data. Monkey IV tagged in 2015, and Sir John, Nellie II and Fonthill Abbie II all tagged in 2016, have all sent recent updates with all the birds heading east across Europe. Thank you to all the sponsors for their support in making this monitoring possible. Visit
www.woodcockwatch.com to sponsor a woodcock and see the amazing journeys these birds make.
Research Successes
THE number of breeding lapwing in the Avon Valley increased from 62 pairs in 2015 to 81 pairs in 2016.
NEWS |
BREEDING success and total autumn density of grey partridges at Balgonie in Scotland has increased by 11% and 19% respectively in 2016 compared with 2015.
Setbacks
CAPERCAILLIE range retraction is linked to declines in breeding success. Three-quarters of the population is now confined to the larger forests in Strathspey.
INDIVIDUAL territorial magpies heavily predated artificial nests.
www.gwct.org.uk/news GAMEWISE • SUMMER 2017 | 11
© Dave Kjaer
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