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Nature & Wildlife
Latest news, advice and opinion concerning nature and wildlife on UK moorland.


Five Thousand Years on the Hill: Why Moorland Archaeology Survives
Moorland holds some of Britain's best-preserved archaeology, from Bronze Age boundaries to prehistoric rock art.

Rob Beeson
Aug 284 min read


Golden Plover: The Moorland Wader That Does Best Where Predators Are Managed
An eight-year experiment showed predator control roughly tripled golden plover breeding success. Here is what the science says about waders on grouse moors.

Rob Beeson
Aug 273 min read


Black Grouse: England's Last Stronghold Sits on the Edge of Keepered Moors
Almost 90% of England's black grouse are found on grouse moor fringes. Here is what the research says about their recovery in the North Pennines.

Rob Beeson
Aug 103 min read


England's Farm Schemes Won't Pay for the One Thing Curlew Need: Predator Control
Neither of England's main farm schemes funds predator control for Curlew, a BTO review finds, though Yorkshire Dales farmers say they would back it.

Rob Beeson
Aug 33 min read


Natural England’s Final Hen Harrier Reports Strengthen the Conservation Case for Brood Management
Natural England’s final reports show hen harrier numbers rose sharply where brood management was available, strengthening the case for future conservation licensing.

Andrew Gilruth
Jul 226 min read


The Owl You Can Watch in Broad Daylight
A large share of Britain's breeding short-eared owls nest on open upland moorland. Here's why these vole-hunting, day-flying owls depend on the hills.

Rob Beeson
Jul 203 min read


Missing Paper Trail: MA Escalates Blanket Bog Dispute to the ICO
The Moorland Association has asked the ICO to review Natural England's refusal to release QA records behind its blanket bog conservation document.

Andrew Gilruth
Jul 23 min read


Twice as Many Curlews on Managed Blanket Bog, Teesdale Survey Finds
A Teesdale survey found roughly twice as many curlews on blanket bog managed by burning or cutting as on unmanaged bog, while numbers stayed stable.

Rob Beeson
Jun 253 min read


Curlew Recovery Starts With Chick Survival
Curlew are declining because too few chicks survive. The peer-reviewed evidence on predation control, habitat and managed moorland, and what reverses the loss.

Rob Beeson
Jun 234 min read


A New Arrival: Watch an Oystercatcher Chick Hatching
Ever seen an oystercatcher hatch? Get a rare glimpse inside a moorland nest and see how upland gamekeepers support our ground-nesting birds.

Rob Beeson
Jun 161 min read


Scotland's Draft Peatland Condition Tool: What It Rewards and What It Penalises
A NatureScot report sets out clearer definitions and a draft field tool for scoring peatland condition under Scotland's planning system.

Rob Beeson
Jun 83 min read


When More Trees Mean Less Carbon
The biggest carbon store on moorland is the soil. Discover why planting trees or allowing birch scrub on peaty soils can cause net carbon loss for decades.

Andrew Gilruth
Jun 210 min read
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