17th August 2022
A pioneering trial set up to help rebuild the population of the endangered Hen Harrier in England has reared and released 13 chicks this year. Hen Harrier numbers have shown continuous improvement over the past six years, coinciding with the introduction of the government-led Hen Harrier recovery plan in 2016 and the availability of the […]
12th August 2022
Rural communities and businesses were today celebrating the Glorious 12th, the start of the grouse shooting season. Pubs, hotels, shops and suppliers voiced their support for the social, economic and environmental benefits that come with a successful grouse programme which can run until 10th December. One of the first grouse moors in action today was […]
22nd July 2022
The Moorland Association, whose members manage nearly one million acres of heather moorland, today called for a ‘major rethink’ on how best to tackle devastating wildfires. The association said today the surge in wildfires in the UK and internationally serves as the ‘starkest reminder’ of the need to reduce the fuel loads that drives wildfire. […]
4th July 2022
This Spring, five Hen Harrier chicks fledged successfully from a nest on Swinton Estate in Yorkshire. The estate is a partner in the government’s Hen Harrier action plan. For the first time in the UK, a nestcam provided live streaming footage from the Hen Harrier nest – click below to watch a compilation of clips […]
9th June 2022
Three Moorland Association estates – Swinton, Egton and Coverhead – have won prestigious ‘Life on Land’ awards for their conservation work benefiting rare birds. The ‘Life on Land’ awards from RedList Revival are presented to landholdings exceeding the top 1 per cent in the UK for abundance of a key species. Swinton achieved this for […]
6th June 2022
Spaunton Estate in the North York Moors has revealed its third consecutive year of increased bird of prey sightings. Spaunton is renowned for its birdlife, notably 16 of the UK’s 21 species of bird of prey. Over the latest 12-month period the number of birds of prey spotted on the estate has increased to an […]
1st June 2022
The Moorland Association today unveils the first webcam in England to document rare Hen Harriers in real time. The birds, on Swinton Estate in Yorkshire, are nesting now, providing an extraordinary insight into the daily life of one of England’s rarest birds of prey. The Moorland Association has championed efforts to help re-establish a […]
31st May 2022
The Moorland Association today responds to allegations that there have been breaches of the Heather & Grass Burning Regulations 2021. This supposedly extensive investigation reveals that the overwhelming majority of controlled burns comply with the legislation. Even by their own admission, RSPB and Greenpeace have found only two incidents of burning where they believe a […]
20th May 2022
A research project published by the Peak District Wildfire Group warns there is a major risk of ‘catastrophic’ wildfire engulfing swathes of one of England’s leading national parks. Read the report here.
10th May 2022
Natural England has granted a licence for the fifth year of a key research trial which aims to test a technique to help restore the Hen Harrier population. The Brood Management Scheme has been exploring the possibility of taking Hen Harrier chicks from the nest to a specialist rearing facility and releasing them back into […]
75% of Europe’s remaining upland heather moorland is found in the UK – but this area declined alarmingly over the latter part of the last century. The Moorland Association was set up in 1986 to coordinate the efforts of moorland owners and managers to halt this loss, particularly in England and Wales.
RECORD HIGH FOR HEN HARRIER POPULATION IN ENGLAND Figures released today by Natural England show another rise in the population of Hen Harriers in England, with 141 chicks fledging successfully this year. This increase is nearly a further fifth from last year’s 119 chicks which was the highest number for a century. The data marks a decade of population growth for this very […]
Can using fire help protect our beautiful heather moors? There are many misconceptions about the way moorland is managed to help red grouse and other ground-nesting birds to nest and fledge their chicks successfully. Controlled burning has been carried out for generations for improving grazing, but the association between heather burning and grouse shooting means that campaigners constantly seek to portray it as […]
