Help Protect New Life in Dartmoor

28 February 2005

Help protect new life in Dartmoor National Park

Did you know that the meadow pipit is the most common bird on the moorland of Dartmoor and breeds here in internationally important numbers? That the skylark, long considered a herald of hazy summer days in the countryside, is now finding uplands such as Dartmoor to be its last stronghold? Or that the lapwing and curlew are now so reduced in numbers that they are threatened with extinction as breeding birds on Dartmoor?

Many factors play a part in influencing the success of breeding birds including climate change and human disturbance. Even short term disturbance can be fatal. When a bird is forced to leave its nest, the eggs or newly fledged young can chill and die very quickly, or predators can move in and take eggs or nestlings.

During the bird breeding season, incorporating the months of March, April, May, June and July, you can minimise disturbance by:

keeping to tracks and paths as much as possible, particularly in areas of dense heather, clitter and wetlands;
keeping your dog on a lead - especially as most lambing takes place at the same time that birds are nesting – (this specific advice is also given in the Countryside Code);
avoiding young birds on the ground or distressed parent birds, by walking around the area and moving away quickly, allowing the parents to return;
spreading the word by telling others how they can help too.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, English Nature and the RSPB are working together with many other people, including landowners, the Ministry of Defence, commoners and recreational user groups, to conserve the moorland birds of Dartmoor.

A leaflet, entitled Dartmoor – a special place for moorland birds, (138383 bytes - PDF Help) provides information on Dartmoor's breeding birds and why it is so important to help protect them. The leaflet contains full colour images of ground nesting and other moorland birds and is available, free of charge, from Dartmoor National Park Authority Information Centres or telephone (01822) 890414. The leaflet can also be viewed on the Dartmoor National Park Authority website www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk

The breeding season for moorland birds on Dartmoor coincides with the lambing season and, with spring approaching, the moorland will be full of new life.

Many visitors and local people exercise their dogs when enjoying Dartmoor. Although a dog may not be actively chasing livestock, its presence can still cause disturbance. During the lambing and calving season, expecting ewes or cows are particularly vulnerable. A frightened animal may abort or abandon its young – a tragedy for the animal and a financial loss to the farmer.

The worrying of livestock by dogs is a year round concern. The law requires that dogs be kept under close control at all times. During the moorland lambing season (1 March to 31 July), and lambing season on enclosed farmland (1 December to 30 June), Dartmoor National Park Authority asks that people comply with signs requiring dogs to be kept on a lead.

When using Dartmoor's moorland roads it is important to remember that lambs may be on, or at, the roadside. The ewe may be grazing on the opposite side of the road and, if startled, a lamb could run in front of an oncoming vehicle to rejoin its mother. Please drive with Moor Care and keep a particular look out for lambs. Remember, the 40 mph speed limit is there for your safety and the safety of other road users, and livestock and wildlife.

It is important that all users of Dartmoor help to protect the area’s special qualities. Access land is shared with grazing animals and indigenous moorland wildlife while moorland roads are not just used by vehicles. Please take extra care at this time of year.

Ends

For Further Information from Dartmoor National Park Authority

Sue Goodfellow, Head of Ecology

Robert Steemson, Head of Ranger and Volunteer Service

Mike Nendick, Communications Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority.

Tel: (01626) 832093

Agendas for full Dartmoor National Park Authority meetings and Dartmoor National Park Authority planning meetings are available on the Authority's website .

You can receive an e-mail notification each time a News Release is issued by the Dartmoor National Park Authority .

Subscribe to DNPA News

News Releases from all UK National Parks (external link, opens new window)

For Further Information from English Nature

Simon Bates, Conservation Officer, English Nature. Tel: (01392) 889775

Visit English Nature's website at www.english-nature.org.uk. (external link, opens new window)

For Further Information from the RSPB

Sophie Atherton, SW Media Officer. Tel: (01392) 453753

For more information about bird species see www.rspb.org.uk. (external link, opens new window)

For Further Information from the Countryside Agency

www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk (external link, opens new window)

Notes for Editors

The periods when birds breed varies between species, and from year to year. This can depend upon the weather on Dartmoor and, for migrants, on weather conditions abroad. However, past records of breeding behaviour on Dartmoor indicate that most activity connected with setting up territories, nesting and fledging young takes place between the beginning of March and the middle of July.

The leaflet Dartmoor – a special place for moorland birds, published in 2003, received a fantastic response and thanks are due to the many organizations and individuals who have adapted their routes and activities to reduce disturbance and benefit Dartmoor’s birdlife.

Dartmoor is the largest upland area in southern England, offering many different habitats for a wide variety of breeding birds. For example, gorse and thorn scrub supports linnets, stonechats, whinchats and the rare Dartford warbler. Higher up, the quiet and patient observer may see the golden plover and the dunlin. These and other birds contribute to the richness of the area and our enjoyment of this special place.

Bird species particularly vulnerable to disturbance are curlew, lapwing, dunlin, golden plover, red grouse, meadow pipit, skylark, wheatear and ring ouzel.

As part of Action for Wildlife: the Dartmoor Biodiversity Action Plan, specific Action Plans have been prepared to help conserve Dartmoor's birds and their habitats. The success of these Plans depends very much on the co-operation of many organizations and individuals, including land managers and the public. Action for Wildlife: the Dartmoor Biodiversity Action Plan can be viewed on the Dartmoor National Park Authority website www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk

Walking is by far the most popular way to discover Dartmoor and its special qualities. Dartmoor offers endless opportunities for the walker – in some places wandering freely across vast expanses of open moorland, and in others along rights of way and permitted paths in superb wooded river valleys, in forests and across farmland on moorland fringes.

The Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 established a legal right to walk on Dartmoor common land. In addition, access agreements have been negotiated by the Dartmoor National Park Authority for other areas of open land. Currently, this access land covers 45,329 hectares (47.5% of the National Park). There is also a network of public rights of way totalling 412 miles (663km).

The English and Welsh National Parks, which cover 10% of the land area, are national in the sense that they are of special value to the whole nation. This is because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment. However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers. About 33,400 people live inside the Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.

Return to General Interest News Releases 2005 Archive

This page last updated 02 March 2005

Send comments, enquiries, etc. to communications@dartmoor-npa.gov.uk