Hi everyone. Writing this whilst looking south to Bardsey’s Lighthouse, and with autumn migration feeling like it’s certainly cranking up a gear: hundreds of Swallows on the move with Swifts and martins, fresh juvenile Willow Warblers and Sedge Warblers flitting around the bracken, waders filtering through in steady numbers…shouldn’t be long before the jobs garden welcomes back its obligatory fest of hippolais warblers!
As some of you may have seen, this autumn I am planning on cycling back to university in Falmouth from the tip of the Llyn - some 700km. My primary goal - besides actually pulling it off - is trying to raise awareness of the plight of Curlews.
Birders in Wales more so than most should be aware of the catastrophic decline in breeding Curlews we’ve witnessed since 1990. The estimate is an 81% decrease in the breeding population in Wales from 1993 to 2006. This situation is mirrored across the UK, Ireland and further afield, with various factors mused as causal agents.
It seems, though, that the exact reasons behind the decline aren’t entirely clear as yet, and so organisations such as the BTO, Birdwatch Ireland and the RSPB have launched various conservation initiatives and campaigns to increase the monitoring work focussed on finding out what can be done to halt their disappearance.
I’ve chosen to support the BTO’s ‘Curlew Appeal’ for my cycle ride, and am trying to raise as much money as possible through a JustGiving page. I’d really appreciate any donations that can be spared, and if you fancy joining me for a stretch of the cycle, just get in touch!
Good birding!
Good birding!
(Bardsey) Ben
A link to my JustGiving page: the Curlew Cycle
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