West Berkshire & North Hampshire

Last year’s extreme weather during spring and early summer has restricted the number of birds nesting on Greenham and Crookham Commons.

The findings have been revealed by Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and West Berkshire Council who jointly run the West Berkshire Living Landscape project which has been surveying ground-nesting birds on the Commons, and in Bowdown Woods nature reserve.

Surveys carried out by Adrian Hickman, a local consultant ecologist, showed that fewer lapwing and ringed plover nested at Greenham and Crookham Commons during 2012 than in previous years.

“The exceptionally dry winter into April last year meant lapwings were searching further for food instead of preparing to nest,” explained Jacky Akam, West Berkshire Living Landscape manager with BBOWT.

She adds “The rain from April onwards caused these birds to delay their nesting by more than a month, and the cool temperatures meant that fewer chicks hatched.”

From March 30 BBOWT is starting its weekly guided walks on Greenham and Crookham Commons to encourage more people to learn about the wildlife of the Commons. The red and green zone signs are going up now on Greenham and Crookham Commons which indicate where walkers are welcome with their dogs, and the areas they should avoid while the birds are nesting.

Hilary Cole, West Berkshire Council‘s Executive Councillor for the Environment said: “It’s clear that regular visitors to the Commons are now more aware of the need to avoid the sensitive areas for the birds, so that we can give them every chance to breed successfully this spring. The guided walks and advice from the wardens helps everyone enjoy this beautiful area.”  

The Wildlife Trust is able to fund this important work thanks to a three-year grant from GrantScape to the West Berkshire Living Landscape initiative. This grant is made possible through the national Landfill Communities Fund. For more information and details about the walks, see http://www.bbowt.org.uk/.