Grouse Restoration Projects

mallards

I noticed there's quite a few restoration projects up and down the island on facebook, holding open days this month. I went to my local one today here in Tyrone. I have you say I was pretty impressed by the amount of work these guys have put in to get the grouse back to sustainable numbers. These guys have partnered with other key groups here in the Sperrins and secured funding to buy equipment to help with the burning of heather. There's about a dozen farmers involved with the project and apart from owning the land it was good to hear how they did everything from watching for poachers to helping to dry heather seed. These lads have been at it for nearly twenty years, have never shot a bird yet but they're getting there. It was a bad breeding season this year but with a couple of great breeding seasons who knows. Numbers of breeding curlews and plovers etc are really bouncing back. Anyway if you see it being advertised in your area I recommend you go. It gave me loads of tips and I'm off to count my grouse tomorrow to see how they have done and hopefully I can work on it to have more.
Mallards

Capercaillie

Are they spraying for heather beetle in that photo? All ground nesting birds were hit hard this year, but previous two summers would have been good for grouse.

mallards

It's a unit for putting out the fires and stopping them getting out of control. Kind of a fancy power washer. I think the guy said they first started trying to burn the heather by towing a burning tyre through the moss. Seven fire engines and twenty years later they now have this:-)
Very poor year indeed. Went counting for an hour this morning and only flushed a barren pair.

Birdnuts

Returns were poor in Scotland too this season after one of the coldest and wettest spring/summers for decades. Something much of this country saw too especially in the North and West.

PS: Theres a grouse info meeting in Leitrim on the 26th of this month centred around the successfully Boleybeg project. Looks like a good line - up of speakers and practical demonstrations of heather management, vermin control etc. in the afternoon. More details on the NARGC facebook page.

Capercaillie

mallards wrote: »

It's a unit for putting out the fires and stopping them getting out of control. Kind of a fancy power washer. I think the guy said they first started trying to burn the heather by towing a burning tyre through the moss. Seven fire engines and twenty years later they now have this:-)
Very poor year indeed. Went counting for an hour this morning and only flushed a barren pair.

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That's interesting and a great idea as well.

allan450

im apart of 2.one i took on my own head and the other with one club im in.im going to the seminar in leitrim on the 26.I know john iv met him a few times he is coming up to over look my project soon.

mallards

allan450 wrote: »

im apart of 2.one i took on my own head and the other with one club im in.im going to the seminar in leitrim on the 26.I know john iv met him a few times he is coming up to over look my project soon.

Good man, it's hard work for usually little reward. But there's not much to match a flush of grouse to your dog in some amazing places.

allan450

Iv put hours in out their.vermin/burning putting grit down.i know exactly how many birds are in it.doing a count before and after breeding season.A lot of barren pairs.il go into more detail after the season closes.