The appeal last December raised £17,896 for conservation work on the Northumberland reserve. 

Situated near Byrness, the 1500 hectare site is a National Nature Reserve, site of Special Scientific Interest and a European Special Area of Conservation due to its rare blanket bog, heather moorland, rough grassland, and acid grassland, the amazing site is home to a variety of plants including sphagnum mosses, cloudberry, bog asphodel and cotton grasses. 

The river Rede and its tributaries add to the reserve’s habitat diversity.

Setting off at 4am at the end of May, and armed with binoculars and electronic survey equipment, two groups walked over 12km each on separate transects covering as much of the site and as many of the habitats as possible to record sightings.

Surveyors were serenaded by curlew, snipes, skylarks, cuckoos, and willows warblers. On an even more positive note, the teams were especially pleased to hear lots of whinchat whistles and trills as the population appears to have increased on both transects over the past year. 

Of concern is the significant reduction in meadow pipits - over 60% reduction in territories on the site, compared to previous years. This is a trend noticed by Trust colleagues from other organisations in the area, but hopefully only short term due to poor weather conditions last year, rather than a disease outbreak such as avian flu, which would also have led to a reduction in other species, not just meadow pipits. 

Another concern was the parched peat and bleached sphagnum, due to the drought at the time of the survey. Restored areas had fared better, sphagnum carpets protecting the peat below.

As well as birds the site was teeming with other wildlife - resident feral goats, brown hare, an adder basking in the morning sunshine, common lizard, roe deer, large numbers of orange tip and green-veined white butterflies. 

The results of this year’s survey will help the wildlife charity plan important habitat management, such as recent peatland restoration, wildflower seeding and tree planting - tasks which are, also supported by donors to the Big Give

Geoff Dobbins, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Estates Officer says:

“Every year it’s an incredibly early start to get to Whitelee Moor for the bird survey, but it’s worth it. To record the wonderful array of birds and other wildlife on this internationally recognised site and will help with our future plans.

“Peatlands, such Whitelee Moor, have the power to help lock up carbon, alleviate flooding, help wildlife recover and are central to our ability to address the climate crises, so it’s vitally important that we walk around the site to conduct our surveys.” 

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