Protecting the ground nesters of Greenham Common
By Katty Baird
Spring is in the air! The weather is warming (gradually) and our birds are getting down to the business of breeding. We are lucky to have some great nature reserves on our doorstep. These are home to many wild plants and animals - some quite rare - all of which need protection so they can thrive and be enjoyed by us all.
Military Base to Wildlife Haven
Greenham Common is well known to many as a former military base and site of the women’s peace camps of the late 1960s. However, it is also a haven for wildlife and home to a great variety of animals from small blue butterflies and adders to barn owls and badgers. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), forming part of the last remaining fragments of lowland heath that once covered this part of England, a habitat that could easily be lost forever without appropriate protection and management. Along with the neighbouring Crookham Common the site is now owned and managed by West Berkshire Council (WBC) and they have joined forces with our local wildlife charity, Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to champion and protect the wildlife that lives here.
Disturbance at the nest
With the arrival of spring, focus is turned to the birds that nest on the common, some species migrating from as far afield as Africa to raise their chicks here. Greenham and Crookham Commons support small but nationally significant numbers of nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler and are an important nesting site for other endangered birds such as lapwing, little ringed plover and skylark.
These birds (with the exception of Dartford warbler) build their nests on the ground. Eggs, chicks and brooding adults are well camouflaged in their surroundings and very difficult to spot. Whilst helping the birds to avoid natural predation, it also means nests are easily disturbed by people as they unknowingly get too close. If the brooding bird is flushed from the nest, the eggs or chicks are left much more vulnerable to predation or chilling. In some places, there have been reports of crows waiting close to nests and swooping in for an easy meal as soon as the parent bird flies away.
The culprits?
Greenham and Crookham Commons are a popular place to walk dogs. Dogs pose a particular threat to ground nesting birds as they rarely keep to paths and snuffle around in undergrowth that is not easily accessible to people. There are reports from all over the world suggesting that unleashed dogs can reduce the breeding success of ground nesting birds by disturbing them on their nests. However, although dog walkers as a group are often considered the main culprits, all recreational users of the countryside can frighten wildlife and affect their behaviour. Perhaps paradoxically, birdwatchers and wildlife photographers can also sometimes (inadvertently) disturb their subjects as they strive to get good views.
The solution
In order to minimise disturbance to the ground nesting birds on Greenham and Crookham Commons a number of measures were introduced during the nesting season last year, and these will be repeated this year.
• Informative signs – signs will be posted at all entrances, and next to the main nesting areas showing visitors which birds are particularly vulnerable and where the known nesting areas are.
• Wardens – three wardens have been employed this year. They will patrol both the commons and neighbouring Bowdown Woods, keeping an eye on the welfare of the nesting birds and answering any queries that visitors may have.
• Guided walks – from mid-April regular guided walks will be held every Saturday morning, where you can learn more about the common and its wildlife. Everybody, including dogs on leads, is welcome to come along.
• Bird Surveys – as well as the ongoing annual surveys of birds and other wildlife, there will be a survey specifically to monitor the ground nesting birds and their success at raising young.
These measures have been made possible thanks in part to a grant to BBOWT from GrantScape. The funding from GrantScape comes from the Landfill Communities Fund, which distributes some of the tax paid on waste sent to landfill sites to environmental projects.
Part of a Living Landscape
Greenham and Crookham Commons form the core of the West Berkshire Living Landscape, an initiative led by the wildlife charity BBOWT and delivered in partnership with West Berkshire Council. Other important wildlife sites including Thatcham Reedbeds and Bowdown Woods are also included in the Living Landscape area. The aim is to link these existing wildlife hotspots together making a bigger and better place for nature. Although some of the Living Landscape site is already owned by the Council or BBOWT, the initiative is working with the other landowners, advising on environmentally-friendly ways to manage their land and ensuring that any future developments are sympathetic to the needs of local wildlife.
Come and visit!
April marks the 10th Anniversary of Greenham Common being officially reopened for public use, following its long history as a military base. Over the last decade, many thousands of people have enjoyed fresh air and exercise here, commoners have continued to exercise their grazing rights and wildlife has been allowed to flourish. In order to preserve this common as a special place for wildlife and people during the coming decade and beyond, we need to ensure that the animals and plants that live here are given the protection they need. Why not come along to an organised event and find out more? On April 10th there is an anniversary event at the common, with guided walks, storytelling, craft demonstrations, children’s activities and much more – all in all set to be a fantastic day out!
To find out more either call the Nature Discovery Centre on 01635 874381, email (press button on right) or visit website (press second button on right).
If you fancy doing something practical, there is a friendly conservation work party that meets on the third Sunday of each month. New faces are always welcome, visit website (press third button on right) or call 01635 580792 for more details.