Learn how to measure success

The phrase “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” applies to many things. In the world of biodiversity, knowing what species are present and in what numbers is critical information to collect every year. With that information, you can see how populations change over time. You can then consider whether those patterns are driven by weather, habitat management or interactions with other species, and therefore whether your management needs to change.

Grouse counting

If you’re a grouse keeper, you need to know what your grouse population looks like, particularly in the summer, as it tells you if shooting will be possible that season and, if so, at what level. You need to be sharp-eyed because counts aim to estimate the number of coveys, the number of single birds and the proportion of young and adult birds present.

Counts are done in the spring, typically from April, to estimate the number of breeding pairs as well as single birds and mixed groups. That tells you what your breeding stock looks like. The second count is carried out in the summer, typically mid-July onwards, to estimate breeding success.

Methods vary slightly between moors, but the common features are walking the same routes or survey areas each spring and summer and using dogs to flush grouse, as their instinct is to sit tight until danger has passed.

Other birds

Through regular observations across the moor, gamekeepers develop a detailed understanding of grouse numbers and breeding success. There are some structured surveys that cover birds in general and several that focus on breeding waders, a vital conservation priority in the uplands.

The British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) uses randomly selected 1km squares to track changes in bird populations across a range of habitats. Volunteers are allocated a square, make an initial visit to plan their route, then walk it twice each spring, recording every bird they see or hear. The same squares are surveyed year after year, creating a powerful long-term dataset, though it does require experienced birders who can identify everything they see and hear.

In upland landscapes, where there is a real need for data on breeding waders, scientists have developed several bespoke methods. These range from the detailed Brown and Shepherd method, which surveys an entire defined area such as a moor rather than a random square, to lighter-touch options like Gamekeeper Wader Transects, designed to fit around a keeper’s other work such as trap checking.

A newer scheme, developed with the Curlew Recovery Partnership, focuses specifically on breeding success rather than just numbers, since poor breeding success is one of the principal drivers of long-term population decline. All aim to answer the same basic questions: how many breeding waders are there and how successful is their breeding? If you’re working on upland areas and want to get involved, contact the BTO.

So, there are several methods you can use, but the key points are:

• Record survey effort as well as bird observations. At a minimum, record the time spent surveying and the length or area covered. Without this information, it’s impossible to know whether changes in bird numbers reflect real population changes or simply differences in survey effort.
• Choose a monitoring scheme that suits your needs and resources because it’s most valuable when you can repeat the same thing over many years.
• Finally, always record and share what you learn!

If you have a story to share about the good you’re doing for nature in the uplands, please get in touch using the form below.