In 2020 the Clee Hill Bird Group report shows 8 Curlew territories in the area, down by 38.5% from the 13 when we started in 2012.

Download a pdf copy of the report here Bird Group Report 2020

At the current rate of decline, we haven’t got long to save the remainder from local extinction, so we now want to put the knowledge members have helped us gain to good use in 2021, by repeating the project we did in 2018-19: finding nests, putting an electric fence round them to protect the eggs from predators and livestock, and then radio-tagging the chicks, to find out how they use the landscape and what happens to them. Not enough young birds fledge to replace the older birds dying off. We need to know why. Understanding why so few chicks survive is the key to an effective conservation plan.

The work is expensive, but we’ve raised most of what we need. SOS has put in some of its own money, grants have been obtained from the British Birds Charitable Trust and Shropshire Hills AONB, and an Appeal to SOS and CWG members has also raised some. However, we still have a funding shortfall, and we hope you will want to help protect and conserve the birds our Group helps to monitor in our local area.

Curlew Appeal 2021

You’ll see that SOS is organising the project work, and is the banker for it. If you do make a donation, and you are a UK taxpayer, please also complete the Gift Aid declaration on the Donation form, as SOS can claim back the tax you paid on it from HMRC

I hope you will consider contributing to our Appeal. If you know anyone else who might contribute, please forward this to them.

If you want any further information, please contact us.