Plenty of valuable insights from the fieldwork of the Dubelt Nature Society during the protection of Curlew nests:
“This marks another season of our involvement in the active conservation project forCurlew. Our activities are focused on the following areas: The Biebrza Refuge (PLB200006), Wizna Marsh (PLB200005), and the Brzozówka Valley. As of this year, we are participating in the project entitled „Kulik WIELKI zagrożony. Ochrona kulika wielkiego Numeniusarquata w Polsce” Curlew in danger. Protection of the Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) in Poland.
Following a dry winter and a warm spell that coincided with the Curlews’ arrival in the second half of March, we expected the birds—just like last year—to begin nesting early. However, after several days of high temperatures, a prolonged cold spell set in. Ultimately, the birds began incubation around mid-April, which is typical. Low temperatures and night frosts delayed vegetation growth, leaving incubating birds exposed and their clutches highly vulnerable to predation.
This year brought a record number of ring sightings. We observed both familiar adults and young birds—some nesting for the first time. These included individuals from aviary-rearing programmes as well as birds ringed as chicks that had hatched from fenced nests. One especially heartening sighting was a bird we ringed in the Brzozówka Valley in 2019, which had not been seen since—until now, when it returned to its “home grounds.” It turned out to be a male that found a mate and nested for the first time, just 500 metres from where it hatched. We fenced the nest, and the pair are now leading chicks (we will share more about this bird in a future post). This is the clearest evidence yet that active Curlew conservation works and delivers measurable results.
Unfortunately, unexpected situations do occur—reminders of how even small ecological disruptions can impact local bird populations. In one of the areas densely populated by Curlews, a Lesser Spotted Eagle also has its territory. A few years ago, we witnessed the Eagle raiding a Curlew nest. In the years that followed, Curlew nests in that area—fenced by us—were successful, and chicks always fledged. But this year, with exceptionally low vegetation and dried-out meadows (and possibly a local shortage of rodents?), the Curlew clutches became especially attractive to the Eagle. Within a few days—based on camera trap footage—it appears that the same Eagle destroyed all the Curlew nests in the area, both fenced and unfenced.
There were also reasons for optimism. One pair of Curlews built a nest in a meadow right beside a busy road, in a spot where anglers and tourists often park by the river. The location seemed so hopeless and unlikely to result in a successful hatch that we debated for a long time whether to fence the nest. In the end, we decided to fence it, and despite the many curious visitors, the birds were sitting firmly on their eggs. Most importantly, none of the many foxes in the area reached it.
This season, we located a total of 25 Eurasian Curlew clutches. As planned, eggs from several of the earliest nests were taken for headstarting. The chicks from these clutches have already hatched, are growing well, and await release in July. We hope they can be released—without complications—on the very meadows where they were originally laid.
Currently, most birds from our fenced nests are leading chicks, while pairs with replacement clutches still have over a week of incubation ahead.”
Author of the text and photos: TowarzystwoPrzyrodniczeDubelt, (Great Snipe Nature Society), originally published at their FB profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064550658094&locale=pl_PL.
