Seven years of the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project - reasons for Christmas cheer

Red grouse. © Jeremy Wilson

The Langholm Moor Demonstration Project (LMDP)* aims to resolve the conflict between red grouse shooting interests and the conservation of raptors. It builds on the Joint Raptor Study (JRS) of 1992-1997 whose principal study site was Langholm Moor, and which showed for the first time the circumstances under which raptor populations constrained driven grouse shooting.

The new, 10-year project, known to many as ‘Langholm 2’, has now published a 7-year review, which evaluates progress against five formal criteria.** So how are we getting on? I discussed this with RSPB scientists Professor Jeremy Wilson and Dr Staffan Roos, who both work closely with the project, to find out.

Heather and grouse – reversing past losses

Langholm Moor lost well over half its heather between the 1940s and the start of the LMDP in 2008. However, the corner has at last been turned thanks to tireless efforts by the gamekeeping team in burning, cutting and re-seeding to establish new, young heather cover (Fig. 1), and the commitment of Buccleuch Estates to reducing grazing impacts by sheep and feral goats.

This is all good news, but the LMDP is seeking to restore driven grouse shooting on a smaller heather area than at any time in Langholm’s recorded history as a grouse moor and expectations need to be set accordingly. Progress with red grouse numbers is formally described in the 7-year review, as ‘not on target’, simply because driven shooting has not yet resumed.

But this hides a simple numerical truth. Red grouse numbers are increasing fast and are already back to the densities recorded at the start of the JRS when driven shooting still took place (Fig. 2).

Figure 1. Recovery of heather on Langholm Moor in May 2014. © Jeremy Wilson

Figure 2. The mean densities of red grouse at Langholm Moor in spring and July derived from block counts. These are the same data as in Fig. 3b in the 7-year review, and black symbols show years in which grouse were shot. Driven grouse shooting is only recommended by the GWCT above a July density of 60 birds per km2 (Hudson P. 1992. Grouse in space and time. Game Conservancy Trust Ltd, p.9)

Hen harriers – a target met

Hen harrier numbers and breeding success have met project targets. In 2014, aided by a year of exceptionally high vole densities, there were 12 breeding attempts, of which 10 were successful, fledging 47 chicks (Fig. 4 on p. 24 in the 7-year review). The strict protection of raptors on Langholm Moor also means that there are good populations of merlins, short-eared owls, buzzards and peregrines (Table 3 on p. 25 in the 7-year Review). Langholm Moor is becoming a healthy ecosystem with many of the top avian predators as an integral part of the food chain. What an example for the moors in the North of England, where illegal killing has almost extirpated the hen harrier.

Management for raptors and red grouse - the resounding success of diversionary feeding 

Almost all hen harrier nests at Langholm Moor are provided with ‘diversionary’ food to reduce the propensity of the parents to hunt red grouse chicks. This technique was trialled with great success at the end of the JRS and has been equally successful here, with predation of red grouse reduced to negligible levels (see Position statement on p. 22 in the 7-year review).

The dedication of the Langholm gamekeeping team in conducting diversionary feeding has carried the day and showcases a wider role for gamekeeping on grouse moors. In short we have a technique which, within the law, and at modest cost resolves most of the alleged conflicts between harriers and grouse managers. This is no mean achievement, and all the partners should now actively promote this technique to moorland managers.

Other species – more increases

The successes are not limited to red grouse, hen harriers and heather. Meadow pipit numbers (important prey for harriers and merlins and the upland host for cuckoos) are now above their project target, there are signs that the long decline of breeding wader populations, especially curlew and golden plover, may be beginning to reverse (see Fig. 7 in the 7-year review), and the the number of lekking male black grouse has increased from five to 18 (Fig. 8 in the 7-year review).

So what does it all mean?

Those impatient to see the resumption of big-bag, driven grouse shooting at Langholm Moor seem to be approaching Christmas with their glass half empty, and even describe the LMDP as “failing” to deliver red grouse recovery and “failing” to help resolve long-standing challenges to the sustainability of driven grouse management.

On the contrary: the LMDP’s achievements to date are remarkable, especially when one remembers that the moor is recovering from 60 years of continuous heather loss, has only withdrawn sheep from the main areas of heather ground since 2011, and is nowadays a very isolated grouse moor surrounded by agriculture and commercial forestry rather than the welcoming embrace of other driven grouse moors and their well managed heather, and active predator control.

True, driven grouse shooting has not yet resumed, and perhaps bag size ambitions will need to be moderated. But with three more years to go, a growing red grouse population, a recovering habitat base, and gamekeepers, scientists and raptor conservationists working well together, the LMDP is succeeding. It has the potential to inspire change and should do so by looking beyond the 10-year span of its current objectives to be a role model for defining sustainable grouse moor management in the 21st century. As a committed Project partner, we hope others will share the RSPB’s vision of the future.

* The LMDP is a partnership between Buccleuch Estates, Scottish Natural Heritage, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Natural England.
** The extent and condition of heather habitat; red grouse numbers; breeding raptor populations; management for red grouse and raptors; populations of other bird species.