It’s a busy time of year. Lighter evenings and consistent, mild weather means things are getting busy on farms and whether from the tractor cab, truck or on foot, I bet you’ve already seen some of our seasonal wildlife. Over the past couple of weeks swallows, brimstone butterflies and bumblebees have all made their presence known. But it’s the unmistakable purr of the first turtle dove of the year that I’m waiting in anticipation for. Any. Minute. Now...
A once common summer visitor, turtle doves used to be seen and heard across the breadth of the UK’s farmed land and could be seen in large flocks feeding and on migration. Those who can remember that time are always the most moved by the rapid disappearance of this beautiful looking and gentle sounding bird whose population in the UK plummeted by 88% between 1995 and 2012. They are now the most threatened bird in the UK and largely restricted to the east and south east of England.
Image 1: The Turtle Dove is the most threatened bird in the UK. Their survival in this country depends on research and urgent, targeted conservation action Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Admittedly, the outlook certainly appears bleak but the important thing to remember is that we still have enough time to turn things around for the turtle dove. And this is where Operation Turtle Dove comes in...
Operation Turtle Dove (OTD) is a partnership project between the RSPB, Conservation Grade, Pensthorpe Conservation Trust and Natural England, launched in May 2012 with the aim to reverse the species decline. By furthering research and knowledge about the species ecology both on breeding and wintering grounds we can use the information to identify the main drivers of the species decline and come up with practical solutions to try and prevent and reverse them.
As a migrant of several thousand miles travelling every spring and autumn to and from West Africa, turtle doves face a range of threats across their migratory route. These threats include loss of habitat on breeding and wintering grounds, disease, illegal killing and hunting. However the driving factor of the decline is that the birds are simply not producing as many chicks as they used to. They have gone from having up to three or four nesting attempts to having either only one, or sometimes none at all. The reason for this lack in nesting attempts in recent decades is being linked to the health of adult birds – they do not seem to be able to find enough suitable food in order to get into good enough health to produce young.
Image 2: Turtle Dove chicks in the nest. (Tony Morris)
So what’s the solution? Certainly as they breed in the UK, we must ensure there is sufficient suitable habitat for them to return to each year in order to raise their chicks. In 2014 OTD took on two dedicated turtle dove conservation advisers to provide free advice to farmers, land owners and managers in core breeding areas to maintain and establish targeted nesting and foraging habitat for turtle doves. So far, these advisers have delivered over 20,000ha of advice through advisory farm visits and are supporting people prioritising turtle dove in their Countryside Stewardship applications this year as well as organising farm walks and talks.
If nothing is done, turtle doves will be lost in the UK as a breeding species within the next few decades. Let’s not let that happen. By working together we can save this species and prove that a farmed environment can still provide areas for wildlife to thrive and, in fact save those we are at most risk of losing.
How to help save turtle doves down on the farm:
Foraging habitat
Establish the turtle dove bespoke nectar flower mix:
Early English common vetch – 25%
Birds foot trefoil- 20%
Early white clover-20%
Black medick- 20%
Early red clover- 10%
Fumitory -5%
This mix can be used as part of environmental stewardship:
HLS/ ELS
Countryside Stewardship
Image 3: Turtle dove seed mix (Samantha Lee)
Create cultivated margins or plots to encourage natural regeneration of arable plants.
Environmental Stewardship options:
Image 4: Developed hedgerows provide safe nesting habitat for Turtle Dove (Samantha Lee)
Nesting habitat
Successional scrub of hawthorn and blackthorn – species that turtle doves show a preference for.
Maintain areas of thick, dense scrub and manage on a three year rotation. Turtle doves breed in August so avoid management during this time.
ELS/ HLS options
EB3 Enhanced hedgerow management
HC15 Maintenance of successional areas and scrub
HC16 Restoration of successional areas and scrub
HC17 Creation of successional areas of scrub
HB11 Management of hedgerows of very high environmental value (both sides)
CS options
BE3 Management of hedgerows (£16/100m or £8/100m)
WD7 Management of successional areas and scrub (£74 p/ha)
WD8 creation of successional areas of scrub (£87 p/ha)
For more information, you can visit the project website www.operationturtledove.org.uk . Or to receive habitat advice or arrange a free farm advisory visit contact your local adviser:
East of England:
Samantha Lee
Email: Samantha.lee@rspb.org.uk
Tel: 07894 802267
South East England:
Les Edwins
Email: les.edwins@rspb.org.uk
Tel: 07540 012 649
By Samantha Lee (Conservation Advisor)