Real Springwatch 2025 - Episode 4 Tonight's nesting bird is a favourite to so many, for our followers of an older age, they will undoubtedly remember flocks of lapwing or peewit, in many areas 40 or 50 years ago. Along with other wading species, particularly curlew, populations appear far more stable in our areas on and adjacent to managed moorland with a shooting interest. It is heartening to see that there appears to be a shift in the narrative from purely conservation driven landowners, as th

Real Springwatch - Episode 5 Thankfully the weather has improved a little compared to the wet and cool temperatures of last week - looking at the forecast ahead, our concerns are with the windy conditions that are forecast, which can easily scatter young chicks if they are disturbed and take to the wing in a "flutter". Tonight we visit our lapwing that is sat in a farmed field adjacent to managed moorland, showing the benefits of "spillover" from considerate farming practices and a game manageme

Real Springwatch 2025 - Episode 8 Such joy for the first class gamekeeping team on this Dark Peak Shooting Estate, their monitored golden plover nest has hatched its clutch of eggs. Opponents to grouse shooting can be sloppy in their condemnation to our profession, often stating we are only interested in red grouse and create a heather monoculture. Nothing is further from the truth - well done the gamekeeping team, lets hope these 4 chicks can now survive through to the successful fledging stage