Natural England

Hot on the heels of the good news that this appears to be an excellent breeding season for birds, staff at Natural England’s Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve are pleased to report a sharp rise in the number of Quail.

Quail are a beautifully small game bird that are rarely seen and usually identified by their distinctive call which sounds like ‘wet my lips’. Despite being a very weak flyer it’s Britain’s only migratory game bird and very precious as its on the Red List of declining species. With a population usually numbering between 100 – 300 pairs or singing males, the 17 singing males in the Lower Derwent Valley offer a real boost to the population.

Quail numbers tend to rise and fall from year to year. They are widespread over continental Europe, where huge numbers are shot and this is often used as an explanation for the fluctuations. Experts often refer to ‘Quail Years’. These are years when numbers are particularly high, recent Quail Years have been 1964, 1970, 1984 and 1990.

Natural England staff and volunteers have been rallying to carry out surveys on their welcome visitors. They have also been using a little known ringing technique on some of the Quail they found and it met with instant success. Indeed, only 52 Quail have ever been successfully ringed in the UK since 1900, so they must have been doing something right.

Craig Ralston Natural England Reserve Manager said ‘we are delighted to see such a positive increase in Quail numbers. People often talk about there being good Quail Years, well this is certainly one for us. Given relatively few Quail in the rest of the country at present, it further highlights the importance of the Lower Derwent Valley to this species. This is something the local community can really feel proud of’.

Peter Roworth Natural England Senior Reserve Manager said ‘this is fantastic news and a real boost for us here on the reserve. It shows that the work we are doing to encourage and protect wildlife is paying off. But its not just about the reserve, in recent years we have seen a number of local farmers join our stewardship schemes and this has created a valuable network of wildlife habitats. Sights like this make it all worth while’.

Anyone wishing to visit the Lower Derwent Valley NNR to listen for Quail are advised to visit the public access areas at North Duffield Carrs, Bubwith Bridge or Wheldrake Ings. With the hours between dawn and dusk being the most opportune times.

Note for Editors:

For photographs and further information, contact Howard Botting on 01609 767439 howard.botting@naturalengland.org.uk or Emma MacDonald on 0113 2303533 emma.macdonald@naturalengland.org.uk

We have a selection of photo’s that can be sent out to accompany the story. These show Natural England staff and volunteers on the site taking part in past events.

Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings. We increase opportunities to make the natural environment an enriching part of people’s everyday lives, and improve its long term security by contributing to the sustainable management of our natural resources. www.naturalengland.org.uk

National Nature Reserves

National Nature Reserves (NNRs) are some of the very finest sites in England for wildlife and geology, and provide great opportunities for people to experience nature. They have been established to protect and manage the special wildlife habitats, species and geological features that occur there. These features are of national and often international importance, and many NNRs are important for study and research. Almost all NNRs have some form of access provision – many are fully open throughout the year. There are 222 throughout England.