Surfbirds News: July 2007 Archives
Sue Armstrong-Brown, the RSPB's head of countryside conservation, said: 'The return of the woodlark to our fields, heaths and forests is brilliant news – and shows how important set aside has become as a refuge for wildlife on our farmland.
'The crucial thing now is to keep the environmental benefits when the policy is updated. Birds like the woodlark are trying hard to adapt to the new ways of managing the countryside and we must not sabotage their recovery.
'We must increase our efforts to restore and manage lowland heaths to create suitable conditions for the woodlark and also ensure that the management of forestry plantations provides suitable breeding habitat.'
Woodlark, copyright Darren Ward
Natural England's senior ornithologist, Allan Drewitt, added: 'It is encouraging to see such a dramatic increase in the numbers and breeding range of woodlarks. This is largely the result of improvements to their lowland heathland habitats by conservation bodies including Natural England, the RSPB and local wildlife trusts, and the efforts of the Forestry Commission in providing and maintaining suitable nesting areas in their plantations.
'The £25m Heritage Lottery funding of Tomorrow's Heathland Heritage has done a lot to help heathland species like the woodlark. We must now increase our efforts to restore and manage lowland heaths for the woodlark and other wildlife, and also ensure that the management of forestry plantations continues to provide breeding habitats.'
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