Nightingales are a favourite among bird enthusiasts across the UK. Unfortunately, their population has declined by an estimated 90% over the past 50 years, and they are now primarily found in small areas in southern and eastern England.
Habitat loss and degradation is believed to be a major cause of this decline, as nightingales rely on scrubby woodlands and thick hedgerows for breeding. Lack of woodland management and rotational coppicing has lost the mosaic of woodland habitats at different growth stages, providing the diversity of thick bramble in the lower canopy which nightingales prefer.
The Upper Beult Farmer Cluster Group, which is chaired by our own William Fraser, have been working in partnership with Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT), South East Rivers Trust (SERT) and Southern Water to support the health of the landscape surrounding the river Beult.
This project has involved two years’ worth of nightingale monitoring to log density and distribution of Nightingales within the farm cluster group. There is also an exciting project emerging, to study the relationship between wet woodland and nightingales.
The Upper Beult Farmer Cluster Group is also looking to reduce reliance on pesticides within the river catchment, which impacts insect populations which the Nightingale relies upon. Nightingales are a strong indicator species, highlighting the health of an environment. By protecting and restoring the same environment for nightingales, the group is also supporting species like Turtle Doves and improving other environmental factors, including water quality and biodiversity.
How can we help?
Habitat Regeneration is skilled in providing practical and proactive approaches to ecological enhancement. We have a plethora of experience in the creation and restoration of wetlands, woodlands and hedges, recognising the critical ecosystem services and intrinsic biodiversity values these habitats provide.
Contact us today to see how we can help get your project up and running.
