Lights, camera, curlew!

The ‘Curlew Cam’, which streams live video from a curlew nest, has become a lockdown sensation, with more than 27,000 people going online to watch the red-listed birds in the first three weeks. Viewers from across the globe have been visiting the camera covering a pair of Welsh curlew, with parents using it as a homeschooling aid.

Amanda Perkins from Curlew Country, which runs the Curlew Cam, said: “The response this year has been so encouraging, particularly from young people getting passionate about our wildlife. We’ve even had offers of partnership from European conservationists. If this can make people more aware of those working hard in conservation then

I’ll be delighted.”

The Curlew Country programme, which is

Curlew numbers are in decline, particularly in lowland areas

supported by the GWCT, focuses on helping the recovery of lowland curlew. Curlew have declined all over the country, but the steepest declines have been in lowland areas.

The programme has won

praise from across the conservation world for its success in boosting curlew numbers and for its leadership’s willingness to talk frankly about the need to manage predators to help protect curlew.