Rise recorded in lekking numbers.

The Southern Uplands Partnership has been working to address the decline in black grouse for several years. This current project, staffed by Tom Adamson, started two years ago and finishes at the end of September 2007. Funding for this work has come from SNH, RSPB, Scottish Borders Council, Leader+ and the Biodiversity Action Grant Scheme. For Toms report on progress.

During the project the population of black grouse has been monitored each year in the spring when the males take part is a display called lekking where males congregate at the ‘lek’ and display.

Over the two years the number of lekking males has seen a rise within the project area of 13 males. This increase has largely been on associated with landholdings where gamekeepers work to provide red grouse shooting. By providing the perfect conditions for red grouse through predator control, heather burning and wet habitats for chick-rearing, there has been a small increase the survival rate of black grouse.

Within this project area the importance of gamekeeping has increased over the two years. In 2006, 66% of the black grouse recorded within the project area was found on keepered ground, this increased to 77% in 2007. The population on keepered ground over this period increased by 38% whereas the population on un-keepered ground decreased by 17%. This illustrates clearly that the work carried out by keepers is important if black grouse are to thrive. Two landholdings out of the fourteen with black grouse present within the project area stand out as well-managed grouse moors; these two alone hold 48% of the local black grouse population.

Closure of the main agri-environment schemes (Rural Stewardship and Forestry Grant Schemes) has resulted in many of the management plans that have been produced not being implemented. These plans are now awaiting the new funding schemes which should start in 2008. Much ideal habitat has however been created through organisations such as Borders Forest Trust. The future for black grouse with Ettrick and Yarrow is dependant on continued habitat enhancement and the efforts of gamekeepers. Work is now going into the development of a much larger upland project that will seek to benefit a wide range of species and habitats in the future. It is likely that black grouse will be a major part of this larger project and will almost certainly be used as an indicator species of well managed uplands.