Curlew & Endangered Wader Safaris
Take in the sights and sounds of Barden Moor
Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May & Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June
9.30am-12 noon or 1.00pm-3.30pm
Explore Bolton Abbey’s moorland with expert guidance from our team of Gamekeepers.
£60 per vehicle – up to 4 people – limited spaces available
£15 per person – up to 8 people in a shared safari trailer
Tour the spectacular moorland with our keepers in estate vehicles for a chance to spot the beautiful but elusive curlew and other endangered birds. These events aim to celebrate the strong curlew population on the estate and raise awareness for their plight across the north of England and globally.
This guided curlew and endangered wader safari will be led by our gamekeepers, who will share their years of knowledge and experience with you. The moorlands at Bolton Abbey have been managed by gamekeepers for decades. Today the management takes a holistic approach of these special areas, including protecting the habitats for diverse species and reintroducing others.
See how we are creating a unique landscape with fantastic flora and fauna, which is not replicated anywhere else in the world. In addition to curlews, you may also see lapwings, golden plover, merlins, red kites, snipe… the whole spectrum.
Numbers for these events are very limited so please book your place using the link below.
We hope to see you there…
Useful Information
- Safaris will take place on 25 and 26 May & 1 and 2 June.
- There are two sessions each day: 9.30-12noon or 1.00-3.30pm.
- The cost is £60 per vehicle payable in advance. Each vehicle seats up to 4 people.
- A complimentary car park ticket is included for these sessions. Please feel free to arrive early to enjoy the wider estate prior to this session.
- Please arrive at Bolton Abbey car park 15 minutes prior to your session.
- All levels of interest and experience are very welcome.
- Children are welcome.
- Binoculars and cameras are advisable to help you spot and capture these perfectly camouflaged birds.
- Light refreshments will be available. If you have any dietary requirements please feel free to bring your own.
- Maximum guests in each vehicle is 4 plus our keeper driver.
- Please note that our estate vehicles have high seating, so may be challenging to access for those with limited mobility.
The Endangered Curlew
There are currently only half the number of breeding curlews in the UK compared to 25 years ago. So alarming are the figures that curlews were made a species of highest conservation concern in the UK in December 2015, and put onto the red list of threatened species by the IUCN, the worldwide union of conservation bodies which monitors the status of animals and plants throughout the globe. They are now in the same category as jaguars, ‘near threatened,’ which means extinction is likely in the future.
Scientific research has shown that where moors are managed by gamekeepers, ground nesting birds such as curlew and lapwing are 3.5 times more likely to raise their chicks to fledging. A survey of upland breeding birds in parts of England and Scotland has also found that the densities of golden plover, curlew, redshank and lapwing were up to five-fold greater on managed grouse moors, compared to moorland that was not keepered.
Here at Bolton Abbey, we’re very proud to support a stable population of breeding curlews and other endangered wading birds.