Upland Breeding Bird Surveys - South Pennine Moors SSSI

The purpose of this contract is to: • Determine and describe the location(s) and quality of: • Assemblages of breeding birds – Upland moorland and grassland with water bodies

• Aggregation of breeding birds – Golden Plover • Aggregation of breeding birds – Curlew

• Aggregation of breeding birds – Merlin • Aggregation of breeding birds – Twite

South Pennine Moors SSSI is outstandingly important for its extensive upland habitats and their associated species. The site is the largest area of unenclosed moorland within West Yorkshire and contains the most diverse and extensive examples of upland plant communities in the county.

Extensive areas of blanket bog occur on the upland plateaux and are punctuated by species rich acidic flushes and mires. There are also wet and dry heaths and acid grasslands.

Three habitat types which occur on the site are rare enough within Europe to be listed on Annex 1 of the EC habitats and Species Directive (92/43) EEC. These communities are typical of and represent the full range of upland vegetation classes found in the South Pennines.

The moorlands support nationally important numbers of golden plover Pluvialis apricaria, curlew Numenius arquata, merlin Falco columbarius and twite Carduelis flavirostris. These species and the rest of the moorland breeding bird assemblage require the mosaic of habitats and large area of the moors for their survival.

The blanket bogs are the main breeding grounds for the golden plover and dunlin Calidris alpina. The South Pennine Moors hold 1.3% of the British breeding population of golden plovers.

The very large number of meadow pipits Anthus pratensis nesting on the bogs are a major food source for the merlin. The deeper cover provided by the heather provides nest sites for a range of other species.

The merlin population of the South Pennine Moors is particularly important. 4.7% of the British population nests on these moors. Golden plover are also known to nest on recently burnt areas of heather.

Curlews favour the wet acid grasslands and semi-improved areas on the edge of the moors to breed. A significant number (0.8%) of the British curlew population breed on the South Pennine Moors sharing this habitat with lapwing Vanellus vanellus and in the wettest areas snipe Gallinago gallinago and redshank Tringa totanus.

Twite Carduelis flavirostris on the South Pennine Moors represent 1% of the British breeding population. Twite use virtually all the moorland habitats at different stages of their lifecycle.

They prefer heather for nesting but also use bracken, boulder screes, grass tussocks and dry stone walls. Feeding on small seeds they utilise grassy areas throughout the moorlands, weedy areas on the moorland edge, semi-improved pastures and even areas of burnt Molinia grassland The South Pennine Moors SSSI is made up of 165 management units with the interest features of the site occurring across multiple units.