Red grouse counts

• Spring densities of red grouse were lower in 2006 than 2005 in northern England, but remained at similar levels between the two years in Scotland.
• July counts from northern England showed higher productivity in 2006 than 2005, and in Scotland there was a slight increase in breeding success in 2006.
• Worms were at low levels in England, but moderate levels in Scotland.

Red grouse in northern England

In the North of England we count grouse at 26 sites in spring and again in July every year. Numbers crashed across most of the North of England in the winter of 2004/05 because of strongylosis. However, not all the regions suffered and the North York Moors and the Bowland Fells maintained breeding densities (see Table 1). Overall spring densities in 2006 were slightly lower than in 2005 as the majority of the populations recovered from the crash. The major difference in 2006 was the increased productivity evident in the July counts (see Table 2) with all regions except Bowland having similar or improved chick production. In 2006 hen grouse on the counts areas produced an average of two extra chicks per hen in July. Although shooting was limited in 2006, the increasing stocks are encouraging for 2007.

Figure 1. Mean worm burdens in adult and young red grouse on eight moors in northern England, 1990-2006

	Adult
	Young

Red grouse in Scotland

We conducted counts on 24 sites in spring and July, mostly in the Highlands. There was little difference in spring densities between 2005 and 2006, with an average of 24 birds per 100 hectares in 2005 and 22 birds per 100 hectares in 2006. Adult mortality in spring was also similar, with 18.3 adults per 100 hectares remaining to breed in 2006 (a loss of 16% from the spring) compared with 19.7 adults per 100 hectares (a loss of 19%) in 2005. However, across Scotland the breeding season was affected by the cold wet spring as was evident in Strathspey where the mean hatch date was five days later in 2006 than 2005 (see Figure 2). This cold start was followed by good weather in June and July, which probably helped produce the slight improvement in breeding success, with a mean of 1.5 young grouse per surviving adult in 2006 compared with 1.1 in 2005. Because there were fewer adult birds to breed, July densities were the same in 2006 as in 2005, with an average of 61 adult and young birds per 100 hectares (see Figure 3).

Figure 2. Mean date on which red grouse hens hatched their clutch on five moors in upper Strathspey, 1992-2006

Figure 3. Average density (per 100 hectares) of young and adult grouse in July/August from 24 sites in Scotland 1990-2006

	Young
	Adult