Swaling

I SEE that there has been a lot of swaling on the moor in the last few days. At the same time there has been evidence of the start of the nesting season for the ground nesting birds particularly the pipits.

The Dartmoor National Park (DNP) website states that the nesting season for the ground nesting birds runs from March 1 to July 31.

The DNP Code of Conduct for swaling states that burning should be restricted to the period from October 1 to 1 April 15. The April 15 is fully six weeks after March 1 when the DNP states that the nesting season starts.

The DNP Code of Conduct also states that burning should ‘Take account of wildlife habitat’.

I wonder if the DNP could explain how burning small birds out of their newly created nests is compatible with taking account of wildlife habitat.

Dr Irving Wells

Yelverton