Numbers of endangered curlews spotted locally by Airedale and Bradford RSPB group "encouraging"

And group leader Paul Barrett said members had been “encouraged” by the number of critically endangered curlews reported in the area.

“Following the success of individual counts during the first lockdown last year, we thought it would be useful for our supporters to pool resources so that members of the public have an idea what can be seen in our area.

Mr Barrett said they had hoped the number of species would exceed a 100 and on the last day of April, a cuckoo recorded singing on Baildon Moor became the group’s 100th different sighting.

With spring migrants arriving in the area, Mr Barrett said they expected the number would continue to rise with autumn passage migrants also providing a boost.

“With a bit of good fortune and some vigilance, we could get somewhere near 130 by the end of the year,” he said.

Mr Barrett said the group had been “quite encouraged” by the number of curlews that have been sighted by members.

The ground-nesting bird is listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species and Mr Barrett said, are in “real trouble”.

“Regional and possibly even country-level extinctions are now a possibility,” he said.

While voluntary work has been restricted through the pandemic, the group has been welcoming guest speakers from the Scilly Isles and Australia to its virtual meetings which Mr Barrett said have been well attended.

To see the list of birds go to ww2.rspb.org.uk/groups/airedaleandbradford