ONE of the region's most endangered birds is battling back from the brink of extinction thanks to a scheme backed by Northumbrian Water.

The company is also about to embark on a project to plant 9,500 trees and shrubs in the Durham hills in order to further increase numbers of the embattled black grouse.

Black grouse had been in a steep decline for decades and the north Pennines had become their English stronghold as they disappeared from other areas.

Several years ago, the Black Grouse Recovery Project was launched, a partnership between The Game Conservancy Trust, the Ministry of Defence, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, English Nature and Northumbrian Water.

By harnessing the efforts of conservationists, landowners, farmers and business, the project has started to turn things around for the bird.

Project officer Phil Warren said this year there had been a 30 per cent increase in numbers of displaying males - whose mating ritual is known as the lek - compared to 1998.

He said: "In 1998, the population was estimated at just 773 males, which was below the Government's biodiversity action plan target of 800 lekking males in England. From our latest count figures, we estimate the population is now closer to 1,000 males."

Survival of black grouse is dependent on providing the right mixture of habitat, including heather moorland, rough pastures, native woodland and meadows.

Northumbrian Water, which has already donated £50,000 to the project, will plant the trees and shrubs around the site of its new water treatment works at Burnhope Reservoir, near Wearhead, in Weardale, County Durham, over the winter. Plants will include silver birch, juniper, rowan and heather.

Company conservation manager Stuart Pudney said: "The idea is to increase the amount of berries on which the black grouse depend and also to provide a planting scheme to encourage the birds which are already in that area.

"Black grouse do not like solid blocks of woodland, preferring ragged edges which lead in to the woodland, something which we aim to create."

Mr Warren said habitat improvements were one of the major reasons the project was proving successful, combined with predation control by moorland gamekeepers and a voluntary restraint on shooting by most sporting managers.

He said: "This latest increase is very encouraging and means we are meeting the first objective of the biodiversity plan, which is to stem the decline of black grouse. Our next objective is to increase the population and expand the range."

Northumbrian Water sits on the initiative's steering committee and Mr Pudney said: "The project has been very good; the numbers are on the way back up again."

l Landowners or farmers in northern England who want advice on providing the right habitat for black grouse can contact Mr Warren on (01833) 622208.

Published: ??/??/2004