Climbers have contributed towards a bumper crop of ring ouzel chicks being raised on Stanage Edge in the Peak District this spring by sticking to voluntary access restrictions and helping the rare chicks’ chance of survival.

Ring ouzels are officially listed as of major conservation concern as they are in national decline, so as part of the BMC’s ongoing access and conservation work, climbers have been encouraged to avoid certain parts of the crags where birds have been nesting.

Ten ring ouzel chicks were successfully raised this year - up from 6 last year, and the chicks that didn’t survive were probably the result of predation and other reasons but not due to human disturbance. Settled weather conditions during a pivotal part of the breeding cycle are also thought to have contributed to the success.

BMC volunteer Henry Folkard helped gain climbers' support, not just on Stanage but on Burbage and Millstone Edge by making sure climbers knew why they were being asked to avoid certain areas. He also abseiled down to monitor nests and to lower chicks for ringing - where a tag is placed around the chick's leg for monitoring purposes.

Henry said: "The BMC is concerned about disturbance of nesting sites throughout the country," he said. "What's encouraging at Stanage this year is that it shows voluntary restrictions, when positively communicated, are effective, allowing everybody to enjoy climbing and the wildlife to flourish."

The promiscuity of the bird was also brought into question by an unusual discovery - one of the male ring ouzel was serving two females on different nests and helped raise eight of the 10 chicks. Peak District National Park warden for Stanage, Bill Gordon, said "He's made national ring ouzel history as the first proven bigamist of his species recorded," he said. "Actually it's called polygyny, and he was singing his success all over the bracken beds."

"The success of the ring ouzel nests this year would not have been possible without close co-operation between ourselves and Forum members, in particular the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), English Nature, the RSPB and Sheffield Bird Study Group."

The BMC would like to thank all climbers who cooperated.

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