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Numbers of the Aquatic Warbler fell drastically across the last century by 95% due to loss of their crucial wetland habitat. Many of the special wetlands where they breed were drained or the peat was extracted for garden use. Reporter Ed Drewitt travelled to Poland to interview Lars Lachmann who works for the RSPB and is the Project Manager for the Aquatic Warbler LIFE research project which aims to help conserve the birds. The Biebrzanski National Park is one of the best places to see the birds in Poland.
While conservation work is helping to protect the numbers of breeding pairs in Europe, now knowing where the birds are in winter means conservation work can begin on the habitat there to ensure the populations of Aquatic Warblers get the best chance to survive across all their range.
For listeners, now is the best time to catch a glimpse of an Aquatic Warbler in the UK. From late August across the first couple of weeks of September, the birds migrate from eastern Europe back to Senegal, and they navigate by using the southern coastline of the UK before turning down along the coastline of France, through Spain and on into Africa. Aquatic Warblers have been spotted in past years at several RSPB reserves along the south coast, Marazion Marshes in Cornwall and Radipole Lake near Weymouth plus one turned up on the south coast of Wales near Newport last year.