The survey, entitled 'Breeding Waders of Wet Meadows', conducted by the BTO and funded by the RSPB, Defra and English Nature has shown an "alarming" decline in the number of wading birds in Wales and England. The organisations say their findings are a "stark warning" that the extinction of curlew in lowland Wales is a real possibility, unless these declines are reversed.Conservationists have had their worst fears about waders realised in Wales - since the last survey in 1982, 79 per-cent of curlew, 71 per cent of lapwing and 62 per cent of redshank have disappeared from wet lowland grasslands.
Phil Rothwell of the RSPB told BBC News Online:
"Seeing lapwing, snipe and redshank in the spring should be a familiar part of the countryside.
"It is a tragedy that once-widespread birds are now largely confined to the oases of nature reserves within the desert of the wider countryside.
Phil believes that the government need to put more measures in place, such as funding for "wildlife-friendly" farming and projects to restore wetlands to areas of the countryside which have become "dried out."
This 'drying out' of the countryside, and intensification of almost all types of land use has, according to the survey organisations, "left little or no suitable nesting habitat for wading birds."
The only havens that remain for these birds are in managed nature reserves, such as the recently created site in Newport.
The organisations say that wading birds, in addition to providing a real 'spectacle', are in themselves a 'telling indicator' of the 'well-being' of the wetland habitats - and so the decline does not bode well for these areas.
Survey organiser Andy Wilson of the British Trust for Ornithology, said:
"Only 54% of Welsh sites which held breeding waders in 1982 still supported them in 2002. In lowland Wales, curlew are now approaching local extinction."
Reg Thorpe, RSPB Cymru Species and Habitats Officer, said:
"From personal fieldwork, and conversations with concerned farmers, we are aware that the species remains in a steep decline. There is co-operation from some landowners but still much more to do if we are to prevent curlew disappearing from Welsh meadows and marshes."
Dr Tony Prater, RSPB Cymru Conservation Manager said:
"We can't just rely on a few nature reserves holding onto these wonderful species. We need a much greater effort to ensure that Tir Gofal and other agri-environment schemes are able to target and fund prescriptions, which can help breeding waders.
"We know that many farmers would like to help in ensuring the recovery of these species; now the National Assembly can make the difference."
Posted June 2003
Where now for Waders?
