Waders Return

Waders are returning to their breeding grounds, and people across Scotland have been in touch with Working for Waders to tell us about lapwings and curlews which have come home. 

It’s an exciting time of year for waders, but it’s also an important moment for our project. It is encouraging that waders have come back to breed, but the real test will be whether or not the birds can produce healthy offspring. The science now seems to show that poor productivity is the driving force behind wader decline, and it is becoming harder for birds to rear their chicks. We will be following wader projects in Lanarkshire and the Cairngorms over the next few weeks to find out more about the breeding season in 2020, and we are also asking farmers and land managers to try our wader breeding survey, which aims to find out how birds will fare during the coming summer. This piece of work is a pilot scheme, and we are always looking for new and convenient ways to unlock the value of local experience. Please let us know if you’d like to be involved.

At the same time, Working for Waders is drawing up plans for direct action on the ground this year. We are not a funding body, but we do have access to some funds to support projects which involve wader conservation, particularly on farmland and upland habitats. We would love to hear from anybody with an innovative idea for wader conservation this year, and we will working with all our project partners to make sure that the best ideas are supported and taken forward. Decisions will be made in the next few weeks, so please contact Working for Waders if you have an idea you would like to discuss.