Watch Out for the Waders

From mid March onwards wading birds such as lapwing (peewit), curlew and snipe begin to return to their breeding areas, which are  typically damp rushy pastures and rough grasslands in upland areas. These next few months are particularly important for these ground nesting birds which have declined in numbers in recent years. Nests are simple scrapes made on the ground or among rush or grass tussocks, making the eggs and young very vulnerable to disturbance by livestock or machinery.  If you are in an agri-environment scheme you must not carry out any field operations, such as rolling or applying fertiliser, in your breeding wader fields between 15 April and 30 June.

Also check your agreement for grazing dates and stocking rates.  Under the restricted grazing option, stocking density must be below 0.75 LU/ha between 15 April and 30 June. Under the no grazing option, grazing is not permitted between 15 April and 30 June. However, from 1 July stocking rates are unrestricted and you should graze additional stock on this land to help remove the growth which has built up during the spring and early summer.  A mixture of cattle and sheep grazing provides the ideal blend of sward heights and tussocks for nesting as well as plenty of insects for feeding chicks and adults. To prevent nests and chicks being trampled cattle must not be released directly on to breeding wader sites after being wintered indoors.

From mid July onwards you must cut rushes where they are covering more than one third of the area of the field.  Lapwing, snipe and curlew all need some rushes near the nesting sites to provide cover for chicks, but too many rushes will make it harder for the birds to look out for predators.  Cut rushes between 15 July and 15 March to prevent disturbance to waders and other ground nesting birds.

Curlews are nesting from late April to June among tussocks in rough grassland. (Photo courtesy RSPB images)