17 February 2009

A little less conversation a little more ‘peewit’ action

The RSPB is looking for volunteers keen to help lapwings nesting on farms in the Fens this spring.

With its trademark Elvis quiff, striking iridescent purple-green upperparts and rich chestnut patches, the lapwing is instantly recognisable but an increasingly rare site as a breeding bird on arable farmed land.

With the help of The RSPB in the region, advice has been given to farmers on a massive 12,720 hectares of land (between September 2007 and March 2008) to help restore declining populations of farmland birds, directly assisting farmers to access much needed agri-environment funding for the creation and enhancement of areas for birds like the lapwing.

Farmers in the Fens have been doing their bit by supporting breeding lapwings displaced from the flooded Ouse washes reserve in previous years. With this level of co-operation, the RSPB hopes for further successes in 2009.

Volunteers recruited for the Lapwing Project will work in teams to find lapwing nests, and, if required mark them with white canes so they can be protected from agricultural operations. 

Throughout 2008, staff and volunteers at the RSPB’s Ouse Washes nature reserve in Cambridgeshire monitored 39 nests on five different farms.  The six volunteers contributed a phenomenal 195 hours and covered a total of 578 hectares.
Penny Reeves was one of the volunteers last spring. “From a personal point of view, the rewards from volunteering on this project were great. Not only were we doing something really worthwhile, but thanks to our regular visits to ‘our’ patch, we saw a lot of wildlife as the seasons changed” she said. Penny added, “Overall it was a great experience, and one I couldn’t recommend highly enough.”

Volunteers for the Lapwing Project need to be able to commit to a minimum of 3-4 hours a week from mid-March to mid-July.  If you are interested and would like further information please contact Alex Thomas, assistant warden, 01354 680212 or e-mail alex.thomas@rspb.org.uk

The RSPB’s newly recruited Fenland Farmland Bird Advisor, Niki Williamson, will be working closely with the Lapwing Project.  She is on hand to offer free support and advice about farmland birds and directly assist with accessing both tiers of the governments Environmental Stewardship Schemes and can be readily contacted on 01354 680233.