Redshank, Lapwing and Snipe Species Action Plan

Five species of breeding waders, oystercatcher haematopus ostralegus, lapwing vanellus vanellus, snipe gallinago gallinago, curlew numenius arquata and redshank tringa totanus are commonly associated with lowland farmland habitats in the UK.    Three of them, snipe, lapwing and redshank, are of particular concern in North Lanarkshire due to dwindling numbers.   Recent surveys throughout the UK have given estimates of wader populations and have also indicated concern over declines in numbers of some wader populations on farmland.

The New Atlas of Breeding Birds shows that the major concentrations of these species are found in Scotland, where they are widespread on both farmland and moorland.  However, there are important concentrations of breeding waders in the valleys of the Southern Uplands and in some Highland glens.

2. Current Status

Definition key areas are those that support important concentrations of the three wader species.  These are essentially mixed farming areas, ranging from moorland edge and valley bottom pastures to arable mixes.  In addition some sites occur within and around the Cumbernauld area where industrial development has allowed waders to breed on marshy grassland close to the industrial units.  More recently an important temporary habitat has appeared on Fannyside Muir, where the stripping of vegetation on the moor prior to peat extraction has resulted in excellent lapwing habitat. Opencast sites being restored may also be favoured by lapwings.

Wetter areas have greater diversity and density of waders than drier areas.  As a consequence, snipe and redshank are the species most sensitive to habitat change and are the best indicators of good wader habitat on farmland.

* These figures may be over-estimates.

Known Key Areas in North Lanarkshire

• River Kelvin floodplain from Kilsyth to Kirkintilloch, including Dumbreck and Dullatur marshes.
• Gartcosh industrial site.
• Fannyside Muir and Garbethill Muir.

• Drainage of wetland areas, leading to loss of habitat.
• Autumn sowing, leading to unsuitable breeding habitat in spring and early harvesting.
• High stocking rates, leading to short pasture and trampling of nests.
• Fertiliser and early cutting, leading to nest and chick losses.
• Use of pesticides and herbicides, leading to loss of food source
• Late spring rolling and harrowing of grassland, leading to nest loss.
• Move from cattle to sheep grazing, leading to more drainage, more fertiliser use, and more outside winter feeding (leading to excess food for predators).
• Opencast mineral extraction, which is a threat to some key areas, but also has potential for creation of good wader habitat in the restoration stage.
• Woodland planting on agricultural land, which can lead to fragmentation of open habitats and create more habitat for predators.

4. Current action

Legal status

The snipe is protected as a quarry species under Schedule 2, Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is covered by Appendix II of the Bonn Convention; Appendix III of the Berne Convention and Article 4.2 of the EU Birds Directive.  It is an Amber List Bird of Conservation Concern because it has suffered a moderate decline (25-49%) in the UK breeding population or range over the previous 25 years.

The redshank is fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is covered by Appendix II of the Bonn Convention; Appendix III of the Berne Convention and Article 4.2 of the EU Birds Directive. It is an Amber List Bird of Conservation Concern because it:

• winters in the UK in internationally important numbers (i.e. more than 20% of the East Atlantic flyway population).

• is a Category 2 Species of European Conservation Concern (SPEC 2), being of unfavourable conservation status due to a moderate population decline in many countries, with its global population concentrated in Europe.

The lapwing is fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is covered by Appendix II of the Bonn Convention; Appendix III of the Berne Convention and Article 4.2 of the EU Birds Directive.   It is not listed as a species of European Conservation Concern, indicating that its conservation status in Europe is currently regarded as favourable, although this is likely to be because of a lack of data.   It is thought that more than a quarter of European populations may have declined by 25-50% in recent years.  Likewise the lapwing is only listed as an Amber species in Birds of Conservation Concern because it winters in the UK in internationally important numbers.  It did not qualify for listing as a declining breeding species because again there is a lack of data on breeding populations.  However, recent information from sample surveys suggests that red listing as a seriously declining breeding species might be appropriate.

Site status

With one exception, key wader areas in North Lanarkshire are not covered by any SSSI designations and therefore are unlikely to be included in any SACs or SPAs.  However, a number of small fragmented sites have been designated as SINCs within local plans and conservation strategies.  A few sites also have reserve status, although it is recognised that this will only assist very small numbers of waders.

Management, research and guidance

In the early 1980s there was a Survey of Breeding Waders of Scottish Agricultural Land undertaken by the SOC/Wader Study Group.  During 1984 to 1991, the SOC Clyde Branch undertook surveys of breeding waders over extensive areas of North Lanarkshire, and the fieldwork for a tetrad based Breeding Bird Atlas of the Clyde Area.  In 1992, the RSPB/BTO/SOC undertook a survey of breeding waders in Lowland Scotland.  This survey was repeated in 1997/78.  In addition, the RSPB is currently undertaking a research project on the decline in waders in Scotland and northern England.

Ornithological baseline surveys, including breeding wader populations, are currently being sought as part of all new and recent applications for opencast mineral workings in North Lanarkshire.

The RSPB/Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) /Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department (SERAD) have produced A Management Guide to Birds of Scottish Farmland and guidelines covering redshank and snipe.

To maintain and improve the populations of three key lowland waders breeding in North Lanarkshire.

• maintain wader numbers on key sites over 5 years.
• increase wader numbers on key sites over 10 years.
• maintain and increase the extent of suitable habitats using incentives available through future agri-environment schemes.  The Countryside Premium Scheme is going to be superseded by a new all-Scotland agri-environment scheme.
• improve wader census database for North Lanarkshire.

5. Proposed action with lead agencies

Policy and legislation

• increase payment rates for priority conservation activities to increase the take-up rate of agri-environment schemes.  In particular lobby SEERAD to put more funds into agri-environment schemes in an attempt to increase the number of applicants accepted into the schemes (North Lanarkshire Biodiversity Group, SEERAD).
• support key wader areas in the Clyde Valley Structure Plan, the Kelvin Valley Countryside Project Conservation Strategy, Local Plans and the Indicative Forestry Strategy, with particular reference to policies relating to mineral extraction/restoration, in order to safeguard sites with important populations of waders (NLC, FC, KVCP).
• ensure that proposed flood alleviation schemes for the River Kelvin do not damage key wader sites (NLC, SEPA).
• policy in Local Plans for creation of wader-friendly habitat as part of the restoration of mineral workings (NLC).
• encourage farmers and landowners to enter the agri-environment schemes, especially Wetland Creation and Wetland Management options (FWAG, NFU, SEERAD, RSPB, SWT, NLC, SNH).

Site safeguard and management

• site management for key areas should be targeted through the appropriate agri-environment schemes (SEERAD).
• restoration of mineral workings to create appropriate wader habitat (RSPB, Scottish Coal, other mineral operators).
• ensure that suitable existing reserves and SSSIs are managed appropriately for breeding waders (RSPB, SNH, SWT).

Advisory

• Bird Management Guidelines for wader species to be made widely available (RSPB, SAC, SEERAD, FWAG, SWT).
• key wader areas identified and landowners informed (RSPB, SNH, SERAD, FWAG, SWT).
• training on wader friendly management for FC/ FWAG/SAC/ SEERAD advisers (SNH, RSPB).
• wader friendly management advice to farmers and landowners. (SAC, FWAG, SEERAD, RSPB, SWT).
• demonstration sites on farms, West of Scotland Water land, Scottish Coal and other opencast operators' land and Dullatur Marsh (SAC, FWAG, SEERAD, WoSW, SC, SWT).
• use of agri-environment scheme training courses to promote wader friendly management techniques (SEERAD, Agricultural Training Board).
• liaise with Agricultural Training Colleges for input into agricultural/land management courses (SAC, RSPB).
• raise profile of nesting waders through FWAG, NFU, Agricultural Discussion Group, Young Farmers meetings (NFU, FWAG).
• liaise with Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors re training and advice for Land Agents (RICS, SAC, agents).
• guidelines and training for opencast mineral operators (SEERAD, Scottish Coal, SAC, RSPB).

Future Research and Monitoring

• monitor effectiveness of actions for waders through agri-environment schemes (SAC, SEERAD).
• build up and expand information base of numbers and distribution of waders, in particular identify small fragmented sites with breeding waders (RSPB, SNH, SOC, SWT).
• compare waders populations and distributions with national trends. (RSPB, SNH).

Communications and publicity

• ensure that details of agri-environment schemes are widely available and disseminated. (SEERAD, SAC, FWAG).
• work with other authorities to establish a Clyde Valley Wader Group to collect data, monitor populations and involve landowners in demonstrations (RSPB, SAC, FWAG SOC, SEERAD).
• establish a wader friendly farm recognition scheme (RSPB, SAC, FWAG, SEERAD).
• use the media to highlight declines in wader numbers and to communicate the results of any surveys that give population changes (RSPB, SWT, SAC, FWAG, SEERAD).

Links with other Action Plans

• habitats: rivers and streams, floodplain grazing marsh, lowland raised  and intermediate bogs.
• species: otter, water vole

It is suggested that the key organisations detailed for action (see above) meet at least once a year to discuss the plan.  These organisations to include SNH, SWT, RSPB, NLC, NFU and FWAG.  The action plan may be revised as a result of decisions taken at these meetings.

No major costings are anticipated as a result of this action plan.  Nearly all of the proposed actions should be financed by existing grant schemes such as the agri-environment schemes or by agreed mineral mitigation works.  The only actions not covered are establishing a wader data base for North Lanarkshire and monitoring of breeding waders away from agri-environment schemes.  To do this work effectively it is proposed that an annual figure of £3,000 is required over the next five years.

The compiler is extremely grateful to the following people who commented on earlier versions of this document:

• Duncan Orr-Ewing and Rebecca Badger, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
• David Robertson, Forestry Commission.
• Jackie Gillespie, Kelvin Valley Countryside Project.
• Rebecca Russell, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group.
• Wendy Scott, Central Scotland Countryside Trust.