Great year for breeding birds at Glenwherry thanks to RSPB

The population of threatened breeding waders in the Glenwherry area has increased again, thanks to the efforts of local farmers.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Aug 2014, 19:00 BST
A lapwing chick at Glenwherry. INLT-34-723-conA lapwing chick at Glenwherry. INLT-34-723-con
A lapwing chick at Glenwherry. INLT-34-723-con

Since 2011, farmers have been working to make homes for lapwing, curlew and snipe on their land as part of the RSPB’s Halting Environmental Loss Project (HELP). Breeding waders have declined in Northern Ireland by 83 per cent over the last 25 years, but HELP has caused a reversal in fortune for these birds. This year the population reached 174 pairs – an increase of 10 pairs on last year’s total.

Nearly £1.5 million has been given to HELP from the European Regional Development Fund through the INTERREG IVA Programme, which is delivered locally by the Special EU Programmes Body. The project will run until the end of December 2014.

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This year there were 98 pairs of snipe, up from 86 pairs last year, while 58 per cent of curlew pairs managed to hatch young, the most since their annual surveys began in the area in 2002.

For further information contact Neal Warnock at [email protected] or call 07703 716840.

Related topics:RSPBNorthern Ireland