The group have recorded a decrease in breeding pairs from 19 to 13 between 2004 and 2006. If this current rate of decline continues the breeding population in this area will disappear within two years.
The three main reasons for poor breeding success are believed to be:
- Degradation of breeding habitat due to inappropriate farming practices.
- Predation
- Starvation of chicks due to lack of high quality foraging habitat.
Lapwings nest on farmland, so the co-operation of farmers and landowners is needed. Most farmers are very supportive, but they need to be able to run a profitable business and encourage breeding Lapwing. Financial support is available to facilitate both via the Natural England Environmental Stewardship shemes.
The UOWG is an Action group, not just a survey group.
- Newsletter distributed to all farmers in area, outlining results and calling for urgent and effective action to safeguard nests and chicks, and increase habitat.
- Arranged Public Meeting where the ONWG presented results from three years of surveys. The RSPB and FWAG also presented at this meeting and work was launched with farmers as a result.·
- Started Work with cattle farmers and Natural England to get Lapwing farms into new Environmental Stewardship Higher Level Scheme.
- On arable farms, launched Lapwing Recovery Project.
Cattle Farms: Improve habitat through Environmental Stewardship Higher Level Scheme
Capital works: creation of shallow scrapes and permanent wetland to provide feeding areas for chicks, and fencing to manage the cattle.
Management: Reduce nest trampling, by reducing number of cattle in breeding season, and moving cattle around the farm. Limit hedge growth, to maintain open landscape. Predator Control.
Arable Farms: Lapwing Recovery Project
2007: Some Success + Some Luck
- Persuaded two farmers to dig scrapes.
- Active Crow control by gamekeepers at both sites.
- Luck (very wet weather) meant that pairs could lay a final clutch at the end of Mayand that three broods did not fledge until late July.
Lapwings Still threatened
2008 & 2009 results:-
- Habitat loss – no Set-aside.
- Restricted to only 5 farms.
- Concentrated on only 2 farms (one now up for sale).
- Poor breeding success in both years.
- On arable land, drainage means fields largely too dry (scrapes usually dry out).
- Loss of several nests started before field preparation for maize and potato crops.
2010 results:-
- Population declines again only 19 pairs recorded.
- Thought to be due to more habitat loss on important farms.