Breeding Waders of Wet Meadows

Breeding Waders of Wet Meadows (BWWM) survey is to continue in 2022 to cover sites which were not surveyed in 2021. The purpose of this survey is to assess the importance of both existing and new lowland wet grassland and also other breeding wader habitats in England (as provided by agri-environment schemes) for declining breeding birds such as Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe, but records of ducks, Yellow Wagtail and Meadow Pipit may also be collected.

To some extent it builds on previous surveys, in Durham mainly in 2002, when some of sites surveyed were former sand and mineral extraction sites. But it also seeks to cover a number of additional areas, most of which are part of agri-environment schemes (AES) or are arable Lapwing Plots.

Three daytime visits between mid-April and late June will be needed, together with an additional evening visit to sites which contain Snipe. Sites vary in size, so the length of time to carry out a survey will also vary.

Surveyors will be expected to contact the farmer/landowner, both for access permission and to confirm the exact location of the land to be surveyed – in particular Lapwing Plots may be re-located from one year to the next. Those who register for a survey site will receive site maps with numbered fields from BTO Headquarters, who – in many cases – will be able to supply landowner contact details and a letter of introduction.

Those who wish to take part should sign up for a site (or sites) via the BWWM section on the BTO website although further information on the locations involved may be available from the BTO Regional Representative for Durham

Areas in the Durham region for which we are currently seeking survey volunteers are listed below. Please note that the location column is intended to give an indication of the area of the county involved; it may not, in itself, be a precise location.

The 1-km square reference is a hotlink which should bring up the 1:50,000 O.S. map in the Geograph website; clicking on that map should display the larger-scale 1:25,000 map of that square