CRT launches £8,000 appeal to create wetland habitat for wading birds at Lark Rise Farm in Barton

More needs to be done to protect the habitat of wading birds in Cambridgeshire, according to a farming charity, which has launched an appeal to raise money to create a wetland area at Lark Rise Farm, near Barton.

The Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT), which promotes nature-friendly farming to reverse biodiversity decline, needs £8,000 this Christmas to create an ideal habitat for waders.

Species like lapwing, black-tailed godwit, curlew, golden plover, redshank, common snipe, jack snipe and sandpipers would benefit, along with ducks such as wigeon, teal, gadwall and goldeneye.

Wading birds, which are in decline nationally, need wet areas with soft, muddy ground to feed over winter.

Helena Darragh, head of conservation and land management at CRT, said: “We’re asking for your help to create a simple, yet potentially lifesaving feature on our farmland - a series of shallow, muddy channels that will make the difference at the toughest time of the year.

“A species like the beautiful and distinctive curlew uses its long, down-curved bills to push into soft, wet ground to find food. Without areas of damp grassland, wading birds struggle to find food over the colder winter months.

“The curlew is already one of the UK’s most rapidly declining breeding bird species, with a 48 per cent drop in numbers from 1995-2015 in England.”

Shallow ‘scrapes’ help wading birds like curlews find the invertebrates they need to survive.

“For centuries, the UK’s wetlands, floodplains and coastal areas have been home to waders. However, these natural habitats are being lost, and while these birds are adaptable, they can’t keep pace with the rapid loss of safe spaces to feed and rest undisturbed,” added Helena.

“Curlew and lapwing are among the most iconic of our Red-listed wading birds, but the habitat we’ll create with your donations will also attract other Amber-listed birds such as teal, widgeon and numerous ducks and geese.

“We were delighted to see growing numbers of lapwings at Lark Rise this summer, so we very much hope they will use the habitat in the winter as well."

A combination of development on tidal fringes and floodplains, the drainage of fields and dredging of rivers has meant that fields do not get wet or stay wet as they once did.

“As a result, we are lacking areas of seasonally inundated water which is what our wading birds and waterfowl need in the winter to feed. Some wading birds are migratory, coming to the UK for our winter, whilst others are residents, such as overwintering lapwings,” said Helena.

The CRT also plans a wetland habitat at Bere Marsh Farm in Dorset.

Work on the two habitats will begin next year, with £13,000 required for survey and preparation work.

“While we can get a partial grant, we are looking for around £8,000 in donations to make this happen,” said Helena. “We are aiming to have both habitats ready for winter 2025 and will begin work at Bere Marsh Farm next summer. There is more survey work to be done first at Lark Rise Farm, and, if further assessment of the land is needed, this might take a little longer and be ready for winter 2026.

“These areas can be created by creating shallow channels and pools no more than 50cm deep on grassland fields, which typically are soggy in the winter. We then connect these channels to existing watercourses, such as ditches to allow water to flow into them in wet periods, creating muddy puddles which create wet grassland habitat.

“In dry months, the water recedes or evaporates, and we can continue to manage the field with livestock and hay cuts. These features are easy to maintain, can be grazed over and driven over by farm machinery in summer months due to their shallow gentle gradients.”

To donate to the winter appeal, visit the CRT website at www.thecrt.co.uk/appeal/wadingbirds.

You can also support the CRT by purchasing its 2025 wall calendar or giving the gift of a CRT Friendship. Visit thecrt.co.uk/christmas-at-the-crt.