BTO/RSPB Breeding Waders of Wet Meadows: continuing in 2022

Posted on | By Helen Crabtree

This survey will be continuing in 2022. This will be primarily to improve national coverage in some other areas of England. Although coverage was really excellent in Sussex thanks to some amazing volunteers, it will be great to use the opportunity to fill in some small gaps in coverage. Please consider whether you can take on a site this year; please look at the sites map at https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/breeding-waders-wet-meadows. This map has been updated to make some more sites available that were allocated in 2021 but not surveyed.

The main wet meadow sites where volunteers are needed this year are (updated 25/3/2022):
Pagham Rife
Amberley Wild Brooks (split into multiple sites)
Pulborough Brooks (split into multiple sites)
Ouse Valley (Hamsey to Barcombe)
Tillingham Valley (near Rye)
The selected farmland sites with wet grassland management and/or lapwing plots for which volunteers are being sought (updated 25/3/2022) are as follows:

SU7800 near West Itchenor
SU7909 nr Funtington
SU8017 Beacon Hill
SU8116 North Marden
SU8314 Chilgrove
SU9312 Upwaltham Hill
SU9429 Northchapel
TQ0008 nr Arundel
TQ0306 nr Warningcamp
TQ0508 nr Burpham
TQ0909 Blackpatch Hill
TQ1210 nr Findon
TQ1209 nr Findon
TQ1408 nr Cissbury Ring
TQ1414 nr Ashington
TQ2107 Mill Hill
TQ3904 nr Telscombe
TQ3909 nr Lewes
TQ3930 nr Horsted Keynes
TQ4004 nr Telscombe
TQ4306 nr Rodmell
TQ6916 Penhurst
TQ7013 nr Ninfield
TQ7624 nr Bodiam
TQ8314 Three Oaks
TQ8719 Udimore
TQ9719 Camber

The survey will require three visits between the middle of April and the end of June to map the locations of displaying or breeding waders. Simple habitat and land management measures will also be recorded during the fieldwork. Surveyors will need to be able to identify common wader species (lapwings, redshank, snipe and oystercatcher) by sight and sound, and also to be familiar with display and territorial behaviour. Please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer to survey one of the sites listed above or would like more information.

All of the results of the surveys conducted in Sussex in 2021 have now been submitted. These results are summarised here:

East Head: 10 avocet pairs
RSPB Medmerry: 21 avocet pairs, 7 lapwing pairs, 5 oystercatcher pairs and 2 redshank pairs
RSPB Sidlesham Ferry: 4 lapwing pairs, 6 redshank pairs
RSPB Pagham North Wall/Marsh Farm: 1 lapwing pair
Arun valley (North Stoke to Houghton): no breeding waders
Arun valley (Offham to South Stoke): 6 lapwing pairs
Arun valley (Offham): no breeding waders
Amberley Wild Brooks: not surveyed
RSPB Pulborough Brooks: not surveyed
Arundel WWT: 5 lapwing pairs and one oystercatcher pair
Adur Levels: 7 lapwing pairs
RSPB Lewes Brooks: 4 lapwing pairs
Glynde Levels: 2 lapwing pairs
Lower Ouse valley: 2 lapwing pairs
RSPB River Ouse (Hamsey to Barcombe): 1 lapwing pair
RSPB River Ouse (Barcombe to Isfield): not surveyed
Cuckmere valley (above Exceat): no breeding waders
Cuckmere valley (below Exceat): no breeding waders
Down Level: 7 lapwing pairs
Hankham Level: 2 lapwing pairs
Hooe Level (east): 3 lapwing pairs
Hooe Level (west): no breeding waders
Horse Eye Level: 2 lapwing pairs
Manxey Level: no breeding waders
Pevensey Bridge Level: 6 lapwing pairs
Wallers Haven (south): no breeding waders
Wallers Haven (north): one lapwing pair
Whelpley Level (east): no breeding waders
Whelpley Level (west): 2 lapwing pairs
Combe Valley: 3 lapwing pairs
Brede Levels: 18 lapwing pairs
Wet Level Wittersham: no breeding waders
Pannel valley: 23 lapwing pairs, 4 redshank pairs and 6 oystercatcher pairs
Pett Level: no breeding waders
Rye Harbour: 8 lapwing pairs, 9 redshank pairs, 42 oystercatcher pairs and 40 avocet pairs
In addition to these sites, 23 sites with agri-environment scheme lapwing plots were surveyed, with breeding lapwings being found at five sites; 14 agri-environment scheme wet grassland sites were surveyed with breeding lapwings found at three sites.
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