Our view at the RSPB was that if the blanket bog as looked after, bird populations would survive as well, such as breeding waders that are very scarce and confined to the uplands of Britain". Prof Joseph Holden, an expert in peat bogs from the University of Leeds, who spoke at the public inquiry, said: "In the UK we have 13% of the world's blanket bogs.
Nationally important populations of breeding waders are present in the Outer Hebrides including common redshank, dunlin, lapwing and ringed plover.
For example, the installation of linear waterways in wet grasslands is a common form of habitat management to benefit breeding waders and wader nests and foraging chicks tend to be aggregated around wet features.
There is then the momentary sad music of lapwings and curlews that are so abundant here – and reminding me of Derbyshire 40 years ago – this is the richest landscape for breeding waders in all England.
These are now used by breeding waders and wintering wildfowl.
When breeding success increases it is sometimes necessary to euthanize.
Water management can also be used to ensure a high water table in summer, benefiting breeding waders, and drier conditions in winter, preferred by the geese.
Predator-exclusion fencing is therefore an effective management tool for protecting restricted and declining populations of breeding waders on lowland wet grassland.
In total, we analysed 23 landscape-variables, applying co-inertia analysis to discover common multivariate patterns in coastal meadow characteristics, breeding waders, plants and amphibians.
The present issue, for example, features articles on eels and otters; Chobham Common nature reserve; bat detectors; the Great Fen; and breeding waders on the Somerset Levels.
