Countryside Alliance - love the countryside

As part of the campaign to raise awareness of our waders’ plight, we have launched a petition on the Number 10 Downing Street wesbite, stating to the Prime Minister that “we the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to publicly acknowledge the plight of the wader and accept the role of predator control and a fair balance of species in reversing the decline in numbers.” Sign the petition here .

The Save the Wader campaign comes in response to the sharp decline in the UK wading population and the failure of anyone in the conservation establishment to do anything decisive about it. Between 1994 and 2006, curlew numbers decreased by 37%, redshank by 21% and lapwing by 17%.

Waders like to nest on open ground so they can see their enemies coming. Ironically, this makes them even more vulnerable to attack from other birds and predators, particularly on unmanaged moorland. Where there is good habitat and gamekeepers are controlling the number of predators – including foxes, stoats and weasels – waders and other ground nesting birds are thriving. However, the refusal of some conservation bodies to get to grips with predator control means that the future of waders is at risk in many parts of the country.

Save the Wader is highlighting the plight of waders and encouraging government and conservation bodies to do what is needed to ensure that this decline can be reversed and end the threat of extinction faced by waders in some parts of the country.

As part of the campaign, a petition has been posted on the 10 Downing Street website which urges the Prime Minister to publicly acknowledge the plight of the wader and accept the role of predator control and a fair balance of species in reversing the decline in numbers.

Adrian Blackmore, spokesman for the campaign, said: “Waders are the Baldricks of the bird world – they are the birds that get bullied in the playground and whom no one else is standing up to protect. They are quietly iconic but are becoming an increasingly rare sight in the British countryside. Save the Wader seeks to protect some of the most defenceless birds in Britain and stop the sharp decline in their numbers.

“We need to stop the decline in wader numbers now because if nothing is done, they will become extinct in parts of the UK in our lifetime. We cannot stress enough that managing predators, though not eliminating them, is essential for the survival of many of our ground nesting birds. By the time some conservation bodies and other organisations catch up with this, it may be too late’. We are urging everyone who has an interest in ensuring that Britain is home to a rich and diverse range of birds to support our campaign and sign the petition.”