Cairngorms cash on offer to help keep wading birds

farmer urged to take payouts to aid wildlife

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Farmers, crofters and land managers with an interest in helping wading birds in the Cairngorms National Park are being urged to consider applying for government funds to help protect and enhance habitats to ensure the area remains a stronghold for birds such as lapwing, redshank, curlew and snipe.

Badenoch and Strathspey is the most important mainland area for breeding waders in the UK, and farmers and crofters – and how the land is managed – are key factors in supporting such high densities.

However, despite the area being a stronghold, the numbers of breeding waders in Badenoch and Strathspey has declined by 28% between 2000 and 2005, with lapwing numbers showing the most worrying decrease at 76%.

Three farms near Carrbridge have just been awarded £9,000 in the latest round of funding announcements from the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) Rural Priorities scheme.

Karen Sutcliffe, site manager for the RSPB at the national park’s Insh Marshes, said: “RSPB Scotland welcomes the opportunity this partnership offers to target SRDP funds towards the nationally-important breeding wader population on Strathspey farms.

“Declines in this population in recent years are of serious concern, and ensuring that wetland and wet grassland habitats are kept in good condition is essential to its survival.

“We believe that this partnership can help do that by supporting collaborative SRDP applications with a focus on breeding wader habitats throughout the length of Strathspey.”

With three new farms now involved in the Strathspey Wader Initiative that brings the total number of farms in the area using wader-friendly farming techniques to nine, and it is hoped that more will come on board.

Alastair MacLennan, a board member of the national park authority and Nethybridge farmer, has been managing his land for breeding waders for some time. He said: “Land managers, farmers and crofters in the area should look at the land they are working, look to their neighbours perhaps and then look to the CNPA’s land management support officers for advice on how they too could put forward an application to the SRDP and in turn help save our wonderful waders.”

The next deadline for applications to SRDP’s Rural Priorities fund is February 2010. For more advice contact Zoë Taylor on 01479 870522 or zoetaylor@cairngorms.co.uk or Gordon McConachie on 01479 870574 or gordonmcconachie@cairngorms.co.uk