Two breeding pairs of rare and very handsome lapwings have been spotted in Lecale Fens, a special area of conservation in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Lapwings are small ground-nesting birds with glossy, iridescent green colouring (though they appear black from a distance). Once common in UK lowlands, they suffered decline due to habitat loss and changes in farming practices and are now a priority species because of their rarity and importance. Also, their chicks are just the cutest and fluffiest things you’ve ever laid eyes on.
These particular feathery friends, which were seen at the site back in August, require boggy open areas with bare ground and short vegetation. Their return is thanks to efforts by Ulster Wildlife, which has been working with local farmers to eliminate invasive species and scrub, such as rhododendron, for the past five years.
Simon Gray, a peatland conservation officer with Ulster Wildlife said: ‘In the past, this area was managed by grazing or burning to stop scrub taking over and drying out the fen, but given climate concerns associated with peat burning and risks to livestock from deep water we had to come up with new and innovative solutions
‘Five years later and we’re thrilled to see our restoration efforts reap rewards for biodiversity, with Lecale Fens moving towards a healthy condition again.
‘This will have a knock-on effect on other wetland-loving wildlife too such as dragonflies, snipe and silver hook moths.’
We heart rewilding
Conservation efforts across the country have been seeing lots of exciting success lately. And Time Out has been following all of it with eagle eyes. Some of our recent favourites have been these adorable baby red squirrels that were born in Yorkshire, this young beaver, which was the first to be born in London for 400 years, and these rare bird of prey chicks. Last year we also spoke to a bunch of the people involved in bringing nature back.
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