Welsh wader survey gets underway

Curlew (Cameron Sharp)

A survey of breeding waders began this week across Wales, with hundreds of sites to be visited in the coming weeks, organised by Natural Resources Wales. Surveyors will be looking and listening primarily for the presence of Curlews, and recording other wader species such as Lapwing, Golden Plover, Redshank and Dunlin. Most breeding waders have declined dramatically across the country, and this will be the first attempt to assess the occupation of farmland and moor for the ground-nesting birds for almost 20 years. More information about the survey is on the NRW website.

While surveyors will look for waders in up to 1200 1-km squares in the next month, farmers, gamekeepers, walkers and birdwatchers are urged to report their own sightings of Curlews and Lapwings in potential breeding habitat, using their Local Environmental Records Centre, or BirdTrack or eBird if you already use these. Understanding where waders call home is essential to supporting their remaining populations.

The weather is set to accelerate the feeling of spring this week. Summer visitors have been scarce to date, but the weekend brought the first Sandwich Terns to Penmaenmawr, Manx Shearwaters off Rhos-on-Sea and Llanfairfechan, and Wheatear on Ynys Enlli, where Bardsey Bird Observatory staff have returned for the season.

Anglesey’s drake Smew continues its stay at Llyn Alaw but must be getting itchy feet to fly northeast. White-fronted Geese near Llyn Coron and Long-tailed Duck in Beddmanarch Bay will be heading in the same direction. Some visitors have been visibly scarce this winter: the BirdTrack reporting rates for Brambling and Fieldfare in Wales have been half their typical levels in the first 10 weeks of 2026, with Redwing sightings also below par.

A Lesser Yellowlegs remains on the Clwyd estuary, Spotted Redshank at RSPB Conwy and Hooded Crow at Newborough, while Llangefni witnessed spectacular Starling murmurations last week.