ENDANGERED wading birds are being thrown a vital lifeline – thanks to the Army.

A haven for birds like curlew, oystercatcher and lapwing – all in acute national decline – is being created at Catterick Garrison, the Army’s biggest base.

Curlew populations have crashed to such an extent the species has the British Trust for Ornithology’s highest conservation priority.

Similarly snipe numbers have plummeted by 40 per cent while figures for lapwings are the lowest since records began.

Waders are ground nesting birds and a succession of wet summers washing out nests and habitat loss are blamed for their demise.

The Northern Echo: Curlew populations have crashed.
Curlew populations are in acute national decline

Natural England is now backing the project to create a massive, shallow, muddy hollow – a magnet for invertebrate-eating waders at Foxglove Covert, a nature reserve at the garrison.

It is the idea of retired Major Tony Crease, the architect of Foxglove, which is regarded as one of the UK’s most important bird ringing bases.

“We are creating a scrape the size of a football pitch, that will be no deeper than nine inches maximum in depth and much less than that generally,” said Maj Crease.

“It will be totally flat and very shallow so that waders can feed in the summertime when they are breeding. There will be a lot of exposed mud for them to dig for invertebrates.”

He added: “We have discussed it with Natural England and listened to what they have had to say. We are keen to really optimise all areas of land on this reserve and this happens to be another option.”

The reserve already boasts about 15 different habitats across its 100 acres ranging from heath to woodland, bog and orchard to lake, river, wetland and wildflower meadow.

The Northern Echo: Lapwing populations are at the lowest since records began.
Lapwing populations are at the lowest since records began

It costs £120,000 to run Foxglove Covert each year, with the majority of maintenance work carried out by a dedicated team of volunteers recruited from the local community and beyond. The scrape project will cost an additional £10,000.

Maj Crease said: “We need to hire plant equipment, put in a gate and access. We are looking for any assistance, anyone who might like to give something while we continue to fund raise as we always do, trying to put together sufficient money.”