26 May, 2018 - 08:02
Fifteen rare eggs rescued from
muddy Fenland farmland earlier this year in an operation dubbed Project Godwit
were hatched by wildlife specialists at Welney.
Rebecca Lee, principal species
conservation officer at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), said:
“Conditions were so bad that we were concerned that they might not survive.
“A number of the eggs that we did
manage to collect were in such bad condition that they resembled muddy
potatoes. Thankfully, the majority of these eggs have shown signs of life and
many have hatched successfully despite our reservations.”
Ms Lee said: “Flooding forced our
ground-nesting birds off important nesting areas and they have been laying
their eggs on nearby farmland where mud is widespread and tall crops can hide
potential predators.
“Thankfully we have been able to work together
with the landowners in the area to avoid the worst outcome.”
A total of 32 eggs were collected
from farmland as part of ‘Project Godwit’- a partnership between WWT and RSPB,
which aims to restore the UK breeding population.
The Nene and Ouse Washes in the
Fens are the two main breeding sites for black-tailed godwits in the UK.
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