Conservationists urge birdwatchers to look out for ‘special birds’ after rare eggs hatch in Fenland

Harry Rutter

harry.rutter@archant.co.uk

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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‘Project Godwit’ sees 25 rare birds released into the Cambridgeshire Fens by the RSPB and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Welney

PUBLISHED: 10:27 13 June 2017 | UPDATED: 10:27 13 June 2017

sarah cliss

Project Godwit has seen 25 rare black-tailed Godwits hand reared and then released into the Cambridgeshire Fens. The human carers watch as the birds take their first flights to freedom.

Twenty-five rare black-tailed godwits were released into their new home in the Cambridgeshire Fens on Monday by conservationists from RSPB and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) as part of ‘Project Godwit’.

After the eggs were removed from nests and hatched in incubators, staff at WWT Welney Wetland Centre hand-reared the young birds until they were old enough to look after themselves.

It’s the first time the conservation technique, known as ‘headstarting’, has been used in the UK. 

The surrogate human ‘parents’ have been able to safely raise far more chicks than the godwits themselves, away from the dangers of predators and flooding. 

And, crucially, by removing the eggs from their nests early, they have prompted each pair of godwits to lay a second clutch, giving the parent birds a chance to raise a brood of their own.

Now the hand-reared birds have been released, they are expected to meet up with other black-tailed godwits hatched in the area this summer, and spend several weeks feeding on the rich wetlands before starting their migration to Spain, Portugal and West Africa. 

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