Surveyor (Not on a Reserve) (Bann Valley, Lough Beg and Lough Neagh area.)

Breeding Wader Surveyor - monitoring priority bird species at Lough Beg, Lough Neagh and the Bann Valley by carrying out breeding wader surveys on Key sites across the Lough Neagh and Bann Valley area.

Why this role is important Breeding wader populations in Northern Ireland (NI) have undergone a catastrophic decline in the past 50 years, driven in part by landscape and land use change. One species that has done particularly poorly is the curlew. Since the mid-1980s the breeding curlew population in NI has fallen by 82%. The last population estimate for breeding curlews in NI was 526 pairs in 2013. RSPB NI believes this number could now be as low as 250 pairs.

Breeding wader species are dependant on a number of habitats, in particular wet grassland and peatland. The presence of these habitats around Lough Neagh, Lough beg and in the Bann Valley mean that this landscape is a stronghold for many priority breeding wader species.

RSPB NI has a long and established history of working with farmers in Lough Neagh and the Bann Valley as a focus of our conservation efforts and this area is one of RSPB’s priority landscapes in NI. We also facilitate the Bann Valley Habitat Initiative (BVHI) - a group project within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA) Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS).

The overall aim of our efforts is to halt and reverse the decline of some of N Ireland's key breeding wader populations. RSPB NI has identified a number of priority wader species including curlew, redshank, snipe, and lapwings.

The key aims of the surveys are to:

• Establish what breeding wader species are present at each site and estimate how many breeding pairs of priority wader species are holding territory
• Assess changes in the populations of priority species over time
• Identify any potential areas for enhancing current habitat or introducing new habitat could benefit priority wader species. The surveys help RSPB NI generate tailored conservation advice specific to each farm

In order to measure priority wader populations present on key sites, RSPB NI carry out annual breeding bird surveys. The surveys will be carried out 15 April – 30 June 2022 and volunteers will carry out 3 surveys on a site allocated to them. Each of the three surveys should be carried out at least 14 days apart to fit with our survey methodology. These are dawn surveys and therefore volunteers will need to be on site in the early morning. The survey sites will be located in the Bann Valley, Lough Beg and Lough Neagh area.

Volunteer surveyors should have some basic bird ID skills and ideally be able to ID our target wader species (curlew/redshank/snipe/lapwing). However, training will be provided on how to record priority species present and the methodology we use. This role requires outdoor fieldwork, and you need to be fit and able to walk across sometimes uneven farmland and wetland terrain. You will need binoculars, wellie boots, and warm clothing for outdoor work.