Can you help spoon-billed sandpiper conservation please?
The spoon-billed sandpiper is one of the rarest waders in the world, and has been the subject of a wide range of conservation efforts since its population was estimated to be as low as 100 birds a few years ago. These include special research and conservation activities on the breeding grounds in Arctic Kamchatka, on migration in China and on the wintering grounds in south-east Asia. Lots more information and wonderful pictures of these unique birds at
https://www.saving-spoon-billed-sandpiper.com/As part of the work, birds have been reared at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, and efforts are now being made to encourage them to breed successfully (see the ‘captive population’ section of the website). Research has suggested that they use dwarf willow leaves to line the base of their nests, and they don’t have those at Slimbridge, so we therefore have a special request to all rock gardeners who grow Salix x boydii.
Salix x boydii leaves are judged to be the most similar to the leaves they use in the Arctic, so this request is to ask rock gardeners to save leaves as they fall this autumn, and send them please, to Ian Bainbridge, Luckie Harg’s, Anwoth, Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway DG7 2EF. We are looking to collect 2-3 litres of leaves if we can, and if you can help, an e-mail to bainbridi@aol.com would be very much appreciated!
Ian Bainbridge
