Reserve reports bumper breeding year for birds

The nature reserve recorded its highest tally of yellow wagtails in 25 years

A nature reserve in Kent says it has had a bumper breeding year for wild bird species.

Elmley Nature Reserve, on the Isle of Sheppey, is a family-run estate with a goal to restore nature to its 3,300 acres.

Simon Ginnaw, head nature warden at Elmley, said although wild bird numbers had seen a "dramatic decline" nationally, the site had recorded its highest tally of yellow wagtails in 25 years.

It also saw high counts of lapwings and redshanks.

The British Trust for Ornithology said nationally between 1967 and 2023 there had been a 78% decrease in yellow wagtails, a 63% drop in lapwings, and a 45% decrease in redshanks.

Estate manager Gareth Fulton said this year had been challenging due to drier conditions but it was "heartening" that conservation practices were helping to create habitats for the species.

Elmley Nature Reserve says it also spearheads conservation work to help predatory birds and owls.