Watching Out for Waders: The Working for Waders Nest Camera Project

Low rates of nest and chick survival, caused mainly by predation, have driven large declines in breeding wader populations across Scotland. Land managers can become frustrated when conclusions reached by scientists and policy-makers, particularly in relation to contentious topics such as impacts or management of predators, do not agree with their own understanding and experience. Using cameras to monitor the outcome of wader nesting attempts can help to make the information gathered accessible to a wide range of stakeholders. Also, camera footage can provide more definitive information on predator identities than data generated by most other kinds of monitoring.

This study trialled the use of trail cameras by land managers and other wader conservation stakeholders to monitor the outcome of wader nesting attempts. The report presents the results of this trial and assesses the potential for the project to improve wader conservation knowledge and management.