MOORLAND farmers are playing a key part in aiding the return of wading birds to the North York Moors National Park.

Lapwing, which have suffered a 40 per cent decline over the last 30 years, are making a comeback, says the park's ecologist Rona Charles.

There are now 2,000 pairs in the park on farmland alone, but more have made their home in the upland rather than the lowland areas she said, with Rosedale and Farndale being the main areas of population.

The figures have been produced in the first-ever survey of wading birds on the moors, carried out by the RSPB, the National Park Authority and English Nature.

There are now about 288 pairs of snipe in the park, she said.

The numbers are still quite low due to a shortage of suitable habitats.

There are also some 474 pairs of curlew, the other wading bird in the park, which have been found mainly in the upland areas, said Ms Charles.

But, she added, the numbers compared with only five breeding pairs in the Exmoor National Park.

Farmers were being encouraged to provide more habitats for the waders.

Lapwings, said Ms Charles, liked open fields, bare earth, and a mottled surface such a mole hills, with small damp areas, while snipe liked wet areas with rushes, and curlew also preferred wet areas, large fields and short swards.

"Farmers are making a huge difference to providing habitats," said Ms Charles.

She said some 250 farmers in the park gave permission for the wader numbers survey to be carried out on their land.

"The survey has shows that the national park is good for waders. There is a lot farmers can do to help improve habitats for the birds and we are able to give advice".

She added that distribution of the waders was not uniform throughout the park, and their populations were vulnerable.

Updated: 11:02 Wednesday, April 21, 2004