Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma.
December is upon us – and as we slow down for Christmas and the festive season, we reflect once again on a busy year here at RSPB Cymru, doing our very best for the nature on our doorsteps. So here we go – a brief but jam-packed summary of our 2024…
We’re always back with a bang on the turning of the new year, with the annual Big Garden Birdwatch taking place across these isles in late January. While there wasn’t much change in terms of personnel in the top ten in Wales this year, with the House Sparrow once again topping the chart, we were heart-warmed to see so many of you taking part - 29,495 in fact, returning 17,270 surveys and watching a whopping 560,978 birds!
As the biggest citizen science project in Europe, the Big Garden Birdwatch is crucial for our work. It’s an indicator of which birds are doing well and which might need our help in the future – as well as giving us the opportunity to study longer-term trends to see how things have changed since the first Big Garden Birdwatch in 1979. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for birdwatchers new and old to get out there and do their bit for the future of Wales’ garden birds.
“We‘re so happy with how many of the Welsh public took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this year – a few thousand more than in 2023. We want to say a massive Diolch to every single one of you taking part in the Birdwatch – you’re all helping us build an annual snapshot of how our birdlife is doing across Wales.
It is only by us understanding how our wildlife is faring that we can protect it. We know that nature is in crisis but together, we can take action to solve the problems facing it.”
Rhys, RSPB Cymru communications officer.
Species Success
There are challenges of course - we're in the midst of a climate and nature emergency. But it's important we share the successes that we encounter through our conservation work.
Up in Ynys Mon, at RSPB Cors Ddyga, we were delighted to record our highest ever count of breeding Lapwing - 72 breeding pairs rearing 120 chicks, which was an increase from 61 pairs and 102 chicks in 2023. To the south of the island, we also saw record numbers of Choughs at RSPB South Stack, with 14 pairs fledging 23 chicks.
RSPB Conwy and Newport Wetlands were designated as Dragonfly hotspots in the spring, with RSPB Conwy home to around 18 species and Newport Wetlands home to around 20, many of which depend on the network of reeds and ditches both sites provide in abundance.
A mammal in recovery is the Pine Marten. Not only is it making steady progress in its own right in Wales, but it is thought to be key to help recover Red Squirrel numbers as it will tend to prey on Grey Squirrels. This shy creature’s presence at RSPB Gwenffrwd Dinas was indeed a cause for celebration, and we hope that they will stay there for the foreseeable!
On the South-West coast, RSPB Ramsey Island found something lurking in the shallow pools that had not been seen since the 1970s. The rediscovery of 'Thymosia Guernei' was an incredible highlight for our wardens, and let’s just say that it might have put them off mashed potato for a while.
Over in RSPB Ynys-hir, we were over the moon to witness the successful first ever nesting of Marsh Harriers, successfully fledging three chicks. And they weren’t the only harriers to make good headlines, as recorded pairs of the red-listed Hen Harrier went up from 25 pairs in Wales to 40.
Whilst at Lake Vyrnwy it was a record year for butterflies with 27 species recorded over just four months, including Essex Skipper, a new reserve record demonstrating the amazing species richness on the reserve.
Picture by Jake Stephen (rspb-images.com)
Policy and Advocacy achievements
While we’re always calling on everyone across Wales to play their part in saving Wales’ nature, a lot of the bigger picture depends on our governments in Cardiff Bay and Westminster stepping up.
In December 2023 the Welsh Government launched its consultation on the Sustainable Farming Scheme, a unique opportunity to help farmers in Wales produce food sustainably while tackling the nature and climate emergency. In February, nearly 500 of you joined us in person or online at our eight SFS workshops around Wales, resulting in many subsequent consultation submissions to the Welsh Government. Thanks again to everyone who attended and gave their time to respond.
In May it was announced that the SFS launch would be delayed by a year. Although the delay was disappointing, we welcomed the opportunity that this extra time could bring to further develop the Scheme. In November, it was confirmed that the Scheme would pay farmers to manage at least 10% of their land for wildlife and to maintain their Sites of Special Scientific Interest, which is vital for both habitat and species recovery in Wales. However, it was also announced that the 10% woodland cover target would be dropped. This is concerning, as is the lack of clarity around how funding will be split between different layers of the scheme. As a result, we feel there is still no distinct plan outlining how the scheme overall will help Wales meet its 2030 biodiversity commitments. In 2025 we’ll continue to work with the Welsh Government and the rural sector, ensuring that our campaigners’ voices are heard, and that the scheme is as effective as possible for farmers, for people and for nature.
Picture by Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
In January this year, the Welsh Government announced a consultation on the White Paper for a Bill on environmental principles, environmental governance and nature recovery targets, which we have called the ‘Nature Positive Bill’. This Bill is urgently needed to address the gap in environmental protection and governance that arose in Wales when the UK left the EU, and to embed nature recovery goals in law to drive action for our biodiversity, in line with global commitments.
Between March and April over 1,000 of you stepped into action, joining us for a webinar and speaking up and urging the Welsh Government to ensure the legislation is robust and ambitious enough to achieve a Nature Positive Wales. Later in spring we worked with Climate Cymru who created a film which asked people to share their favourite childhood nature memories and share what they’d like future generations to experience in nature. It’s been wonderful to hear your deep personal connections and nature memories, which spur us all on to fight for Wales’ nature.
In August, the Welsh Government published and update on the Bill. It has many positive aspects and commits to working with stakeholders to further develop key areas. But there is much work to do to ensure the Bill introduces the right targets to drive nature’s recovery and this will be a priority for us in 2025.
Throughout the year, we’ve continued to work with the Welsh Government and others towards the creation of a Seabird Conservation Strategy for Wales, which we are hopeful will be published in the new year. The creation of such a strategy has been a key ask for the RSPB for many years, as seabirds face an ever-increasing range of threats, including climate change and increased marine development. Integral to this will be providing a long-term solution for the biosecurity of Wales’ seabird islands.
December saw the deadline of the Swift Brick Petition to the Senedd, launched by Julia Susan Barrell and supported by RSPB Cymru and the North Wales Wildlife Trust. The target for securing a debate in the Senedd is 10,000 signatures – and by late-November, we had smashed that target. The finishing tally was 10,930 and we hope, and expect, for our representatives all across the Siambr to take this vital cause seriously. The Swift has seen one of the most devastating declines in Wales in recent decades – numbers have fallen 76% since 1995 – so getting this progressive cause off the ground and into the corridors of power is critical. And above all else, let’s face it – it’s a pretty cool concept!
New collaborations
Working with other organisations is crucial in achieving common goals – and goals was very much the correct word in October when FAW Cymru hosted a ‘Football and a Sustainable Future’ event at Cardiff City Stadium, designed to explore the intersection of football and environmental sustainability, and to bring together environmental organisations and Welsh football clubs to inspire collaborative action. The event culminated in a lively panel discussion on the nature and climate emergencies around ‘Uniting Football and Nature for a Greener Football’ and we had the opportunity to debate with the audience and other panel members from the National Trust, Size of Wales and Keep Wales Tidy.
The above are merely a handful of highlights from RSPB Cymru’s 2024 – there’s so much more to talk about! Follow us on social media to keep up with our work in 2025 and help save the nature on your doorstep.