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

Lapwing, which have suffered a 40pc decline over the last 30 years, are making a comeback, says the park's ecologist Rona Charles. There were now 2,000 pairs in the park on farmland alone, but more had 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 park authority and English Nature.

There were now about 200 pairs of snipe in the park, said Ms Charles. The numbers were still quite low, owing to a shortage of suitable habitats.

There were also 474 pairs of curlew, the other wading bird in the park, which had been found mainly in the upland areas, but that this compared with just five breeding pairs in the Exmoor National Park.

"Farmers are making a huge difference to providing habitats" said Ms Charles. About 250 in the park gave permission for the wader numbers survey to be carried out on their land.

"The survey has shown the 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."