CHILDREN have been spending six months learning more about the birds that flock to their area each summer.

The pupils from Rookhope School, in Weardale, County Durham, are involved with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' Working With Waders project, which is promoting the cause of species who visit the uplands each year to breed.

Birds such as lapwings and oystercatchers are a familiar sight on the uplands around Rookhope, but are in serious decline in other parts of the country.

One of the aims of Working With Waders has been to help the children appreciate what they have and understand more about what makes Weardale attractive to the birds.

Community biodiversity officer Heather McCarty has been visiting the school every week and taking the 27 pupils on trips to see the winter feeding grounds of the waders at Teesmouth, to visit areas which are managed for the benefit of wildlife and to talk to different people who influence the success of waders.

She said: "The wading birds aren't around here in the winter and the way the project was funded it had to run from October to March.

"We have been looking at the landscape to see why they still have these high numbers. A lot of farming practices still complement the waders."

At different times the school has met a farmer, a gamekeeper and an ecologist. Senior pupils have also helped to block up drainage ditches near an area of former bog. It is hoped that this will allow the bog to recover and provide a better habitat for upland wildlife.

Closer to school, the youngsters have been involved with tree planting and have made their own bird feeders.

Once these feeders are attracting birds, the youngsters could take part in the annual RSPB garden birds survey.

Two nesting boxes made by the children are also being hung in the grounds in time for this spring's breeding season