Scrapes are shallowdepressions with gentlysloping edges, whichseasonally hold water. Theycreate obvious in-field wetfeatures that are veryattractive to wildlife.

They support a wide variety ofinvertebrates and can provideimportant feeding areas forbreeding wading birds andtheir chicks.

Creating new scrapes, andother wet features, is agreat way of enhancingdamp grassland for wildlife.

They support a wide variety ofaquatic, terrestrial and aerialinvertebrates, such as beetles, bugsand molluscs, some of which can berare and of conservationimportance.

Research has shown that wetfeatures can provide very importantfeeding areas for breeding wadingbirds such as lapwings andredshanks, and their chicks, whichfind lots of invertebrate food in andaround the wet muddy edges. Otherfarmland birds such as tree sparrowsand yellow wagtails may also benefitfrom these insect-rich areas.

Scr

ape

crea

tion

for

wild

life

FAR

MIN

G F

OR

WIL

DLI

FE

BENEFITS OF SCRAPE CREATIONAbove: Wetland invertebrates

and birds will benefit from the

creation of scrapes on your land

GUIDELINES OVERLEAF

Front cover images: Alsoton wetland byGavin Thomas (RSPB), lapwing by NigelBlake and great diving beetle byRichard Revels (both rspb-images.com)

The Royal Society for the Protection ofBirds (RSPB) is a registered charity:England and Wales no. 207076,Scotland no. SC037654

223-2108-09-10

FOOT DRAINS AND THE ROTARY DITCHER

Foot drains are long, linear scrapes,typically up to three metres wideand 50 cm deep, which aredesigned to hold surface water andact as important wet features intheir own right. They can also beused to channel water to the centreof fields from perimeter ditches andto feed other wet features.

As they are long and narrow, foot drains providemore wet edge relative to the area of the feature,therefore providing more feeding areas forwading birds. Recent studies have also shownthat creating such features is highly beneficial forwetland invertebrates, such as aquatic beetlesand flies. ‘Foot drain floods’ are areas wherewater overtops foot drains in spring, to createareas of shallow splashing which are animportant additional habitat feature for waders.

RSPB research (Eglington 2007 & 2010) hasshown that:•fields with high foot drain flood densities

attracted significantly higher densities ofnesting lapwing, which nested near suchfeatures

•later in the season, chick field use increasedsignificantly with foot drain density andchicks were more likely to forage nearerfoot drain floods in areas of wet mudcreated by receding water levels

•in late season, lapwing chick body conditionwas significantly higher in fields with footdrain densities of more than 150 m/ha

•wet pools and foot drains supported agreater biomass of terrestrial invertebrates,and a greater abundance of aerialinvertebrates, than the surrounding grazing marsh.

Foot drains can be designed to minimiseimpacts on field management. If topographyallows, foot drains can be spaced to allowtractors to cut and turn between them. Simplecrossing points can be installed to enablemachinery to move across the field. Soil type,topography and water level management areall important when designing the layout of footdrains. Combining scrapes and areas ofshallow splashing within foot drain layout andfunction may provide most benefit.

The rotary ditcher

KEY POINTS• Creating wet scrapes,

foot drains and pools isa great way ofenhancing dampgrassland for wildlife.

•They support a widevariety of wetlandinvertebrates, includingrare and importantspecies.

•They encourage wadingbirds to nest on a siteand provide invertebraterich areas for feeding.

Mik

e S

hu

rmer

(R

SP

B)

Gar

y W

oo

db

urn

(R

SP

B)

For further information on this and other ways of managing your land for wildlife, please contact:

The RSPB, Conservation Management Advice, UK Headquarters, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DLTel: 01767 680551E-mail: conservation-advice@rspb.org.uk www.rspb.org.uk

Foot drains can be created with a rotaryditcher or 360° excavator. The RSPBimported a rotary ditcher from the USA in2002 with the support of the HeritageLottery Fund. A rotary ditcher has several advantages:•foot drains can be created at a rate of up

to 200 m per hour – 10 times faster andhalf the cost of an excavator

•laser-levelling gives an accurate depth ofexcavation, with adjustable cuttingblades able to create variable foot drain profiles

•spoil is spread up to 30 m away as thefoot drain is dug

•the machine can also create ditches andsimple scrapes up to 12 m wide

•the rotary ditcher and operator can becontracted to work on your site.

For more information visitwww.rspb.org.uk/rotaryditcher

A foot drain with

associated areas of

shallow splashing

The rotary ditcher

A simple scrape design A cluster of scrapes is better

than one large one

A scrape created on a ditch line A scrape connected to a water source

Gary W

oo

db

urn

(RS

PB

)CREATING SCRAPES ON YOUR LAND

longer than the surrounding grassland, and so becomeincreasingly important as the rest of the site dries out assummer progresses. Wader chicks may be particularlyreliant on these areas to ensure they can find enough foodbefore fledging.

Some scrapes will simply be fed by rainfall and winterfloodwater, where this is sufficient. Scrapes can also becreated along in-field ditch lines where they are fed bywater from the ditch, or connected to them by a footdrainor similar water carrier. Providing an outflow with a controlsluice will allow levels in the scrape to be controlled.

Connecting the scrape to a water source may be preferablefor wading birds, as the feature is likely to retain water andits associated muddy feeding margins for longer. However,this may be less beneficial for other associated wildlife, ifsuch water contains excessive nutrients, chemicals or silt.Allowing some scrapes to completely dry up at the end ofsummer will also benefit some invertebrates by limitinglarger predators and maintaining early successional habitatstages. A variety of connected and non-connected featuresare probably best.

Scrape managementOnce the scrape is created, it is important to maintain open,muddy margins where wading birds can find and accessfood. If the margins become too overgrown with plantssuch as rush, wader use will decline rapidly. Allow livestockto graze and poach the margins at low levels, and do notfence the scrape off. Mowing all, or some of, the marginseach year may also be required.

Maintain a small proportion of longer marginal vegetationto provide additional habitat variety, which will benefitinvertebrates and plants and provide cover for chicks.

Consents and licensingCreating water-retaining features such as scrapes mayrequire consents, licenses or permissions. Consult with therelevant statutory body at an early stage, which may be ableto provide advice and help with your project.

FundingThe scrapes, foot drains and grazing management outlinedin this leaflet may be eligible for grant funding undercurrent agri-environment schemes.

LocationThe suitability of site for scrape creation may depend onfactors such as:• soil type • size of site• land levels and topography • water sources and quality• existing land drainage systems and drain locations • existing flora and fauna, SSSI designations and

archaeological/landscape features.

Scrapes for wading birds will usually be located in thelower lying and more open areas of a site, away from tallhedges, woodland and overhead lines. Fields over threehectares are best, while for some aquatic invertebrates awider variety of situations will be of benefit.

Avoid areas with existing wildlife interest and seek adviceabout features of landscape, historical or archaeologicalimportance, as scrapes may not be appropriate in somesituations. Create a ‘cluster’ of scrapes of varying sizes anddesigns, rather than one big one, to provide the greatestbenefits for a range of wildlife.

Mik

e S

hu

rmer

(R

SP

B)

Gary W

oo

db

urn

(RS

PB

)

Ch

ris Kn

igh

ts (rspb

-imag

es.com

)

A simple scrape featureScrape creation

Scrape designThe most important parts of scrapes for wildlife are themargins. Shallow water and muddy edges provide idealconditions for wetland invertebrates and plants, and allowaccess for waders and their chicks to find food. A scrapecan be any shape, but edges should always be very gentlysloping and with irregular and varied outlines if possible.

Scrapes should be shallow, though not with a uniformdepth across the whole area. Deeper areas towards themiddle of the scrape should be around 50 cm deep, withhumps and hollows throughout to provide as many nichesfor plants and animals as possible. The suggestedminimum size of a scrape is approximately 20 m2. Three ofthese per hectare would represent a good level of habitatprovision. Management of the scrape and sward may alsobe a factor when deciding on design. If mowing is used,keep the scrape layout simple to make tractor operationssimple and quick. Shallow scrapes can be mown through.

SoilsScrapes can be created on a variety of soil types. On lowpermeability soils, for example clays and silts with poorstructure, the objective is to retain ‘perched water’ in thefeatures. On permeable soils, for example peats, or thosewith sand or gravel elements, the objective may be to raisethe general water table in the soil so that scrapes will‘break through’ to the water table, creating obvious in-fieldwet features.

Water supply andquality Scrapes should holdwater from Marchthrough to the end ofJune to provide feedingareas for waders and theirchicks. These features willusually remain wetter for

Nig

el Blake (rsp

b-im

ages.co

m)

Redshank

A scrape created on an old ditch line,

with water control pipe

A lapwing chick

feeding at the

muddy margins of

a scrape

Scrapes are shallowdepressions with gentlysloping edges, whichseasonally hold water. Theycreate obvious in-field wetfeatures that are veryattractive to wildlife.

They support a wide variety ofinvertebrates and can provideimportant feeding areas forbreeding wading birds andtheir chicks.

Creating new scrapes, andother wet features, is agreat way of enhancingdamp grassland for wildlife.

They support a wide variety ofaquatic, terrestrial and aerialinvertebrates, such as beetles, bugsand molluscs, some of which can berare and of conservationimportance.

Research has shown that wetfeatures can provide very importantfeeding areas for breeding wadingbirds such as lapwings andredshanks, and their chicks, whichfind lots of invertebrate food in andaround the wet muddy edges. Otherfarmland birds such as tree sparrowsand yellow wagtails may also benefitfrom these insect-rich areas.

Scrap

e creation

for w

ildlife

FAR

MIN

G FO

R W

ILDLIFE

BENEFITS OF SCRAPE CREATIONAbove: Wetland invertebrates

and birds will benefit from the

creation of scrapes on your land

GUIDELINES OVERLEAF

Front cover images: Alsoton wetland byGavin Thomas (RSPB), lapwing by NigelBlake and great diving beetle byRichard Revels (both rspb-images.com)

The Royal Society for the Protection ofBirds (RSPB) is a registered charity:England and Wales no. 207076,Scotland no. SC037654

223-2108-09-10

FOOT DRAINS AND THE ROTARY DITCHER

Foot drains are long, linear scrapes,typically up to three metres wideand 50 cm deep, which aredesigned to hold surface water andact as important wet features intheir own right. They can also beused to channel water to the centreof fields from perimeter ditches andto feed other wet features.

As they are long and narrow, foot drains providemore wet edge relative to the area of the feature,therefore providing more feeding areas forwading birds. Recent studies have also shownthat creating such features is highly beneficial forwetland invertebrates, such as aquatic beetlesand flies. ‘Foot drain floods’ are areas wherewater overtops foot drains in spring, to createareas of shallow splashing which are animportant additional habitat feature for waders.

RSPB research (Eglington 2007 & 2010) hasshown that:• fields with high foot drain flood densities

attracted significantly higher densities ofnesting lapwing, which nested near suchfeatures

• later in the season, chick field use increasedsignificantly with foot drain density andchicks were more likely to forage nearerfoot drain floods in areas of wet mudcreated by receding water levels

• in late season, lapwing chick body conditionwas significantly higher in fields with footdrain densities of more than 150 m/ha

• wet pools and foot drains supported agreater biomass of terrestrial invertebrates,and a greater abundance of aerialinvertebrates, than the surrounding grazing marsh.

Foot drains can be designed to minimiseimpacts on field management. If topographyallows, foot drains can be spaced to allowtractors to cut and turn between them. Simplecrossing points can be installed to enablemachinery to move across the field. Soil type,topography and water level management areall important when designing the layout of footdrains. Combining scrapes and areas ofshallow splashing within foot drain layout andfunction may provide most benefit.

The rotary ditcher

KEY POINTS• Creating wet scrapes,

foot drains and pools isa great way ofenhancing dampgrassland for wildlife.

• They support a widevariety of wetlandinvertebrates, includingrare and importantspecies.

• They encourage wadingbirds to nest on a siteand provide invertebraterich areas for feeding.

Mike S

hu

rmer (R

SP

B)

Gary W

oo

db

urn

(RS

PB

)

For further information on this and other ways of managing your land for wildlife, please contact:

The RSPB, Conservation Management Advice, UK Headquarters, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DLTel: 01767 680551E-mail: conservation-advice@rspb.org.uk www.rspb.org.uk

Foot drains can be created with a rotaryditcher or 360° excavator. The RSPBimported a rotary ditcher from the USA in2002 with the support of the HeritageLottery Fund. A rotary ditcher has several advantages:• foot drains can be created at a rate of up

to 200 m per hour – 10 times faster andhalf the cost of an excavator

• laser-levelling gives an accurate depth ofexcavation, with adjustable cuttingblades able to create variable foot drain profiles

• spoil is spread up to 30 m away as thefoot drain is dug

• the machine can also create ditches andsimple scrapes up to 12 m wide

• the rotary ditcher and operator can becontracted to work on your site.

For more information visitwww.rspb.org.uk/rotaryditcher

A foot drain with

associated areas of

shallow splashing

The rotary ditcher