RSPB Old Moor near Barnsley has seen a dozen nesting pairs of lapwing make their home at the wetlands site despite an 8ft deluge of floodwater in 2007.

The lapwing – also known as the perrit in imitation of its display calls – has RSPB Red status, meaning it is globally threatened and has suffered at least a 50 per cent decline in UK breeding population over the last 25 years.

RSPB Old Moor visitor officer Julia Makin said: "For the last couple of years particularly, since the floods, we haven't seen any lapwing chicks fledge at all.

"The amount this year is the most we've seen in 25 years."

The population increase is on the back of some human assistance.

Ms Makin said: "Around the site we've recently had installed an electric fence. It keeps out predators such as foxes and hedgehogs, just for the three months the lapwings are growing and getting stronger."

She said the reserve, on part of a former colliery, was finally getting back on its feet after the flooding, and was providing a haven for many other species, including greenshank.

She added: "The impact of the floods was quite devastating. The time of year it happened, July, we had most of the breeding birds on site then so anything nesting on the ground was more or less wiped out.

"Other things like insects and invertebrate species were wiped out too. Only now are we seeing the site pick up and get back to the state it was in before."

RSPB Old Moor is also home to a herd of waterside Highland cattle which are used to keep the grass short. They include a cow called Claire who enjoyed great success at last month's Great Yorkshire Show, winning senior cow class, best in show and reserve overall champion.

Old Moor will feature on the National Lottery Awards on BBC1 on September 5, in the race for Best Environment Project and a £2,000 prize.