Shore Nesting Bird Season is Here!

Spring. A very exciting time here on the Northumberland Coast. Days grow longer and the things we see on the coast begins to change. Birds start to phase into their bolder, more elaborate summer plumage, and thousands begin their migration to their breeding grounds.  

While a large proportion of our shorebirds leave Northumberland to head inland or north to the High Arctic, many arrive back. Some stay for the summer, and some are just passing through, like this lovely black redstart our Rangers saw feeding at Alnmouth earlier in the month. 

A black redstart eating a chestnut moth

For those coming back to nest on our beaches, we welcome them back with open arms. The screech of a sandwich tern and the squeak of a ringed plover are truly the sound of summer. But alongside the joy of their return, we also begin the mighty challenge of keeping them safe during the busy breeding season.  

Arctic and little terns nest on our shores and have travelled a huge distance to get here. Due to their migration from the Antarctic, Arctic terns see the most daylight out of any other animal on earth! Little terns arrive from West Africa, which is a bit closer, but is still a very long way for such a small bird! They are the second-rarest nesting seabird in the UK and are protected by law against disturbance and damage to their nests.  

Little Tern by Kevin Simmonds

In Northumberland, there are two very important sites for shore-nesting birds: Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, managed by Natural England, and Beadnell Bay managed by the National Trust, with the latter being the most important inland Arctic tern colony in the UK. These sites are attractive to the terns due to the habitat. Sheltered sandy and shingle beaches elevated high enough above the high tide mark with good access to feeding grounds are what these birds look for when deciding where to nest. Unfortunately, suitable nesting habitat is hard to find, so existing breeding sites must be protected to ensure they are not lost to the future generation of birds.   

There is another familiar bird which also nests on our beaches, and that is the ringed plover. Unlike terns, ringed plovers are fiercely territorial, meaning they do not like nesting close to other birds, and for this reason their nests could appear anywhere along the coast. Despite their distinctive black markings, these birds can be extremely tricky to spot when they are incubating, and their eggs are even harder to see! 

A ringed plover asleep while incubating eggs

Ringed plovers, like terns, will nest on sand and shingle high up on the beach. They usually lay 4 perfectly camouflaged eggs which both the male and female will incubate for roughly 21 days. A few hours after the chicks hatch, they are up on their feet and begin to feed for themselves straight away but will still rely on their parents to keep them warm! Over the following 21 days after hatching, the young birds will learn to master their surroundings and how to fly. They can be classed as fledglings once they can fly over 50m.   

Eggs and young chicks are extremely vulnerable. They make a tasty snack for corvids, kestrels and foxes. To protect their nest, adult ringed plovers will feign a broken wing in the hope that predators will pursue them and therefore be lured away from the nest.   

Another huge risk is chill. Being ground nesting birds, eggs and chicks will quickly become cold if exposed to the elements for too long. If the incubating adult is disturbed or senses danger, they will leave the nest, and on a cold windy day this will not only leave eggs vulnerable to chill, but they could also become buried by blowing sand.   

A ringed plover nest (or scrape) with a full clutch of well-camouflaged eggs

As you can see, our ground nesting shorebirds face a number of challenges during the breeding season, and they are most sensitive to disturbance at this time. Habitat loss and increased disturbance have resulted in the population of ringed plovers in the UK declining by 52% over the past 25 years* – a shocking statistic and the reason why these birds are now red listed for conservation concern.   

To give them a fighting chance, we have protected areas of suitable nesting habitat along the coast to give ringed plovers a fighting chance of having a successful breeding season. We currently have three nest protection sites, two of which are supporting an active ringed plover nest.   

Signage informing the public of a nest protection site

The eyes and ears of local residents are invaluable in keeping our Rangers up to date about where these beautiful little birds might be looking to nest and where they would benefit from our protection and help, and Space for Shorebird rangers would like to thank the Coast Care volunteers and local residents who are taking part in our ringed plover survey this year.  

Our nest protection sites are clearly signposted, and if you see one on your trip to the coast, please keep well back from the fence to avoid causing birds to leave their nests and leave their eggs vulnerable to predators and chill. Please keep dogs close by, as birds see dogs as they do any other predator – including humans – even if they are not chasing the birds.   

With lockdown easing and holidaying in the UK on the rise, we are preparing for a very busy year on the coast. Shore nesting birds really need our help now more than ever, so please join us in giving Space for Shorebirds to boost their chances of success.   

A nest protection site at Newton-by-the-Sea