Space for Shorebirds Prepare for Shore-Nesting Bird Season 2022!
Spring is here! All over the world, birds are preparing for spring migration, with some literally travelling to the other side of the globe to reach their summer breeding grounds! It is a great time of year to spot rare and unusual birds which are passing though the UK on their journey north.
Spring here at Space for Shorebirds means one thing – shorebird nesting season is upon us! Last year was our first nesting season since the service was set up, and we learned a lot of valuable lessons about the challenges our nesting shorebirds face, especially ringed plovers.
Ringed plovers are very territorial and begin to establish their breeding territories in March. This often results in disputes among the birds; fluffing up their feathers and charging into each other in a bid to claim the space. They look for high sections of shingle, sand and loose pebbles above the high tide mark to make a nest called a scape – a shallow depression dug into the sand in which they lay 4 tiny, well camouflaged eggs.
The beach nesting season occurs at the same time that the beaches become busier with people and dogs visiting, meaning they are very vulnerable to disturbance. Incubating adults will leave the nest if they are threatened by danger, leaving their precious eggs vulnerable to predation or trampling. Repeated disturbance to their nest could result in the parents abandoning the eggs completely and moving to less favourable locations to have another nesting attempt.
Throughout the nesting season, with the help of Coast Care volunteers, we will be surveying the coastline for the presence and behaviour of ringed plovers in suitable nesting habitat, as this will give us a valuable indication that a pair may be about to make a nest. From there we can decide whether we can help by creating a nest protection area using fencing and signage to protect the nest from human and dog disturbance.
The breeding population of ringed plover is red listed for conservation concern. The declines are partially driven by habitat loss, predation and increased recreational use of our beaches. Also, as a wintering species ringed plover have declined by 52% in the past 25 years; so quite a dramatic decline. Therefore, it’s really important we do all we can for this vulnerable species.
We were blown away by the level of support we received for our efforts to protect the ringed plovers last year, and for that we are extremely grateful. You can help us give the nesting birds a fighting chance of having a successful season by looking out for fencing and signage on your visits to the coast and giving the nest protection areas space to avoid disturbing the birds.
We are also asking for the help of our incredible team of Dog Rangers! Birds see dogs (and humans) the same as they do any other predator, so it is best for dogs to stick close to their owner when near the nest protection areas and keep well away from the fencing so that the birds do not feel threatened. Harry, below, did such a good job at giving space to the nesting birds at Embleton last year he was recruited as a Dog Ranger to set a fantastic example to other dogs on the each.
If you see any signs of ringed plovers beginning to form territories or make nests, please do let us know! You can contact us through our website or our social media channels: Facebook and Instagram (@spaceforshorebirds), and Twitter (@ForShorebirds). We will be posting regular updates about the nesting birds throughout the season, so make sure you give us a follow so you don’t miss any of the action!
As always, thank you again for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you out on the coast soon!
