The birding world has been very excited, but it's a thrill that's not made headlines or titilated the wider public.
Black winged stilts have bred successfully in the UK with the best results coming at the RSPB's Cliffe Pools nature reserve in north Kent.
These are birds common to southern Europe but traditionally, not of the UK., Things have changed and they are now starting to colonise our fair isles to the extent that this year, 2017, the number of chicks is more than the total number of UK sightings for three decades! Up until last year, there had been 22 confirmed nesting attempts in the UK since 1983 resulting in just three young and I believe those three were killed by predators shortly after fledging.This year, thirteen chicks fledged in the UK across sites in north Kent, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. That figure includes nine on two RSPB reserves, seven of those nine at Cliffe Pools on Kent's Hoo Pensinsula.
Let's apply a little critical thinking here.
I have seen how hard our staff and magnificent volunteers have worked at Cliffe to safeguard these birds. They've mounted 24 hour watches to guard against egg thieves ... and yes, there are still egg thieves in this day and age. Anti-predator fencing has been installed to keep foxes away from the nests, which are made on the ground leaving them extremely vulnerable. The other thing we've had to work hard to reduce is disturbance. If people, other wildlife or changing water levels are constantly threatening the birds on the nest, the eggs would never incubate. It's great news for our staff at Cliffe. Their efforts paid off handsomely and it's great news for the stilts; they have found a new area of land suitable for colonisation, safeguarding the future of the species.
Others will see this as bad news. It's further evidence of climate change and an indicator that our environment, and the wildlife it supports, is being transformed. We can't stop this change, but we can go with it and make the transition as smooth as possible to limit any losses. #CoastsinCrisis is our campaign to raise awareness and funding to support this vital work. Read more here. There is now enough evidence to safely say, there is a northward movement in the ranges of European wildlife, and at some point, that wildlife will simply run out of suitable new land to colonise, some sooner than others.
Whether you are an optimist or a pessimist, the news that the avocets, lapwings, egrets and other birds of Cliffe Pools have new and exotic neighbours must surely be worth a headline or at least a few moments of your time to enjoy their elegance? Images courtesy of volunteer Rob Budgen.