Main image: Sandwich Terns. Image credit: Rachel Regan
Whilst we are lucky to have incredible sealife living around our coastlines, the poor health of our seas is having a devastating impact on marine life, and climate change is making things worse. UK seas and coasts have the potential to absorb and store significant amounts of carbon, with habitats such as seagrass and saltmarsh absorbing carbon more efficiently than rainforests. In fact, some of our seabirds and coastal habitats are so under threat that major projects, like LIFE on the Edge, have been started to help them.
The UK has lost more than 15% of its intertidal habitat since 1945. And looking forward RSPB research predicts that the UK will lose at least a further 60 ha of protected intertidal habitats per year to sea-level rise and erosion exacerbated by climate change. LIFE on the Edge is an EU funded partnership project (2020-2024) focusing on restoring and creating habitat across reserves in England designated for their importance for marine and wetland bird species. The RSPB works closely with Life on the Edge partner organisations throughout Cumbria to provide a network of safe places for seabirds to rest, breed and feed.
Little Tern. Image credit: Ben Andrew
Each springtime, Terns wintering off the coast of Africa, make an epic journey back to the British coast to nest. Unfortunately, due to erosion and flooding, as well as sea level rise these birds have fewer safe places to raise their young. In addition, these beach nesting birds can be disturbed by humans not realising they are nesting there.
Today, at what was once one of Europe’s most productive iron mines in the 19th century, seabirds now make their home on an island in the lagoon formed on the flooded workings. RSPB Hodbarrow supports a mixed colony of breeding numbers of Little Terns, Common Terns and Sandwich Terns. This colony is now of international importance and its position behind the sea wall, protecting the site from storms, high tides and future sea level rise mean it is an integral part of western Europe’s Tern network.
Through LIFE on the Edge, in 2021, using 12500 tonnes of limestone slag from the adjacent slag bank (a by-product from the iron smelting process), the island was expanded to 2 hectares and a new island was created which will provide more nesting space and reduce competition between the Terns, waders and wildfowl. The existing island was already protected by an in-water fence, the installing of which was an ambitious and pioneering project aimed at preventing access to predators such as foxes. With the creation of the new island though, an extra 130m of anti-predator fencing was installed.
By working closely with Life of the Edge partner organisations we are providing a network of safe places for seabirds to rest, breed and feed and the story doesn’t just end with the breeding season, birds need space on our beaches no matter what time of year. Our partners are the EU Life programme and the National Trust.
Conservation work has included:
RSPB Hodbarrow's new islands: Image credit: Rachel Regan
Hodbarrow’s islands support a range of nesting seabirds, some rarer than others. There are around 1,500 pairs of Little Terns that breed in the UK and Hodbarrow is now home to 42 pairs of these special birds, which are no larger than a tennis ball. The plucky Little Tern is so special that every year our seasonal wardens along with local volunteers spend their time protecting them to ensure they can raise as many chicks as possible without disturbance.
Volunteers have helped us every step of the way by making chick shelters to give young terns protection from predation as well as the harsh Cumbrian weather. They have also helped warden the site by talking to the public and keeping an eye on our very special colony.
Chris, aged 70, who lives in North Cumbria used to work in social care previously as a manager. He has been involved as an RSPB volunteer for the last 15 years, assisting with bird surveys and working on the Tern colony, for example monitoring predators and counting the numbers of chicks born each year.
Chris said, “As a kid I went birding every day. But it was only when I was in my late fifties that I got interested again. I have a cardio-vascular problem and this volunteering work has improved my health no end as well as giving me purpose and value and these things are really important when you retire.
“I’ve learnt such as lot such as a huge range of bird calls, so I can identify birds whether I can see them or not. This volunteering led to a Masters in Lake District Studies and ecology and this then opened up lots of other opportunities for me too.”
We are always looking for people to help with volunteering. You can also help protect beach-nesting birds by giving them space when visiting the areas they do still breed in this summer. Together we can help keep our Wild Isles Wild!
You can follow LIFE on the Edge on Twitter
The UK’s three leading conservation charities – the RSPB, the National Trust and WWF launched a brand new documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough and produced by Silverback Films on Sunday (9 April).
Saving Our Wild Isles highlights the people working hard to halt the alarming decline in nature as well as focusing on the wildlife and habitats at risk in the UK – one of the most nature depleted counties in the world.
The documentary is exclusive to the UK’s leading streaming platform, BBC iPlayer. The film is complementary to the BBC commissioned TV series 'Wild Isles’, also produced by Silverback Films. The new film brings to life the scale and pace of change urgently needed to save nature in the UK. It shows not only what is possible and already happening, but also highlights that in order to save our nature, its recovery needs to become mainstream across our society. You can watch the film here: https://bbc.in/3zLhwPZ