Tomorrow the 2nd February is World Wetlands Day, and for us on the Humber reserves team there is nothing more important than a day when you celebrate the importance of places that are so important for the survival of so many species of wetland bird.
Reads Island looking towards the Humber bridge with golden plover, the Humber - it can like most estuaries be a busy place!
And what better way to celebrate than to announce that in January alone the Humber Reserves; Hook Island, Blacktoft, Whitton Island, Reads Island, and Tetney held a staggering minimum of 71,687 waders ducks and geese! That's 10,000 more birds than half the total waterfowl using the whole of the Humber! What's more there has also been a good number more waterfowl using them over the winter with probably at least 90,000 birds in total and I suspect many thousands more passing through on migration that we don't see!
Redshank feeding on the lagoons at Blacktoft - the number of both wintering and breeding redshank along the estuary has declined in recent years
So here are a few of the headline figures, please look at them closely and appreciate just what some of these numbers really mean in terms of the global conservation of these species, I've highlighted those that really stand out.
Pink-footed geese - 8500, dark-bellied brent 259, shelduck 613, wigeon 1200, Teal 1730, oystercatcher 3900, curlew 393, lapwing 17500, grey plover 1300, golden plover 21,500, knot 5500, dunlin 7700, ringed plover 47, redshank 194
Every curlew counts! This species needs protection on both its wintering and breeding grounds if it's going to fend of extinction
So how has this been achieved especially in light of so many massive declines of wetland bird populations? Well over the last few years we have developed a network of refuges all along the estuary in a strategic plan that helps deliver the maximum benefit for as many species of wetland bird as possible, while also en-devouring to work with other landowners and conservation bodies to bring about the best conservation benefits to as wider area of land along the Humber as possible. Creating good habitat and safe refuges certainly is a good way in which to ensure some protection, but this level of conservation really needs to be weaved into the fabric of all the land around the estuary.
Brent geese have to feed on the arable because their main food eel grass has declined severely - integrated estuary and farmland management in the outer estuary would help this species
Pink-footed geese feed 100% on the arable farmland here on the Humber - conflict with farming for this species could be manged much better, they can in fact be very useful for grazing off weeds out of stubble, tillering winter wheat and fertilizing the ground, but can damage oil seed rape.
One of the key issues on the Humber is how we ensure that the estuary inside the flood banks interacts with the farmland around it, so many species depend on these areas to feed in particularly lapwing, golden plover and pink-footed geese. One thing we really now want to promote is a 'middle buffer' zone, which is the creation or restoration of managed grassland between the estuary and arable land, (on the landward side of the flood bank not the estuary side). Managed well it really can have some fantastic benefits and this winter we've been seeing some of these recently created grassland sites here near to Blacktoft holding excellent numbers of curlew, ruff, lapwing and golden plover. Other sites along the estuary such as Kilnsea wetlands near Spurn have also shown they can hold thousands of roosting and feeding waterfowl, so we know what can be achieved by creating this bit of extra habitat we just need to try and seize the opportunity to create more when it comes along but it doesn't come cheap!
A nice example of grass buffer along the estuary with arable nearby with both being used by feeding lapwing and golden plover. We are hoping to buy this field in the near future!
And the same field with curlew and lapwing
Of course most wetland birds are highly migratory and it is the network of refuges and breeding areas across the world that need to be looked after for so many enigmatic and beautiful birds, the Humber is just one part of the huge jigsaw puzzle of estuaries, tundra, moorland, farmland and so much more. Each piece contributes towards how well a species is faring, so just taking away a small bit can lead to catastrophic declines. Off course we rely on others to manage their bit of habitat elsewhere in the world but it is up to both us who manage the reserves along with your support to make conservation happen on the Humber. So here along the Humber we always work on the premise that we should not lose any of the SSSI or Special protection area, but we do support the creation of any new grassland or freshwater habitat that is in addition to the estuarine marshes and mudflats.
Newly created wetlands like at Kilnsea can provide good roosting places for some of the waders feeding in the outer estuary like here at Spurn.
But the main Humber wintering population of up to 6000 black-tailed godwits could be lost within a few years due to the development of a deep water dock.
The ruff that use the Humber are from Poland and further east into Russia - but in Europe all wader populations are declining, new habitat on the Humber could help
Human pressures are immense everywhere and the Humber is no exception with people often unwittingly causing major disturbance to waders, ducks and geese, and the pressure seems to grow and grow. We therefore have to try and get over our message to as many people as we can that wetlands are not just important for the survival of birds but also essential for humans for use of water for drinking and agriculture, but this needs to be in a sustainable way!
Birds like this wigeon need to be able to feed undisturbed, especially when on migration
A boat moving the avocets on a mudbank at Reads Island - some disturbance is only temporary but regular disturbance can be much more damaging
I have to say that we should not be complacent about these large numbers of birds as most if not all are declining very quickly and are in desperate need of help, but the Humber is such an amazing wetland I think there is a need for us to celebrate our successes - so why not raise a glass to one of the top 10 estuaries in Europe and ensure you do what you can, no matter what to help save it and any other part of that worldwide jigsaw that the birds who depend on it use.
Together we can save our wetlands!
Sounds like you're doing great work. More power to your elbow. And the underlying problem is the usual one: too much human consumption, and people having too many children.