Plovers in Peril: A summer of plovers!

Summer holidays are finally here! That means more time with family and friends and long days at our favourite beach splashing about in the sea, getting sand between our toes and finding new places to explore! But did you know - we aren’t the only ones exploring on our shores? There are some very tiny explorers on our beaches and if we don’t look out for them, we might not even notice they are there!

Beach nesting birds like plovers and oystercatchers make their nests on the ground amongst the sand and shingle, and at this time of year, tiny fluffball chicks have hatched from those camouflaged eggs and will be tumbling about on our beaches trying to find food to grow strong enough to fly.

For us, schools out for summer, but these tiny chicks are still on their journeys to find their wings and until they can fly (at around 25 days old) they will need to escape the many challenges that come their way from big tides, hungry mouths, many feet (much bigger than they are!) and dogs off their lead (a very big and scary thing for a tiny chick the size of a cotton ball). Once hatched from the safety of the egg, it takes only a few hours for these tiny chicks to find their feet and work out just what their oversized legs can do! Next thing you know, they are tumbling about all over the beaches like matchstick sized Indiana jones’ – these chicks might be tiny, but they adventure BIG! In fact, the first sign that there are chicks about is usually the sound of parent birds alarm calling in a frenzy to keep them out of trouble!

A very young chick explores the mud in search of tasty marine worms. Image credit Phill Gwilliam. (taken with a long lens to avoid disturbance)

A family of chicks exploring the shore. Image credit Phill Gwilliam. (taken with a long lens to avoid disturbance)

There are lots of things we can do to help these chicks graduate from fluffball to fledgling so when you are next heading to your local beach for some summer fun please remember these little cuties and follow these simple steps to help them get airborne!

How to help these fluffy chicks graduate to fledglings!

1. Put your fur friends on a lead – dogs have a natural instinct to chase, even if just for play and at this stage, the flightless chicks are unable to get out of the way. Chicks can die from shock if chased, even if our dogs mean no harm. If you have a dog with you on the beach, please keep them on short leads during nesting season (March to end of August) to help these chicks make it to adulthood. If you are lucky enough to have a calmer dog that doesn’t chase, please help us by putting them on a lead to encourage others to do the same. By supporting us with this, we can all help to make these beaches a safe place for growing chicks, and you’ll enjoy seeing these special birds on these beaches for years to come!
2. Keep your distance from fenced areas to minimise disturbance to any birds still nesting – nesting season isn’t over just yet, walking on the bottom half of the beach or on the dune paths will help give vulnerable birds space - walking on the edge of roped areas can scare birds from their nests.
3. Give young chicks and their parents a wide berth- once hatched, they don’t stay inside the fenced areas! If you can see chicks with adults ahead on the beach, give them a wide berth as you pass so they don’t become separated from mum and dad - this can make them vulnerable to predators like gulls. As the tide drops, parent birds will take their young down to the soft mud to feed on nutritious worms, then as the tide rises again, they will move them up the beach to feed on insects on the upper shore. Ringed plovers and oystercatchers are exceptional parents and never take their eye off their tiny families, steering them away from danger when they need. By giving chicks space, we can help them to keep their chicks safe until their wing feathers catch up with their sense of adventure!
4. Always watch birds from a distance – This way, you will get to watch them behave naturally and enjoy seeing their best beach gymnastics as they tumble about on unsteady legs. When chicks panic, they sit tight to the ground (a little like a stop, drop and roll type situation!) and getting good views of them becomes impossible. If we can hear birds alarm calling, it tells us that we are too close – step back until the alarm calls stop and if you watch carefully, you’ll see the adult birds regroup the chicks and take them to safety.
5. Struggling to see them? Our volunteer beach rangers are out on Snettisham and Heacham beach every day and love to be asked about the birds, to point out tiny chicks or lend some binoculars to get you a better look. So, give our volunteers a wave when you’re out and about, tell us your stories and if you have questions -ask away!

A young chick stretching its wings - still a long way to go! Image credit Phill Gwilliam. (taken with a long lens to avoid disturbance)

Thank you for protecting beach nesting birds by supporting us in out work. Please stay in touch to spread the plover love!

Come and say hello to us if you see us whilst out and about on Snettisham or Heacham South beach! We look forward to chatting with lots of you and getting to know what this place and its special wildlife means to you.

Follow us on our journey to protect these amazing birds. Join in the conversation on our Facebook and Twitter pages, share your stories and photos and help us speak out about how we can help vulnerable beach nesting species like the Ringed Plover.

Tag us: #PloversinPeril #RSPBSnettisham #WatchYourStep

Got a question or want to get in touch? Chat to us and have your say about the protection of these birds – your voice matters! Email Wynona.Legg@rspb.org.uk. We would love to hear from you

A chick safe with its parent.  Image credit Phill Gwilliam. (taken with a long lens to avoid disturbance)

See you on the beach!

The Plovers in Peril team!