Hello there!
It may not feel as though we are in July at the moment but July here we are! Despite it feeling a little calmer, nesting season is far from over with many vulnerable chicks not yet able to fly, many birds still incubating their eggs and even some still gearing up to lay again. So, the beaches will be busy with nests and chicks right up until end of August after which fences, and signage will be removed for the season.
We wanted to give you all an update on how the birds are doing and how the season has been progressing so far.
Before we go into the nitty gritty though, we just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all those visiting the beaches who have shown their support for these vulnerable nesting birds. We have had so many heartening chats with visitors who share a fondness for these special birds and have shared with us their concern for the bird’s future in seeing all the challenges they face to breed here each summer. Thank you to all those visitors who are helping to keep these birds and their families safe – by keeping dogs on leads during nesting season and giving the fenced areas a wide berth, you are helping us give these birds the space and protection they need to thrive here alongside us.
Plovers in Peril:
It’s been an exciting year for the Plovers in Peril team! With funding from King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council Habitats Monitoring and Mitigation Fund and a partnership with Wild Ken Hill, we have been able to monitor the population of ringed plover breeding on this extended stretch of coast to include Snettisham beach and South Heacham beach officially for the first time. It has been an eye-opening year so far, deepening our understanding of the main challenges for beach nesting birds on these two busy beaches and the views of visitors who come here to enjoy the space and solitude these beaches offer us.
Records from the year so far show us that there are around 20 pairs of ringed plovers breeding on the shores of Snettisham and Heacham South beaches. We already knew that Norfolk has 17% of the UK breeding population of ringed plover but these new numbers show us that this stretch of coast is an incredibly vital nesting site for these birds and one we need to hold onto if we don’t want to lose them.
Monitoring the birds on this site has also shown us that these birds are in dire need of our help.
Ringed plovers usually lay up to four eggs per nest; in a world free of dangers, 20 pairs could, in theory, produce up to 80 fluffy chicks (a lot of fluff!) but of course, we know it’s not an easy life for any wild animal surviving the elements and for ground nesting birds the challenges are particularly staggering!
In addition to natural challenges such as high tides and predators looking for a tasty meal, ringed plovers on this site are suffering hugely from the impacts of human disturbance. With increased numbers of people visiting the coast, daily footfall on sites important for ground nesting birds is overwhelming. Add in off-lead romps of our four-legged friends into the mix and it is clear these birds are being pushed to their limits.
Currently, we are holding on to just two chicks within the Plovers in Peril the project site (Snettisham Beach to Heacham South Beach). Hatching rates this year have been worryingly low – meaning sadly, many never got to make it out of the egg to take their first steps on the sand. In comparison, the same number of birds (20 pairs) nesting on the adjoining stretch at Snettisham reserve have produced 22 chicks and counting, all of which are bombing about on the beach as we speak – a very different number and hope that one day we could see more chicks thriving here.
Every site has different pressures and natural ones play a big part but what has been very clear from this year’s monitoring work is that human activities on these beaches do have a big impact on the survival of these birds and there are lots of ways we can limit this by simply giving nesting birds space and ensuring dogs are on a lead around nesting sites.
In a recent visit, local MP James Wild showed support for the work of the Plovers in Peril project saying: “Our coastline has such outstanding nature and wildlife and the RSPB and volunteers are doing important work to protect these vulnerable birds. Through this project more people will hopefully appreciate how we can all play a part in boosting the numbers of this species by respecting their habitat." You can read more about his visit HERE.
Photo: Wynona, Maisie, Mark and James Wild MP by Hayley Roan
We have still got a good number of birds on eggs which we hope will hatch in the coming weeks and the two chicks we have on site are growing fast and strong - flexing their wing muscles daily and getting familiar with the notion of flight by taking some very lengthy hops and jumps. One small step for plover, one giant leap for plover kind!
Photo: Ringed plover chick stretching by Phill Gwilliam
Our dedicated team of volunteers are working hard to do what they can to give them the nest chances of survival, but we can’t do it without the support of the community. If you meet them on the beach do stop to say hello and catch all the plover news hot off the press!
On that note, we extend a special welcome to our new volunteer recruit Maisie who will be working with Mark on Mondays to share best practice behaviour during nesting season – she’s a little shy but do say hello when you’re on your Monday beach walk and join her in letting that Norfolk wind blow away the cobwebs!
Photo: Maisie team PIP dog ambassador by Wynona Legg
Would you like to have your say about the work we are doing to protect beach nesting birds at Snettisham Beach and Heacham South Beach?
Over the next few weeks we will be chatting with visitors and giving them an opportunity to have their say. Your views are incredibly important to us to help us shape the future for ringed plovers breeding here on this special stretch of coast so if on your walk you are asked to complete our short survey and can spare some time please do support us.
Have you been on a visit to Snettisham or South Heacham beach in the last week? Got a spare five minutes to tell us about it? Please support our work by completing the survey online HERE.
RSPB Snettisham Beach and RSPB Titchwell – We have lift off!
As mentioned above, we are delighted that Snettisham reserve are now up to 22 chicks! All are still incredibly vulnerable with some day-old hatchlings barely the size of a chip! For some of these though we are excited to say that they are now fledged! This means that they are able to fly significant distances and though they may still be a bit wobbly as they hone their skills, you will see them taking to the skies around the Southern end of Snettisham Beach. These birds will look similar to the adult bird but have a black bill, paler legs and lack the sharp colourful patterning on the face and chest. Have you seen them?
Photo: Juvenile ringed plover by Les Bunyan
Ringed Plovers at RSPB Titchwell Marsh have had a hard time with recent high tides washing many of the nests away. We currently have one fledged bird and volunteers at Titchwell have been over the moon to see its first flight! There are new nests in both the east and west cordons and birds displaying.
Please remember: the birds on all three sites are still busy incubating eggs and tending very small chicks so please do continue to support us by keeping dogs on leads and keeping your distance from fenced areas. Watch your step when walking along the shore as these fluffy chicks often keep close to the ground when threatened and their camouflage makes them difficult to spot when you’re on the move.
Photo: Ringed plover family by Les Bunyan
Take care everyone! See you on the beach!
Wynona Legg
Ringed Plover Project Officer
wynona.legg@rspb.org.uk