Our Ringed Plover Project Officer, Wynona, brings you the latest from Plovers in Peril on Snettisham and Heacham South beach...
Photo: Ringed plover nests (photos taken during nest monitoring work)
These are the jewels on our shingle.
Gifts from a beach nesting birds labour and toil.
Every one of these nests is a legacy for their future but they are our legacy too.
The future of a coast brimming with life lies in these fragile eggs.
Over 50 nests have graced the shingle on Snettisham and South Heacham beaches this summer from around 20 breeding pairs.
Why so many? Because this journey isn’t an easy one and those who lose must try again.
Many of these were lost almost as soon as they appeared.
Many flooded by tides made stronger by northerly winds and higher by globally rising sea levels.
Many lost to predators finding food for their own young.
Some loss is our doing too. Stress caused by people traffic close to nests and off-lead dogs running into nesting sites is pushing our birds to tipping point. A flightless chick is no match for a dog in chase mode on any day, friendly frolic or otherwise.
It’s a very real fact that our four-legged friends can make all the difference to chick survival. Especially in their first few days of life where they are much less than the size of a tennis ball. As visitors we are capable of shifting the point where the journey of these nests ends to something a lot more hopeful; from failure to future.
So far just two have survived to make their first flights. Once they find their wings, they are hard to keep tabs on, but we are rooting for them to remain Snettisham locals!
On the beaches as I write this there are five chicks with just under a week left to go before wings are strong enough for a first flight; so, for now on foot is their preferred means of travel until take off.
Will you be cheering them on with us?
To a future filled with the sound of ringed plover calls and a summer beach filled with speckled jewels.
Photo: Ringed plover chick by Phill Gwilliam
What we can all do to help:
If chased by a dog off the lead, the stress alone can be enough for a heart so tiny as theirs and each loss is a huge blow for the survival of this species which are in global decline. Responsible dog owners play a huge part in turning the falling fortunes of these and other beach nesting birds around and we are so grateful for your support throughout nesting season. Thank You!
Human feet are giants footsteps to these chicks and they are often unable to move out of the way in time, please watch your step and if you see adults alarm calling move away carefully.
At low tide the parents will take small chicks down the beach to feed on the mud for marine worms (delicious!) and at high tide they move back up the beach to feed on insects in strandlines nearer the dunes. Please be mindful of this when deciding on a walking route - or better still use the dune path along the top to take in the view without disturbing these vulnerable families. With a pair of binoculars, this is the best spot to watch them fluff -tumbling about free from worry!
We want to see a future where the wildlife that makes these beaches so uniquely special can thrive and flourish alongside our enjoyment of the beach and all that brings. We need you! By giving a few moments of your time to tell us about your visit, we can take steps toward shaping this future together for both people and wildlife.
Please visit https://bit.ly/3fq4yxh to complete the 5-minute survey.
Thank you,
Wynona Legg
Ringed Plover Project Officer
wynona.legg@rspb.org.uk