An update from Wynona and Ben, our Plovers in Peril Project Team.
On a rather blustery Tuesday morning, the Plovers in Peril team at RSPB Snettisham beach were excited to be joined by a few of our Norfolk coast neighbours to speak out about beach nesting birds and to share an important message to visitors.
In a bid to slow the worrying declines in three beach nesting bird species across the Norfolk coast, conservation organisations and local landowners are joining together to urge visitors to help protect beach nesting birds when they visit local beaches through the spring & summer.
Joining together for beach nesting birds. Image credit Steve Rowland.
The launch of the initiative between RSPB, Wild Ken Hill, National Trust, Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the Norfolk Coast Partnership provided an exciting opportunity to gather at the start of the breeding season to share collective messages.
Our message to visitors is simple and visitors can help by doing these three simple things:
The Norfolk coast has some of the most stunning coastline in the UK and it’s no surprise that visitors flock here in their millions during the summer months but vulnerable birds like ringed plover, oystercatcher and little tern are at their most vulnerable at this time – laying camouflaged eggs on the bare sand and shingle and raising their tiny chicks on some of our busiest beaches. We must find balance so that we can continue to see wildlife thrive in our cherished landscapes.
Dominic Buscall, Manager of Wild Ken Hill - a partner of the Plovers in Peril project said: "We absolutely support this initiative. To conserve and restore nature, we must all do our bit, including being respectful to our rare beach nesting birds when visiting the coast this spring and summer".
We were pleased to be joined on the day by local press from ITV Anglia, BBC Radio Norfolk and Eastern Daily Press and we have been grateful for the positive support shared within our local communities and beyond as a result.
Ringed Plover. Image credit Phill Gwilliam.
The messages raised by this collaborative initiative is shared by RSPB’s national #WatchYourStep campaign which hopes to raise awareness of ground nesting birds and the challenges they face. Join in with the conversation through Twitter or Facebook.
Thank you to all those who stand with us to support beach nesting birds and to the dedicated staff and volunteers who are working hard to protect these birds at sensitive sites across Norfolk. We can be the difference in seeing them thrive in Norfolk long into the future!
Plovers in Peril is a partnership project between RSPB & Wild Ken Hill and has been generously funded by The Borough Council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk through their Habitats Monitoring and Mitigation Fund. We have also received generous funding from Natural England to make this work possible.
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