It’s once again one of the most exciting times of year for Bird Aware and our friends at the RSPB and Essex Wildlife Trust. Although we’re really sad to be saying goodbye to our wintering birds, we are very lucky to have some superstar bird species who nest on our sand & shingle beaches in summer.
Read on to meet some of our celebrity birds on the Essex Coast. They have nested on our beaches for hundreds of years but are now sadly at risk of failing and/ or abandoning their sites:
Ringed Plover
This adorable little bird is a firm favourite amongst the ranger team. They have orange beaks with a black tip, orange legs and a black ring around their head and chest. During the spring months you might see pairs of these searching for the perfect spot to make their nest. In summer they will be either sitting on eggs or luring you away from their chicks.
Little Tern
A less common bird on our coast, who can be spotted feeding in our coastal waters. Their piercing eyes can spot prey from the air and will dive down to feed. As flying and diving birds, they have short legs and much more elongated, streamlined body than wading birds.
Did you know that the little tern is a ‘schedule one’ species? This means that they have special protections during the breeding season.
Oystercatcher
Affectionately known as ‘oycs’ within the team, you’ll probably hear these birds before you see them. With black and white bodies and an unmistakeable big orange beak these pairs can be seen on our coast all year round. They sometimes nest on posts, on boats and other structures near water but their eggs are perfectly camouflaged only on a beach where they evolved their nesting behaviour.
You’ll probably see some tell-tale clues that you’re approaching a nest before you see it. Nesting birds are extremely defensive and will do what they can to distract you from them. We’ve even seen oystercatchers pick a fight with a red kite to (successfully) ward them off! Ringed plovers will fake having a broken wing to lead predators away from their vulnerable chicks.
Found some eggs on a beach and aren’t sure who mum and dad are? Here’s how to tell:
Ringed plovers lay up to four small, speckled eggs, each the size of a pound coin.
Oystercatchers typically lay three eggs, but they are larger, closer to a chicken egg.
Little terns lay 2-3 eggs, which are small and grey but with larger speckles.
As you can see from the photos, the eggs are remarkably well camouflaged, to try and stop predators finding them. This is a great adaptation; however, it works a little too well as it also means we might accidentally tread on them! Since COVID 19, more and more people have turned to the coastline as a place to connect with nature and have fun. Previously undisturbed places now face considerably more pressures from human activity.
As well the risk of trampling by unsuspecting walkers, cyclists and other beach users, there is a big disturbance factor leaving eggs exposed for long periods of time. When you come close to a nest, the parents who be incubating their eggs will flee and not return until they feel save to do so. The perceived danger level varies between different birds and different species but is particularly high in oystercatchers and terns who would not come back until you are at least 400m away from their nest. This leaves their eggs vulnerable to hungry predators and also exposes them to the cold wind.
The longer the adults are off the nest, the more exposure the eggs face. On very busy stretches of the Essex coast this can happen multiple times an hour! We’ve seen campers set up overnight right next to nests. In extreme cases like these, the pair could even abandon the nest entirely.
The Share our Shores Project
We collaborate with the RSPB and Essex Wildlife Trust to protect beach nesting birds. We spend spring and summer at key sites, surveying beaches for signs of nesting behaviour. On some nature reserves we are allowed to put special cages over the ringed plover nests, which prevent trampling and predation while still letting the parents inside. Elsewhere, like on Mersea Island we put up signage and a wide rope perimeter around existing nesting sites to alert visitors to their presence. And of course, being an engagement project, we spend most of our time communicating all this to locals and tourists, so they know what is going on.
The one most important word of advice during beach nesting season is: walk as low on the beach as possible and keep your dogs very close, preferably on a lead. Birds see them as predators regardless of their temperament.
We’re so delighted that year on year, more and more people recognise us, the signs and the fencing, and even let others know on our behalf. It’s because of people like you that we are having more and more eggs survive incubation and hatching each summer. Last year the breeding season saw a 49% increase in the number of ringed plover chicks that hatched! We hope for even more successes across all our celebrity species this season.
Learn more about this project here