Some of the Misconceptions and Common Myths About Using the Coast
Our coast is an increasingly busy place for life, work and leisure. Not only has the population of Essex doubled since the 1950s but it has also increased its number of attractions and accommodation for visitors. Southend on Sea alone welcomes more that 7 million tourists each year. The tourism value of Maldon, one of my sites, has increased by 46% since I started my job three years ago.
This will present and already is presenting big challenges for the wildlife calling the Essex Coast their home. Our coast is a vital part of the East Atlantic Flyway; a route used by millions of birds travelling twice a year to and from the Arctic to South Africa via Southern Europe and along the west African coast. Over 1 million birds spend the winter on UK’s east coast, including a third of the global population of Dark- bellied Brent Geese and significant numbers of UK red listed species such as the Black- tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Ringed Plover and Curlew.
There are many pressures shore birds are under, and it is the combination of all of them: the loss of habitat and resources, global warming, pollution, diseases, and disturbances, which puts them into a struggle for existence. Our project is mainly aimed at the mitigation of the latter, so that is what I will focus on here, and specifically on the frequent misunderstandings of the concept.
Disturbance is defined as any activity which displaces birds or any wildlife from their habitat.
As we, rangers, try to explain this to the public, we often encounter some common misconceptions. Some of the most frequent ones are outlined below.
Myth 1: Birds enjoy being chased by dogs. They deliberately choose busy spots.
Birds perceive dogs as predators, including those on leads. They don’t understand that our pets might be harmless. If they frequent busy areas or return to them after being chased, it is because the place is a highly valuable food source, and they are willing to take the risk of being there rather than spending huge amounts of energy in seeking a new place on our already crowded coast. Birds don’t play games with our pets. They are wild animals for whom our cuddly and friendly dog means only one thing: danger.
Myth 2: It’s fine, my dog will never catch them
That’s good news but shore birds who are being flushed or chased lose on their feeding opportunities as they are dependent on tides. When this happens repeatedly and the birds are never able to feed in peace, they will never gain any energy for survival. According to some research, flushing birds during their rest causes even greater energy loss than that of feeding birds. In summer, when parents are flushed from nests, their eggs and chicks are exposed to predators or cold weather as well as to stress and accidental trampling. Your dog might not harm them directly, but chasing still causes harm.
Myth 3: Birds don’t mind us being around, they are used to it
Well, that depends on a specific site and on our behaviour. While it’s true that birds on very busy sites are more habituated to human presence, they are still prone to disturbance when we come too close or behave erratically. And they are still going through stress responses which might not be visible to us but affect their health and fitness. It’s never wise to assume that the behaviour or reaction of birds will be the same in different places as their habituation varies greatly between species and sites. A turnstone from a Southend beach or pier is going to have a very different reaction from a curlew on Tollesbury’s salt marshes.
Myth 4: Birds can fly away from danger- no problem
Yes, they can but there is one problem. Coastal birds are absolutely tied to the coast. They feed on the mud and in water, roost as close as possible to their food source, and nest on beaches. They can put themselves out of imminent danger by flying away but as outlined in previous answers, this costs them a lot. It costs them their food and their rest, resulting in energy deficit, and it can cost them their young. When repeated many times a day, hundreds of times a week and thousands of times in the season, the harm might be indirect but still significant.
Myth 5: Birds build visible nests, mostly in trees or high up places
Most shore birds are ground nesting species and don’t build any visible nests to speak of. Our beach nesting birds: the Ringed Plover, the Oystercatcher, the Terns and the Gulls nest in shallow scrapes on sandy and pebbly beaches. The scrapes and the eggs are perfectly camouflaged to be invisible to predators, and so are the chicks. This poses a great challenge for us humans, who can’t see them either and can accidentally trample on them. This is why we advise people to walk as low on the beach as possible between April and August and pay attention to any signage or fencing put in place to protect the nests.
Myth 6: There’s plenty of other places for birds to go to
We really wish this was the case! Sadly, rising sea levels, coastal erosion, development and increased recreational use of our coast means that places for wildlife are rapidly disappearing.
We all need to play our part if we want our wildlife to thrive and maintain our fantastic coastal heritage.
Please follow our coastal code at all times and don’t put yourself, your pets and wildlife in danger by entering mud flats and salt marshes.
Thank you from the whole ranger team.