For many migratory species, spring marks the start of a busy, and often chaotic, nesting season.
Ranger Richie is here to tell us all about the Oysterbeds on Hayling Island, a vital site for many breeding birds, and what to look out for along the reserve.
Tucked away in the north-west corner of Hayling Island lies the West Hayling Nature Reserve. Also known as the Oysterbeds, these series of lagoons have become a wildlife haven thanks to the restoration by Havant Borough Council – turning them from old oyster beds during the fishing industry in the 19th century into a vital habitat for breeding and overwintering birds today.
Nestled between Langstone Harbour and the old “Hayling Billy” railway, the Oysterbeds are now managed by the RSPB, one of our partners, along with four islands in the harbour.
The patchwork of habitats offered by the Oysterbeds supports a host of overwintering species, including the dark-bellied brent goose, curlew and black-tailed godwit. Thanks to its addition of shingle islands, it is also a significant high tide roost for species such as dunlin, grey plover and knot, who utilise the grounds to conserve energy whilst waiting for the tide to drop.
From left to right: Dunlin, curlew and dark-bellied brent goose
To view these species, the reserve has a path running along the edge of the lagoons. Even in the summer, after the winter visitors have left for their Arctic breeding grounds, the site offers fantastic views of migratory species as the islands are filled with bird chatter and bustling with busy parents.
One of the first species to arrive, and one of the noisiest, are the Mediterranean gulls.
This smart-looking gull arrives at the Osyterbeds from mid-February onwards, travelling from as far as Northern Africa and the Black Sea, where they gather in numbers before moving to their nesting grounds.
The Med gull’s head colouring is more of a true black ‘hood’ compared to the black-headed gull’s chocolate-brown mask.
Their call is a distinctive ‘meow’ sound and fills the air alongside the din of the resident black-headed gulls.
Whilst you may not see many nesting pairs of Mediterranean gulls at the Oyster Beds, it is a fundamentally important site of congregation for this species. They use the shingle islands for courtship and mate selection, before continuing their journey to find nesting sites.
Some may travel further afield, however many will still remain in Hampshire, with Langstone Harbour accounting for nearly the entirety of the Solent’s breeding population.
Not just gulls, but the harbour is also one of the most important nesting sites in the South of England for our tern species.
Unique in their behaviour, terns differ from gulls by hovering above the water, with fast wing beats, and dive in a spear-like shape for fish.
Terns will start to appear along the Solent coastline from March to April, a little later than the Mediterranean gulls, after migrating from the shores of Western Africa. Some will nest here, whilst others will use the Solent as a pit stop before continuing their journey to Eastern Europe for the summer.
Our smallest visiting tern, the little tern, is most recognisable by their size difference.
They have forked tails, a large head with a black cap and white forehead, and a yellow beak with black tip.
This species prefers to nest on shingle beaches and offshore islands, and due to disturbance on nests caused by recreation and predators, they are a species in severe decline.
With eggs that are designed to be camouflaged like stones, it makes them difficult to spot.
The best way we can help little terns thrive is by following requests on signs during their nesting season, which takes place from May until the end of summer.
If you look in amongst the nesting gulls, you will find another species of tern called the common tern.
Smaller than a black-headed gull, the common tern are silver-backed, with a black capped head, and an orange-red beak with a black tip.
They arrive in the UK from early April and begin nesting in May. Instead of building a traditional nest, common terns create a small depression in the shingle called a scrape, with both adults contributing to the nest construction.
Not only do they nest on the islands, but you will find them raising their chicks on specially designed rafts in the lagoon, created by the RSPB to provide nesting habitat to terns in their preferred hunting territory without having to compete with gulls.
There are currently two rafts located in the Oysterbeds for you to look out for. They are floating platforms with a shingle layer for terns to make their scrapes in and a barrier to minimise disturbance caused by predators, whilst also alleviating the problem of fluctuating water levels.
Last, but not least, are the Sandwich terns. A species you will see not only nesting on the islands but also fishing off the reserve. They are a slim and elegant-looking tern, and the largest of the three species seen in the Solent. Being slightly larger than a black-headed gull, this tern sports a unique black head crest during the summer months, alongside a black beak with a yellow tip.
From left to the right: the common tern, little tern and Sandwich tern
During the summer, breeding birds require the space and time to raise their chicks, as well as building up the energy to return to their overwintering grounds in Africa. There are serious consequences for the parents if they’re disturbed whilst sitting on nests, including losing their eggs and chicks, and wasting vital energy in starting again.
Thankfully there are some simple things we can all do to make sure these special birds have the space they need to thrive.
Firstly, look out for birds. Please look carefully for any birds that may be sharing the coast you’re visiting. If you see birds using a certain area of the coast, you can avoid that area so they can rest and feed undisturbed.
Some birds, especially during the nesting season, are very well camouflaged on shingle beaches. They can be hard to spot unless you look carefully.
If you’ve noticed some birds have become alert to our presence, move further away.
Signs of birds becoming alert include lifting or turning their heads towards you, calling out, stretching or flapping their wings, walking or swimming away.
By staying as close to the top of a beach, or on a path, we can all minimise our impact to birds feeding or resting.
Keep dogs alongside us. The Oysterbeds lagoons are a special habitat, full of amazing nature. Even the best behaved dogs may still cause disturbance to overwintering and breeding birds. Keeping dogs alongside will minimise that disturbance and mean they are not using valuable energy flying away from the threat.
Finally, follow requests on signs.
The Oysterbeds are also a sensitive place, and there are sections of the shingle islands and lagoons that are roped off.
Please follow the requests on the signs as you walk round the site. These signs will be helping to divert pressure away from sensitive areas. They may also ask us to observe a specific behaviour when using a certain section of the coast. It is important we follow these requests.
The reserve is also vulnerable to disturbance from water, so if you are paddling in Langstone Harbour, make sure to leave plenty of space around the reserve and do not enter the lagoons. Visit our watersports with wildlife page for tips on being wildlife aware on the water and wildlife friendly places to launch from on our interactive map.
