To receive a presentation on Space for Shorebirds from Richard Willis – Senior Wildlife Ranger
Minutes:
R. Willis – Senior Wildlife Ranger, introduced himself to members and provided a presentation on the Northumberland County Council’s ranger service protecting the birds and grassland of the Northumberland Coast.
Shorebirds of the Northumberland Coast
Northumberland housed internationally important shorebirds populations, the birds would spend the majority of the year in Northumberland and then travel to the arctic circle to breed, however there had been regional declines since 2000, including the Purple Sandpiper which had had a 39% decline. A few as ten disturbances whilst in roost could result in loss of condition.
Coastal Mitigation Service
Natural England had stressed the need for the Council to address disturbances where they occurred. This was difficult for developers to do themselves and was why there was a need for a Council led strategic approach. Northumberland County Council and Natural England were confident that the service addressed issues at no cost to the council tax payers.
Following feedback from developers, it had provided certainty and a known fixed cost rather than the previous system which did not provide any benefit to the birds.
Space for Shorebirds in Action
The main role of the three Space for Shorebirds officers were to engage and educate the public. The rangers talked to beach users about the birds that were using the shore and use telescopes to engage the public to discuss the birds feeding or roosting which may be in a vulnerable position and at risk of disturbance.
The rangers deployed temporary signage when they were on the site to make the public aware of shorebirds potentially nesting and feeding on the shore and also hand out leaflets which contained information about the service, guidance and the types of birds most likely to be seen on the Northumberland Coast, it also contained social media and contact details.
The Space for Shorebirds service carried out social media work as part of their engagement and took photos of the birds while on site to tell shorebird stories to a larger audience. The service also engaged the public with their Shorebirds for beginners events, which were held in various locations along the coat, to allow a two-way conversation between beach users and rangers.
Dog Rangers
Approximately 50% of bird disturbances involved a dog.
The Dog Ranger pledge provided a positive way to engage with dog owners and the community of dog owners that also loved nature.
The dog ranger pledge included:
· Give Birds Space, About 40-50m
· Please Dogs, Never Chase the Birds
· Follow Signage and Requests by Rangers
· When Crossing the Dunes Keep to The Main Prather to Avoid Getting Tangled in Pirri Pirri Bur
Collaboration
The Space for Shorebird service collaborated with many organisations to discuss various items such as wet grassland mapping, Pirri Pirri bur, disturbance issues and nest protection. The service also worked alongside some Northumberland schools to engage children in the work being undertaken by Rangers.
Breeding Bird Protection
The long-term aim of the Space for Shorebirds programme was to find alternative Little Tern sites with an immediate arm to reduce disturbance to breeding Ringed Plover. The service also took part in coast wide surveys for shore nesting birds and created nest protection areas using netting and signage and had relied on Coast Care volunteers to conduct surveys and assist with the nest protection work.
Dune Grasslands
The Dune grasslands were internationally important, and the service were trying to reduce the spread of Pirri Pirri Bur by people and dogs, by promoting awareness of the County’s Dune grassland ecosystems and encouraging people to stay on main paths when crossing Dunes. Volunteers had been removing Pirri Pirri Bur by hand in Cocklawburn, Bamburgh and Duridge Bay.
Following the presentation from R. Willis, members were invited to ask questions of the service. The following information was provided:
· Rangers had enforcement powers but had found that they were not necessary, and the public had been more receptive to rangers asking for dogs to put on a lead.
· Temporary signage was used when the team were operational in the area.
Members thanked Richard for attending the meeting and the Space for Shorebirds rangers for their continued hard work.
RESOLVED that the information was noted.