Mick Wright
The declines and increases of a few Suffolk Birds
Editor: Mick Wright continues to delve into the Bird Atlas data to provide us with further insights into the ‘State of Nature’ of Suffolk’s birds.
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ollowing on from my last report in the Harrier 171, here are a few more examples of species that are either declining or increasing.
Losers Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
The ongoing decline of the Ringed Plover has been documented by the Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group (SOG) members, which have, in the past, monitored this species, and by the national surveys organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in 1984 and in 2007. In the main breeding areas in 1984, Ray Waters (1985) concluded that at our largest Ringed Plover colonies, space is becoming limited due to the increased number of human visitors, causing a decline in numbers. In 2007 a comprehensive search of all coastline and suitable estuarine habitat for breeding Ringed Plover found only 43 pairs at 22 locations. Of these 70% (thirty pairs) were found at just five sites, which were the Orwell estuary, Orford Ness, Landguard, Erwarton (River Stour) and Minsmere. All pairs were found breeding on coastal or estuarine sand/shingle habitats, none were found inland on heathland or agricultural sites (Wright 2007).
Ringed Plovers require a distinctive habitat of coastal sand and shingle beaches, or sandy shell substrates above the high water mark, often just behind old tidelines, which are associated with our estuaries. It is without question that their breeding habitats are under intense pressure from our leisure activities. The Ringed Plover is now on the Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC) Amber list, however, for Suffolk it ought to be Red listed. The 2007 national survey found that there has been a catastrophic decline in the number of breeding Ringed Plovers in Suffolk of around 77% when compared to the figures from the last major survey in 1984. To my knowledge, nowhere along the Suffolk coast or the shorelines of our estuaries, have areas been designated for these ground-nesting birds to breed. If we are to have Ringed Plovers breeding on our beaches, in the future, then targeted action is required. Ringed Plover 2008-2011 breeding data
The 2007-11 Atlas of breeding Ringed Plovers, carried out over a four-year period, when compared to the previous Atlas of 1988-91 clearly indicates their ongoing decline.
THE HARRIER – June 2013
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