- Who are you / what is the project?
A. This is an RSPB-led project on beach nesting birds along the Cumbrian coast. I am the Cumbria Beach Nesting Birds Project Officer. As we have limited resources, I have highlighted beaches that hold a high density of beach nesting birds but have low fledging success. The beaches from Sellafield to Drigg are of special importance for these birds. This is one of many beach nesting birds projects across the UK working to look after these species of conservation decline. - What is a beach nesting bird?
A. Any bird that nests on the beach; for the purpose of this project I’m talking about the Common Ringed Plover and the Oystercatcher. - Who has given you permission to do this / nobody owns the beach?
A. We have permission from the landowners to put up these protection measures. For GDPR reasons, I cannot disclose who the landowners are. However it is a myth that land in England is unowned; for those who wish to find out more about who owns the land, the Land Registry is a good resource. - Where are these fence post boundaries?
A. This year we have put four boundaries up: one by Sellafield, one by the Seascale Golf Links, one to the north of the LLWR, and one at the end of Drigg by the Ravenglass Estuary. - What are the fence posts for?
A. The fence posts and signage are part of the protection measures needed to safeguard these birds, their nests, eggs, and chicks during the nesting season. They are a temporary fixture, will only be up from now until end of August when the last chicks have left. - What if birds nest outside of the boundaries?
A. This is definitely something that will happen and unless we fence off the entire top of the beach, it’s out of our control where these birds nest. The boundaries are based off historical locations of nesting sites and we have chosen areas that have had the highest density of nests and people. Our signs ask that no matter whether you are near a fenced boundary or not, to spend as little time on the shingle as possible to give these birds a fighting chance at fledging chicks. - What do these birds need protection from?
A. The main causes of nesting failure are humans and predators. Last year, I trialled just putting up signage at the carpark and access points onto the shingle but these were largely ignored. Any human activity on the shingle at this time of year causes nest failures. In the case for Sellafield-Drigg, the human activity is actually more detrimental than the predation; predators will largely take advantage of the adult birds being constantly disturbed off their nests by humans to pillage nests. - Why are the fence posts below the high tide mark?
A. A main issue these birds has is with human disturbance, that means not just walking through and potentially trampling a nest but also coming into proximity with a bird’s territory. These fence posts give a wide berth to this territory so anyone following the fence line is not causing disturbance to nesting birds. - I have found an egg / chick but can’t see an adult. What do I do?
A. Simple answer – nothing. The reason why you can’t see an adult bird around is because you are too close to the nest/chick. The best thing to do is to leave it alone and walk away, the adult bird will return once you have gone. - Why isn’t there any rope / mesh between the posts?
A. The fence posts serve as a visual aid to remind people that these birds are nesting on the shingle at this time. The general consensus is that if someone was going to ignore the fencing and walk through these protected areas, rope won’t put them off. It also reduces the chance of the whole line of fencing being taken out by a higher tide. - Q. Why are there nails on top of the posts?
A. Avian predators such as crows will use fence posts as a vantage point to look for prey. The nails deter them from perching on the fence posts.If you have any other questions, please contact the RSPB Project Officer: steph.leow@rspb.org.uk.
