Thanks to Rebekah Wall, RSPB Little Tern Volunteer, for this lovely guest blog.

Conservation is something you’ll commonly find on the news but is such an important topic for the generation these days. To take part in it is something even more important and wonderful. Conservation is my career path and to have the option to become a volunteer is very rewarding and has been something I have done since graduating from University. 

I applied to be a bird warden for the RSPB in April (2023) for something new to volunteer for,  to improve my mental health, and to be more involved in the current need to support conservation and breeding opportunities for the Little Terns.
 
To be given the opportunity to work amongst RSPB staff and experienced volunteers and to be working closely with the Little Terns, a thrill of excitement made me ecstatic, and I was looking forward to starting my shifts.
 
As well as actually working alongside the Little Terns, the fences needed to be put up at Winterton-on-sea and at Eccles. Many volunteers popped up to help and it was interesting to talk with the new and experienced volunteers about what to expect from a shift and how to engage with the public and their dogs. 

During the induction, one of the staff spoke about the night shifts, the golden hour that we could witness, and the experiences we could obtain. Instantly I knew I wanted to do as many night shifts as I could, fitting it around my day job.

I began my first night shift at 10 p.m. in the middle of June, wrapped up warm with many layers, thermals, waterproofs, a woolly hat, gloves, flask filled with hot coffee and snacks. Sitting in a camping chair can be very comfy until it gets very cold. Fortunately, blankets were available to use and sudden spurts of bats and moths flew over one's head and gave me a buzz, excitedly looking for more wildlife in the sky.
 
The night shifts were so different from the day shift. As said by previous volunteers, you get to witness the golden hour which was so magical to see. You have to watch the birds wake up from their hiatus as they are always on the watch, protecting their eggs, chicks, and colony.

To witness them fly up, fluttering over the sea and quickly in dive to catch any amongst the Clupeidae sp. to give their chicks the first meal of the day. Listening to their calls is so distinct, made my heart flutter. And the first time I saw a chick, my heart burst into happiness, knowing for a fact this is the environment I want to be in. How small they are! Little balls of speckled fluff.

During the night shifts, you literally have to be the watchful eye, a protector to help the success of the breeding Little Terns. To physically chase away the predators with a shaker (a bottle with small stones and pebbles in it). Whether they are flying raptors and four-legged mammals - muntjacs for the eggs, foxes for the eggs and chicks, a few domestic cats now and again, and the occasional squirrel.

​Finishing a night shift every morning is very different from the last. One morning, driving on my way home from a night shift I happened to come across a situation quite bizarre. Two Rheas were running on a country road right in front of me in the car. Completely bewildered I thought I may have been over-tired. I managed to snap some shots and pass them on to the Little Tern group. A few hours later, I was informed that they were from a farm and had escaped, I saw two of the twelve that were roaming around Norfolk.
 

Working as a bird warden is so much more than looking after the birds, you are able to gain transferable skills, work as a team, get the chance to take part in other events such as witnessing kestrel chicks being ringed, working on RSPB sites such as Berney Marshes engulfed in magical greenery and wildlife, many bird species and mammals and public days such as ‘’Smooch your Pooch’’ promoting dogs on leads during the breeding season of the Little Terns. 

​Being given the chance to take part in volunteering alongside the RSPB for the past five months has been an amazing opportunity that I have thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to the next season. 

Hello, my name is Mark Appleton and work as Beach Nesting Bird Project Officer along the Solent. I joined the RSPB in this role, this March 2023.

​So, what does a Beach Nesting Bird Project Officer do? I will attempt to explain some of the tasks I have undertaken so far.

Thanks to the LIFE Programme (LIFE on the Edge) and the Solent Seascape Project, I was recruited to help change the fortunes of shore nesting birds on multiple sites, both on and off natures reserves across the Solent. This even includes working at the Browndown Military Training site. The area of Solent that I am responsible for ranges from Hurst Spit on the Western Solent to Pagham harbour on the Eastern Solent.
 
Spread out across the Solent’s shingle and saltmarsh coasts, a diverse range of coastal ground-nesting birds make their home each summer. Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Little Tern regularly attempt nesting on our shingle beaches looking for new sites each year to raise a new generation as well as returning to old favourites.
 
At the time of writing, we are in the very busy period where all our beach nesting birds are beginning to hatch, and a lot of my time is spent monitoring and trying to protect them

Dense colonies of Sandwich Tern, Black-headed gull and Mediterranean Gulls take advantage of the water surrounded shingle and saltmarsh islands whilst common tern use a mixture of sites varying from man made structures to secluded shores. All these species are facing the growing challenge of fitting in on our very busy coasts. That’s where we are aiming to make a difference.
 
I have been involved in the creation and deployment of these manmade structures, rafts for the common terns, working both with the RSPB Pagham wardens and volunteers to implement.

​Another part of the role is to develop, empower and support teams of volunteers to deliver shore nesting bird protection. Both the RSPB Pagham volunteers and RSPB Gunner point volunteers have been essential in providing support. Without them a lot of the jobs would not get done. At Hayling Island Gunner point this year we have continued developing the Ringed Plover Project that was set up by local conservationist Trevor Codlin. With the help of volunteers, we have cordoned off a section of the beach with mesh fencing to give Ringed Plover space to nest and bring up their chicks free from human and dog disturbance. The volunteers helped to install the fencing and regularly patrol the area to educate, raise awareness and inform visitors about how we can help Ringed Plover here by giving them lots of space and keeping away from fenced off areas so they can incubate their eggs without nest failures. I have created a Whatsapp group for the project so we can all provide each other updates on patrols and monitoring results.
 
At the time of writing, we have had 3 successful nests with a total of 8 chicks with 2 very close to fledging. Unfortunately, our Ringed Plovers cant read and one family regularly wonders outside the fence. Only this week a dog was seen chasing the family and was only saved by the adult male luring the dog away by flying along the beach with the dog in close pursuit. This is why our brilliant volunteers are so important in raising awareness. To support our volunteer rangers I have created signage, a periodical update board and leaflets to inform the public.

​​Deploying and creating signage is a very important part of the role as areas of prime nesting area need protecting

​​Monitoring of breeding Ringed Plovers has identified that predation is one of the main factors in preventing hatching success.  High levels of predation are likely to be exacerbated due to loss of good quality habitat, rising sea levels, and increasing human disturbance which could be resulting in birds nesting in sub optimal conditions and closer together. This year I have been part of the RSPB scientific study to test the effectiveness of nest cages on the hatching success of beach-nesting Ringed Plovers. So far the results are very encouraging and trail camera footage has shown protection from foxes, carrion crows, dogs, kestrel and even a tawny owl.

​An important part of the role is to continue building partnerships across a broad range of organizations so that we collaborate and achieve optimum success in trying to help nature. I try to provide updates and communication between organizations to achieve this and collaboration has include RSPB Pagham, Natural England at North Solent Nature Reserve, Hampshire Countryside Service at Lymington and Keyhaven Nature Reserve and Hook with Warsash , Browndown Military Training camp and many amazing volunteers.
 
I hope this gives a flavour of some of the tasks involved with the role. If I had to summarise the role I would say: -

• To deliver site protection on known shorebird nesting sites (working with existing staff and partners), preparing infrastructure, monitoring bird presence and productivity
• Work with external organisations and the local community to establish a fuller picture of shore bird nesting potential across the region and monitoring sites across the region
• Help set up, support, and lead a network of shorebird nesting volunteer teams where needed
• Run events to increase knowledge and support for nesting shorebird across the Solent. 
  ​Come and meet me on July 1st :-

Buckler’s Hard Website:
https://www.bucklershard.co.uk/events/conservation-awareness-day/
 
Facebook:
https://fb.me/e/3h8QvEutw

• Support the existing reserve wardening staff to deliver the wider habitat creation elements of LIFE On The Edge

 
Happy summer holidays but please remember to look out for our beach nesting birds and give them lots of space with dogs under close control 😊
 
Thank you for reading
 
Mark

​This guest blog is by Alex who kindly shares her experience of volunteering.

Why get involved?

When you have been busy working for other people, there is nothing more rewarding than working for wildlife.

​I started volunteering with the RSPB 4 years ago when I retired and was looking for some sort of activity to keep me busy. To say I have been on a steep learning curve would be an understatement. Up until then, I had not marvelled at a pair of owlets, peered into a bee nesting hole, or observed sea birds diving into the lagoon for food. I knew very little about the natural world, so volunteering allowed me to learn at my own pace.

This past spring and summer I joined the beach nesting bird team at RSPB Pagham Harbour and Medmerry with my husband. Whilst I was chatting to people visiting and giving them information to take home, my husband was using his camera to capture the wildlife in all its glory!

​I love sharing my knowledge of the wildlife to visitors, especially to the children who are so eager to learn. No dinosaurs seen yet though! I also love being part of a great team of people who share their knowledge and experiences with me. 

Favourite part of being with the Beach Nesting Bird team?
 
“I especially enjoyed engaging with inquisitive kids that wanted to “spot the tern” and then know more. I liked speaking to people who were interested in what we are trying to achieve.”

​
How can you help?

​We are looking to expand this team across the wider Solent area in time for the next breeding season to help safeguard other nesting sites and provide a joined-up network of safe spaces for seabirds and beach nesting waders.

Find out how to get involved here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering-fundraising/volunteer/
​
Or you can enquire through the LIFE on the Edge website: https://www.projectlote.life/
​

Blog by Sophie Yeomanson, RSPB Community Shorebird Officer

In the Solent, beach nesting birds are faced with many threats, from increasing visitor pressure, to loss of suitable habitat for nesting. Every year, colonies of Little, Common and Sandwich Tern migrate to the Solent from Africa to nest on our shingle beaches, alongside Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Black-headed and Mediterranean gulls. My name is Sophie and here is some insight into the work I have been doing for the past three months as a Shorebird Officer for LIFE on the Edge in the Solent.

Initial Monitoring

Monitoring the threats to breeding birds on a site is important, as this will inform management practises to mitigate against them. Much of the work we have been doing in the Solent over the past few months has involved watching nests, recording disturbances, and monitoring how the nesting birds have been reacting to these disturbance events. Discovering how the beach is used by people and other wildlife is an important first step to finding ways to protect the nesting birds.

​Different species react differently to threats, for example, we have seen ringed plovers performing a broken wing act when they think their nest may be under threat from an inquisitive dog, intending to lead the perceived predator away from the young before flying off. Other species will mob the threat, an example of this being oystercatchers noisily attacking drones flying overhead, whilst leaving their nests exposed to the elements. 

​Practical measures can be taken to prevent this from happening, such as installing temporary fencing to cordon off areas on the beach and installing signs facing out towards the sea so that people approaching from the water know where to avoid when landing. So far in the Solent, temporary fencing has been installed across three different sites for the first time, giving refuge to multiple families of little tern, ringed plover, and oystercatcher. 

​Trail cameras are also extremely useful tools for helping us to monitor nests. The cameras collect snapshot footage of a fixed location over time, using motion detectors and timers. These have allowed us to monitor the nesting sites without being present 24 hours a day, so we can see what happens when we aren’t looking and plan protection measures for the future. Across the Solent beach nesting bird sites, we have been locating ringed plover and oystercatcher nests and setting up trail cameras to monitor them.

​Footage from this year has revealed that egg predation (by carrion crows and hedgehogs) has been a cause of nesting failure at one site, where nesting success had not previously been monitored in depth. Because of these findings, decisions can be made about how our team can safeguard nests for the next breeding season to hopefully allow the nests to progress past the incubation stage. 

Our Excellent Volunteers

Engaging with members of the public is another vital part of our work in the Solent to make space for birds to nest. Whilst practical measures to protect nests, such as temporary fenced off areas, work to protect the birds within them, birds can’t read the signs and don’t always choose to nest in the areas we create for them. That’s where community engagement comes in!

Our wonderful new team of beach nesting bird volunteers have been doing an excellent job talking to beach visitors around the Solent about the species we share our shores with, and promoting the small changes they can do that will make a big difference to the success nesting birds.

​Having a daily volunteer presence on the sites has proved to be really important, and visitors have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the birds, often astonished by the images presented to them of eggs laid in shingle scrapes or of tiny camouflaged chicks on the beach. 

For many of the visitors, conversations with the team are the first they’ve heard of a ringed plover or little tern, let alone seen one on the beach. Raising awareness of these “invisible” species through community engagement will be pivotal in helping these birds to thrive in the future. 

​How can you help?

​We are looking to expand this team across the wider Solent area in time for the next breeding season to help safeguard other nesting sites and provide a joined-up network of safe spaces for seabirds and beach nesting waders.

Find out how to get involved here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering-fundraising/volunteer/
​
Or you can enquire through the LIFE on the Edge website: https://www.projectlote.life/

Blog by Amy Hopley, Morecambe Bay Partnership Nature and Wildlife Officer

Amy here from Morecambe Bay Partnership, and I’m delighted to be writing this month’s guest blog on coastal volunteers. We love our volunteers – without them, much of the work we do would be impossible! And whether it’s chatting about birds or cleaning beaches; bracken bashing or planting trees, volunteering is a fun and rewarding way to get involved with your local community and help projects you care about make a real impact. Without them, charities such as Morecambe Bay Partnership and the RSPB would be unable to do most of what they do. 

​How will volunteers help Life on the Edge?
Life on the Edge is a project which will have a strong emphasis on volunteers. The project seeks to raise awareness of the threats faced by our wonderful shore-nesting birds. Here in Morecambe Bay, rare breeding species such as ringed plover and little tern, and much loved iconic species like the oystercatcher and the herring gull, are failing year after year to successfully raise their young.

​Shore-nesting birds are exceptionally vulnerable to not only the effects of climate change and coastal erosion, but also to human disturbance. Increased leisure time, better access to the coast and the increased popularity of the stay-cation all mean that our beaches are becoming busier than ever. ​As our popular beaches become too crowded, visitors seek out quieter, more secluded shores to enjoy the peace. However these quieter shores are already occupied, by small and almost invisible birds that need space and peace to raise their young.

The quieter beaches are becoming busier, and the number of safe places for our coastal bird species to nest are running out. Those still attempting to nest on busy beaches see their nests accidentally destroyed, or disturbance causes them to abandon their nests, eggs or chicks. But nests are tremendously difficult to spot – even for an experienced bird watcher, let alone a visitor just having fun at the beach. So how can we protect our nesting birds when they can’t be seen? ​

​That’s where our volunteers come in!
​First, we need to find and protect these precious nests. Volunteer surveyors will visit sites regularly to identify the areas where birds are nesting on beaches. Once found, the nest will be protected by friendly engagement volunteers who chat to visitors and explain that there are birds raising their families nearby, asking people to make small changes their routes to avoid disturbing the birds. This allows visitors to ask questions about the birds, and may even give them the opportunity to spot the birds in question with the help of a knowledgeable volunteer! A friendly face has a far better impact than a sign, and a positive experience with a volunteer is a far more memorable experience for the visitor. 

​How can I get involved?
Right now, Life on the Edge is currently looking for volunteers to help protect the endangered birds raising their families on the few remaining UK shores where they can still nest in peace. There are a range of ways you can get involved! Here at Morecambe Bay Partnership we are currently looking for volunteers to:
​

• help us identify nesting sites
• help us talk to visitors about shore nesting birds, and encourage people to avoid areas where birds are nesting
• help us complete visitor surveys to understand public perception of shore-nesting birds
• help us promote wildlife friendly behaviours at the coast as online and social media ambassadors – dogs very welcome! 

​With the help of a knowledgeable, passionate and friendly volunteer team, we can change the future of our vulnerable nesting birds from its current steady decline, to one of stability and growth. Not only that, but we can ensure a safe future for the birds beyond the life of the project by inspiring and educating local people to care for the special wildlife on their shore. 

How do I get in touch?
You can email info@morecambebay.org.uk to enquire about any of the roles above. You can also chat to us online at @BirdsoftheBay on Twitter, or by searching for Morecambe Bay Partnership on Facebook or Instagram and following our pages! 

There are also opportunities on RSPB reserves in the south and east of England too! Find out how to get involved here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering-fundraising/volunteer/

Or you can enquire through the LIFE on the Edge website: https://www.projectlote.life/