Key Activities
The main focus of the project will be on the creation and restoration of habitat within the target Special Protected Areas (SPAs) to benefit birds for which these sites are designated.
Objective 1
Hodbarrow RSPB (Morecambe & Dudden Estuaries SPA): Creation of a 0.5-ha new island at RSPB Hodbarrow to provide new nesting habitat for sandwich, common and little terns. This was completed in January 2021.
South Walney (Morecambe & Dudden Estuaries SPA): partnership project with NE and CWT to reduce predation impacts on large gull and other seabird colonies through effective predator fencing. This will be undertaken in April 2021.
Old Hall Marshes RSPB (Blackwater Estuary SPA): improvement to the condition of 180 ha of grazing marsh for wintering waterfowl and breeding redshank, ringed plover and avocet. Also, habitat restoration for little terns. Phase 1 will be started in the August- December 2021, Phase 2 in 2022 and completed in 2023 (Phase 3).
Northey Island NT (Blackwater Estuary SPA): a flagship coastal restoration project - replacing 30 ha of intertidal habitat threatened by erosion and sea-level rise, for the benefit of wintering and migrating waterfowl and breeding redshank and ringed plover. This work will include the creation of 10 ha of new saltmarsh through managed realignment. This will be undertaken in 2021-2023.
Titchwell RSPB (North Norfolk Coast SPA): Hydrological management to improve the condition of 29 ha of freshwater marsh and reedbed, plus creation of 12 new islands to benefit a range of breeding and wintering birds. This will be completed in 2021.
Minsmere RSPB (Minsmere/Walberswick SPA): Enhancement of a 20.5-ha saline lagoon/scrape plus restoration of nesting islands for terns and avocet. This work is planned for 2021-2023.
Langstone Harbour RSPB (Chichester & Langstone Harbours SPA): Restoration of a 1.5-ha island in Langstone Harbour and re-profiling of several islands (covering 0.2 ha) at Hayling Oysterbeds. These activities will provide new and safer nesting habitats for little, common and sandwich terns, and will also benefit a variety of roosting shorebirds. This will be undertaken in August-December 2021.
Seasalter RSPB (The Swale SPA): Hydrological management of 16 ha of grazing marsh to benefit wintering and migrating birds and breeding redshank. This will be undertaken in August-December 2021.
Horsey Island RSPB (Hamford Water SPA): a flagship partnership project with Harwich Harbour Authority using dredged material to restore eroding shingle bank which hosts the most important little tern colony in Essex and provides protection for important grazing marsh with breeding waders. This will be undertaken in 2022.
Reducing disturbance through partnership work: Throughout the project, we will also be working directly with local communities and visitors in Morecambe Bay and Solent and Southampton to protect and raise awareness of the beach nesting birds. This work includes engaging local volunteers to find nests, protect them during the breeding season and engage with site visitors. We will also invest in interpretation boards, equipment and skill development of the volunteers.
Objective 2
We will work with statutory agencies, other NGOs and academics to define needs and opportunities and develop specific recommendations e.g. finding our next ‘Wallaseas – https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-casework/casework/cases/wallasea-island/ -’, flagship beneficial use projects, and species-specific opportunities. These will be a key legacy of the project, informing coastal management at the regional level in the post-project period.
Objective 3
We will share knowledge and ideas with colleagues in other north-west European countries facing similar problems – e.g. France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Key themes likely to include the design of habitat creation projects, best practice in predator management, species recovery projects for terns and waders. There are close links between our project and several current European LIFE projects, and we plan to liaise closely with these and build on legacies of recent UK LIFE projects.
The main focus of the project will be on the creation and restoration of habitat within the target Special Protected Areas (SPAs) to benefit birds for which these sites are designated.
Objective 1
Hodbarrow RSPB (Morecambe & Dudden Estuaries SPA): Creation of a 0.5-ha new island at RSPB Hodbarrow to provide new nesting habitat for sandwich, common and little terns. This was completed in January 2021.
South Walney (Morecambe & Dudden Estuaries SPA): partnership project with NE and CWT to reduce predation impacts on large gull and other seabird colonies through effective predator fencing. This will be undertaken in April 2021.
Old Hall Marshes RSPB (Blackwater Estuary SPA): improvement to the condition of 180 ha of grazing marsh for wintering waterfowl and breeding redshank, ringed plover and avocet. Also, habitat restoration for little terns. Phase 1 will be started in the August- December 2021, Phase 2 in 2022 and completed in 2023 (Phase 3).
Northey Island NT (Blackwater Estuary SPA): a flagship coastal restoration project - replacing 30 ha of intertidal habitat threatened by erosion and sea-level rise, for the benefit of wintering and migrating waterfowl and breeding redshank and ringed plover. This work will include the creation of 10 ha of new saltmarsh through managed realignment. This will be undertaken in 2021-2023.
Titchwell RSPB (North Norfolk Coast SPA): Hydrological management to improve the condition of 29 ha of freshwater marsh and reedbed, plus creation of 12 new islands to benefit a range of breeding and wintering birds. This will be completed in 2021.
Minsmere RSPB (Minsmere/Walberswick SPA): Enhancement of a 20.5-ha saline lagoon/scrape plus restoration of nesting islands for terns and avocet. This work is planned for 2021-2023.
Langstone Harbour RSPB (Chichester & Langstone Harbours SPA): Restoration of a 1.5-ha island in Langstone Harbour and re-profiling of several islands (covering 0.2 ha) at Hayling Oysterbeds. These activities will provide new and safer nesting habitats for little, common and sandwich terns, and will also benefit a variety of roosting shorebirds. This will be undertaken in August-December 2021.
Seasalter RSPB (The Swale SPA): Hydrological management of 16 ha of grazing marsh to benefit wintering and migrating birds and breeding redshank. This will be undertaken in August-December 2021.
Horsey Island RSPB (Hamford Water SPA): a flagship partnership project with Harwich Harbour Authority using dredged material to restore eroding shingle bank which hosts the most important little tern colony in Essex and provides protection for important grazing marsh with breeding waders. This will be undertaken in 2022.
Reducing disturbance through partnership work: Throughout the project, we will also be working directly with local communities and visitors in Morecambe Bay and Solent and Southampton to protect and raise awareness of the beach nesting birds. This work includes engaging local volunteers to find nests, protect them during the breeding season and engage with site visitors. We will also invest in interpretation boards, equipment and skill development of the volunteers.
Objective 2
We will work with statutory agencies, other NGOs and academics to define needs and opportunities and develop specific recommendations e.g. finding our next ‘Wallaseas – https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-casework/casework/cases/wallasea-island/ -’, flagship beneficial use projects, and species-specific opportunities. These will be a key legacy of the project, informing coastal management at the regional level in the post-project period.
Objective 3
We will share knowledge and ideas with colleagues in other north-west European countries facing similar problems – e.g. France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Key themes likely to include the design of habitat creation projects, best practice in predator management, species recovery projects for terns and waders. There are close links between our project and several current European LIFE projects, and we plan to liaise closely with these and build on legacies of recent UK LIFE projects.
