It’s that special time of year when thousands of birds return to the Solent, with Sanderling and Ringed Plover already sighted at Ryde.
A large numbers of Brent Geese, Redshank and Turnstone have also been spotted at Hillhead, Oystercatcher on Hayling Island, Teal in Portchester and black-tailed Godwit have been seen at Keyhaven Harbour.
Many of the birds will have spent weeks flying from arctic regions to get to our shores, so it’s no surprise that they are tired and hungry. The Solent offers food rich mudflats and beaches which are a perfect place for the birds to feed and rest.
However, their challenges are far from over. The birds need to find food, catch it and compete with others to feast on it – all this alongside a meal time that is dictated by low tide and carries the risk of being interrupted by people visiting the coast. This is where we can all make a difference, simply by keeping our distance, exercising dogs away from the birds and staying on paths where they exist.
Councillor Seán Woodward, Chairman of the Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH), which oversees Bird Aware remarked:
“The diverse birdlife we see on our Solent shores is fabulous. We must do all we can to ensure future generations will enjoy them too”.
When you next visit your local beach, keep a look out for these winged wonders and give them plenty of space to feed and rest – they have travelled a long way to get here!
Likely the only decent birds you will find.
The unfeathered variety are usually squeezed into too tight leggings, heavily tattooed, as if they, as all too often they are, weren’t hideous enough already.
Normally Puffing away on something and dragging along, behind an already filled buggy, some adhd toddler, proving that the males are less choosy or more likely, just a drugged or drunken one night stand to then ensure the DHSS ‘provide ‘ the free flat and child allowance and tax credits.
Muvvers NOT Mother’s a huge difference
There’s nothing special about ringed plovers visiting the island where i live they have never gone away.Hayling island. Bird aware are on a miopic mission to support migratory birds. Ringed plovers breed on the beach I regularly walk, the site has in the breeding season been host to annual kite surf armada’s including 4*4 photo shoots.It has regularly been used as a route to track excavator’s from one.car park to another all at times when the SSSI has been at its.most vulnerable. It is time bird aware broke away from its development funded mitigation and started thinking about looking after our birds