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Reserve marks 50 years of protecting rare birds

Holly PhillipsEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Richard Doan/Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust A little tern chick resting its head between two speckled eggs on sand.Richard Doan/Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
The nature reserve protects little terns (pictures) and ringed pavlova

A Lincolnshire nature reserve will celebrate 50 years of protecting rare coastal birds through a series of events this month.

Since 1976, wardens and volunteers at Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve, near Skegness, have protected some of the rarest coastal birds in the area.

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust will be marking the milestone of the reserve's Shorebird Sanctuary with four events on 17 and 18 April.

"The work to protect the birds is demanding and can be frustrating but, as many former wardens and volunteers say, it can also be incredibly rewarding," said a spokesperson for the trust.

Gibraltar Point is home to the last breeding colony of little terns in Lincolnshire, and is one of the key habitats for ringed plovers.

Little terns spend the winter in west Africa and migrate to the UK in April, nesting on beaches.

The numbers of little terns are declining internationally and ringed plover were recently added to the red list due to a huge drop in their population.

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Collection A black and white photo of three men dressed in suits, standing beside a wooden sign at a nature reserve that reads "Take care! Nesting Shore Birds", with an image of a bird, a nest and a walking leg.Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Collection
Shorebird Sanctuary at Gibraltar Point has been protecting birds for 50 years

The trust spokesperson said eggs and newly hatched chicks were "extremely vulnerable" to prey as a result of high tides and accidental trampling in their nests.

For the past 50 years, from 1 April, part of the beach where the birds usually nest has been fenced off to give them a better chance of survival.

A warden and volunteers monitor the birds, scare predators away and relocate vulnerable nests.

The events

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust events to celebrate the 50-year milestone:

  • Evening talk and meal: One Good Tern Deserves a Shorebird Warden, 17 April from 18:30 until 21:00 BST.
  • Day of Celebration and Discovery: A Day For the Little Tern, 18 April from 10:00 until 16:00 BST.
  • Guided walks: Shorebirds and Their Conservation, 18 April at 10:30 BST and 13:30.
  • Guided walk: Experience the High Tide, 18 April from 18:30 until 20:30 BST.

Some events are free, although booking is required for all of them. Visit the trust's website or Eventbrite.

What to do to help the shorebirds

The wildlife trust has shared some advice for visitors to Gibraltar Point on how they can help protect the shorebirds.

  • Stay within the public areas of the beach and keep away from the sanctuary area and caged nests.
  • Do not fly kites or drones. Shapes and hovering effects of kites and drones are similar to flying predators and can lead to adult birds abandoning their nest.
  • Keep dogs away from the beach from April until September.
  • For the rest of the year, keep dogs on short leads as disturbance can impact the birds' breeding success and winter survival.
  • Volunteer to help take care of the sanctuary boundary and educate visitors.

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