The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Has Gib's little tern colony enjoyed breeding success in 2015?

Hi Jim

This season has been one of the most productive for breeding little terns here in the last 30 years. Thirty juveniles fledged from around 30 pairs.

This would not have been possible without the dedicated input of our wardening team; Richard Doan, Anthony Bentley and Nigel Lound, between them, covering 24 hour protection. Many thanks to the three of them!!

The other major factor is the Little Tern LIFE project which has provided significant funding for wardening and materials.

Cheers

Kev

That's very encouraging, Kev and nice to hear that Nige did a bit of work! Were the chicks ringed?

That's ace - thanks for the update, Kev.

Anyone know what the prospects are of renewed breeding elsewhere in the county - eg Tetney Marshes?

Could the Gib wardening team be relocated for a couple of summers? Would a transfer fee be involved?

The habitat at Tetney has changed so much that little terns prefer and are currently better off at the Easington colony that has over the last 5 years has produced on average .8 young every year equating to about 120+ (off the top of my head) fledged chicks (enough for an increasing population). As at Gib the Easington colony is part of the EU funded work. In terms of the work at Easington Mike Pilsworth who is the RSPB Tetney Warden has with lead partners Spurn Bird Observatory developed the protection protocol (i.e night and day wardening/quality electric fencing) which has led to the much of the current recent success for this species.

RSPB/LWT and others are also currently looking at potential sites along the Lincolnshire coast to see if new colonies can be established and if this is possible then protected if the money is available (often 15 - 20K needed per year for full protection and fence). If this happens to be Tetney then yes the colony will be protected, however due to costal landscape changes there are probably better places where new colonies could form.

Pete Short (RSPB Humber Sites Manger)

Thanks Pete - that's helpful.

Does the RSPB have any initiatives in the pipeline for Tetney Marshes?As reserves go, it seems to be punching somewhat below its weight.

Oughtn't there to be a few more sightings of marsh harriers and s-e owls? Is the location unfavourable geographically?

By comparison Blacktoft Sands is paradise.

Jim,
Not sure the regionally important 65 pairs of nesting redshank would appreciate more marsh harriers and not sure if the other birds that use Tetney to roost and feed on such as up to 30,000 roosting waders, 800 brent geese, and 200+ twite would agree with the punching below its weight - all sites are different and important for different reasons.

There is a long term vision for Tetney but not on the Saltmarsh that is probably the best area of saltmarsh habitats on the estuary. Creation of lagoons on this is almost impossible to get Natural England permission for nor probably desirable if I'm honest. Why do we always have to look at tinkering with good quality habitat on the estuary when it is the landscape on the other side of the sea wall that would deliver much better and additional results for conservation? (look at Frampton!)

In the long term a much better option would be to create new freshwater habitat nearby - it may take time but in the future it could be possible with a little bit of vision and the right availability of land. I may be retired but you never know - it may happen in the near future if people take the EA GIS landscape visions seriously - RSPB suggested Tetney would be a possible area to create a buffering landscape (not sea wall/estuarine setback btw) to sea level rise on the landward side of the estuary to help combat tidal flooding/water quality issues and ensure sustainable farming but also deliver for nature and recreation (the Dutch can do integrated land use so why can't we?).

Sometimes visions take a while............

Pete - RSPB Humber Sites Manager

Peter, in your opinion what are the prospects for a little tern colony on the managed retreat area at Donna Nook which has some purpose built tern islands? Not much sign of colonisation so far.

Hi Pete,

I have been quite vocal on social media recently regarding the, in my opinion, lack of development in the area between Donna round to Barrow / Barton area.

There are probably 3 reasons for my disquiet - 1) Jealousy at places like Frampton 2) creation of reserves such as Medmerry, Wallasea Island and Alkborough Flats yet nothing done with Donna realignment & 3) lack of time in my life to travel any distance to travel to a 'proper' reserve.

Before anyone complains about my use of the term ‘proper’ reserves, some on here will know that I spend plenty of time fruitlessly tramping round my patch, Cleethorpes Country Park, with little reward. It would be nice on occasions to visit somewhere close to do a bit of ‘dude’ birding.

There is no chance of North East Lincolnshire Council spending any additional money on CCP to manage it better or create additional habitats and ABLE aren’t bothered about N. Killingholme Haven reserve so it would be great if Donna or Tetney could be developed.

(Quote: Why do we always have to look at tinkering with good quality habitat on the estuary when it is the landscape on the other side of the sea wall that would deliver much better and additional results for conservation? :Unquote) This is exactly my point. I don’t think that any one in their right mind would be expecting the Saltmarsh and Estuary to be seriously touched, though it would have been great if English Nature (& RSPB) had seen fit to leave the raised area created for the recent works to have been retained. Potentially an ideal Little Tern nesting site I believe!

Totally agree with your last paragraph, Tetney should become the Frampton of the North (Lincolnshire)

I hope some of that made sense.

Yours almost cautiously optimistic
James

I agree with everything said - not least James' wish to see Tetney become equivalent to Frampton!

If it could simultaneously become the Spurn of the South Bank, so much the better!

How did the Frampton/ Freiston vision come good? What was the spark? Which organisations/ individuals were the driving force? Are there any lessons from Frampton for Tetney?

Presumably the RSPB (and Natural England) had to bring on board Boston Borough Council and various parish councils.

Tetney Marshes is technically in East Lindsey District Council territory - but it is also on the border with North East Lincolnshire Council. Both authorities would doubtless welcome a world-class birding habitat, but their officers/ councillors are not birdwatchers. They would need someone to show them the way forward.

Perhaps the RSPB could set up some sort of meeting wth interested parties to explore the possibilities (and don't forget to invite the Press). Is there a role for LBC to do a bit of prodding to get the wheels turning?

A vision will not come true unless there is the political will to make it so.

Lets not forget Frampton cost about 5 million to create. (please correct me if I'm wrong there John). Investment is something that can take place but is not always as straightforward to achieve and takes a little time.

Interestingly not all the local councils in the area like habitat creation like this so support is more difficult than you would think! So we all need to do a lot of persuading to try and turn things around.

There is a need to plan for the future sea level rise but currently no one seems to think its going to happen, but we may all get a shock in the next ten years and may have to do something sooner rather than later. We need to at times support the EA as they are often the public body who can deliver some good habitat along the estuary.

Yes the vision is there, not sure if the land is at the moment but it could be in the future. RSPB are at the fore of the landscape vision in this area but we need to ensure all people affected agree with what we would want to see and do not have their livings taken away from them but enhanced.

Yes the RSPB would like to see this whole area become a massive world class birding/wildlife area for people to enjoy. Yes we need your support when the opportunity arises but when this will be we cannot currently say.

But hopefully it will be in time for everyone to enjoy before they hang up their binos.

Pete

Also just to clarify that RSPB had no influence over what was done to remediate for the pipeline work. If we could have we would have been able to work with P66 to have created potential little tern habitat. Unfortunately that was not to be........

Thanks, Pete - really helpful posts. Appreciated!