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Hello,
I've put a posting about visitor pressures on the 'general area' of the Bird Club site.
I hadn't previously put anything on this site about the shorelarks, but as an update on the arrival of the various species; the first Twites I recorded were present on 29th October, when there were about 45 along with 35+ linnets. The first 23 Snow Buntings were present from the 1st November, along with 3 Rock Pipits and the first 2 Shorelarks on 8th November. During this time, the Twite numbers increased to 110.
With all these new birds on the beach, there was great interest from birds of prey, with 1-2 Sparrow Hawks making sorties from the buckthorn and both a Merlin and a small male Peregrine regularly flying across the area.
The maximum number of Shorelarks that I saw was 11 on 15th November, with the original 2 and a new group of 9, although I mention 13 in the other submission, this being based on other peoples counts. The Shorelarks appear to have been last recorded on 18th, but a group of 9 came back on 23rd/24th, not being seen by me after this.
Twite numbers have gradually dropped to around 65, whilst there have been variable numbers of Snow Buntings up to 50 each day.
The Twite and Snow Buntings leave to roost each afternoon, departing at around 1530hrs for an unknown area well inland because they are flying high to the west over the garden.
For interest, whilst samphire is very common on the marshes to the north of Brickyard, the finches and buntings seem to prefer the larger/taller plants on the open beaches. As anyone who has visited the Brickyard Lane area will have noted, there are many vehicle and motorbike tracks across the samphire beds and mud. Peter Rowarth, our NE site manager, John Walker and I have spent much time working with the police to try and control this illegal activity. Locked gates are now in place at all the entrances, but the bike and land yachts can still get access at Mablethorpe. Commercial samphire picking was becoming a big issue, but we have worked with what will be the newly created Humber Nature Partnership to develop a good practice samphire code, pointing out that it is illegal to pull samphire and a theft to take it for commercial use. Peter put photos and notices in all the information boards this year about samphire and we have managed to virtually stop exploitation through wardening. All hard work, but it pays off when we get so many birds on the beach, so please enjoy, but give them space to feed please.
Regards,
Cliff
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