The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Report from Chris Bell

Visited Cleethorpes/Humberson area Saturday the 15th November.

In a tree to the north of the saline pond near Humberson Yacht Club (Google Maps ref 53.547891, -0.001941) at 14:15 there were c.50 Twite before they flew onto the salt marsh. In the distance over the salt marsh c.1000+ Brent Geese were in flight.

Earlier at 11:45 in thick mist in the outer dunes area east of Cleethorpes boating lake (Google Maps ref 53.547891, -0.001941) there were c.25 Twite , where there was also 14 Snow Buntings.(also in this area were 6+Skylark,10+Redshank,5 Little Egret, 2 Curlew,2 Snipe,1 Stonechat)

Even earlier a walk along Cleethorpes beach from the Pier to Swimming Baths at 10:15 (in thick mist and with many dog walkers about) resulted in sighting 10 Sanderling ,13 Brent Goose,12 Turnstone,8 Dunlin,4 Shelduck ,12 Redshank , 10 Barwit,20 Oystercatchers ,1 Little Egret.

From Humberson Fitties close to the Yacht Club (Google Maps Ref 53.526130, 0.016793), with most of the mist gone looking out over the receding tide at 13:30 the following approximate counts were made :200+ Shelduck ,100+ Brent Goose ,300+ Lapwing ,100 Oystercatcher,300+ Knot, 80 Bar-tailed Godwit , 80 Redshank, 60 Dunlin , 2 Sanderling , Turnstone, Great Black-backed Gull, Cormorant , Common Gull.

I am sure that a more experience shore watcher would have had much better returns both in numbers and species.

Whilst none of the above sightings are surprising in birding terms, it might be of interest to newer birders planning to visit the area, perhaps to view the Snow Buntings (whose number will no doubt grow over the coming weeks), however for sure, with shore birds tide and timing are critical, and unfortunately we can only be in one place at any instant.

Best regards

Chris Bell

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------
Andrew Chick
Website: http://www.forktail.co.uk/

Great stuff! Thanks, Chris, for that comprehensive update. The info about precise locations will be helpful to any birders (eg from outside the area) unfamiliar with the Cleethorpes - Humberston stretch of foreshore.

If you get the tide times right, there are fantastic close-up views of some waders at this time year. The shelduck look superb, especially when seen in the sunlight.

IMO, the local North East Lincolnshire Council, tourism groups and hoteliers could encourage more out-of-season holiday visitors - to the benefit of the Cleethorpes economy - if they were more imaginative in publicising the wealth of birdlife on the sandflats and saltmarsh.

Hi Jim.
Nice idea. Except that the council would have to factor in the price of a visitor & resident proof fence, to keep the none birders, dogwalking numpties & a few photographers (U know who U R) from continually disturbing all those wintering birds you mentioned. Having said that, I doubt if even Natural England would think a 10 foot high electric fence between leisure centre & Buck Beck a good idea! #SensibleDistance

_________________
Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer

Thanks for your response, Del. You make an interesting (and controversial) point about dogs and their owners.

The conflict between their walkers and birders is regrettable. I recall it has been referred to on this
message board several times in the past.

If an area gets designated as a place of wildlife interest, it is soon "annexed" by dog walkers with the result that songbirds (especially ground-feeders/nesters) are disturbed and they flee the scene.

Examples in the north east of the county are Cleethorpes coastal nature reserve and Cleethorpes country park

At the former, trees and shrubs ( a superb habitat for migrating warblers and redstarts) have been felled by the council to make it more canine-friendly. (Much of the work was actually carried out during the 2014 breeding season!)

At the latter, an edge of the lake which used to attract ringed plovers and common sandpipers has now been given a unique special status as . . . "a dog bathing area".

But the plain fact is that dogs give immense enjoyment to their owners - and there are far more of them than there are of birders.

The extent of their devotion was underlined when a greyhound-owning friend once told me: "A house without dogs is worse than a house without windows."

In my experience, dogowners are mostly good, generous-hearted people who like to share the pleasure of their pets with others.

That said, the country's dog population seems to be on the increase. I wouldn't be surprised if at least 40 per cent of Lincolnshire families now have a canine pet (or a cat).

If there were to be a national poll, inviting people to choose between a Britain without dogs and a Britain without birds, which side would win?