Wildlife experts predict tough breeding season for shorebirds on the Northumberland coast

The warning has come from staff of Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve (LNNR), working in partnership with Northumberland Coast National Landscape Team, the National Trust and Space for Shorebirds through the LIFE WADER project.

Senior reserve manager Andrew Craggs explained: “Since autumn last year the coastline has been battered by unseasonably high levels of rainfall and some of the strongest and most persistent winds and highest tides I've ever seen.

"Many of our shorebirds, already exhausted from their epic migration, have struggled to establish their usual nests. This has the potential to hugely impact breeding success and survival rates.”

Many shorebirds have suffered steep declines in the last 30 years due to habitat loss, increased coastal recreation and climate change.

Staff and volunteers have intensified their efforts to support breeding, especially in areas with the traditionally largest populations of breeding ringed plover and little terns.

In particular, the teams at Lindisfarne NNR and the National Trust Long Nanny site, near Beadnell, have built up sandbanks using brash vegetation (driftwood and windblown shrubs and branches) to create more sheltered areas and raise nesting areas above the tideline.

James Porteus, ranger for National Trust Northumberland, said: “Climate change is making nesting conditions increasingly challenging, but this is sadly exacerbated by humans. Although the coast is of course for everyone to enjoy, it’s important that we all respect the wildlife here too.

"During breeding season it’s vitally important that dog owners keep their dogs on leads at key breeding areas – dogs can unwittingly scare the vulnerable and exhausted birds and every year we lose nests to dog disturbance.”

A new free booklet Wild & Wonderful, a guide to the birds of the Northumberland Coast, has been produced to help raise awareness. LNNR staff and volunteers will be hitting the road in their new mobile visitor centre to distribute the guide, run activities and workshops and be on hand to help visitors.

LIFE WADER is a £5.8m nature recovery project, co-funded by the European Union. It is led by Natural England to improve the ecological condition of more than 49,000 hectares of river, coastal and marine habitat and improve water quality within the River Tweed catchment and along the Northumberland coast.