Skip to content

Birds without borders: UK and German experts unite to help coastal species

Debbie Tubby & Neve Gordon-Farleigh
BBC News, Norfolk
Shaun Whitmore/BBC A ringed plover bird with a white belly and grey, brown and black feathers. The bird has an orange and black tipped beak and is nesting on the beach among sand in Norfolk.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Shaun Whitmore/BBC A plover bird with a white belly and grey, brown and black feathers. It has an orange black tipped beak and is standing on mudflats. Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Mick Davis said the Norfolk Coastline was home to one of the largest colonies in the northern hemisphere of little terns
Norfolk and Germany are separated by the North Sea, but both areas have similar bird species, including little terns and ringed plovers

German researchers visited Norfolk to see how conservationists protect birds nesting along the coast.

The group from the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) met with the RSPB to share experiences of managing similar species on beaches in Europe.

Mick Davis, senior beach warden on the Norfolk coastline, said the area was home to one of the largest colonies in the northern hemisphere of little terns.

He said: "These birds are dying out at the moment and we're in a project where we're trying to get them back and protect them."

Despite being on different sides of the North Sea, the areas share some of the same species of birds, including ringed plovers and little terns.

Mr Davis said this year, the Norfolk coastline had been home to 271 little tern nests, and there were now 500 chicks running around the beach.

Shaun Whitmore/BBC Mick Davis a man who is standing outside on a beach on light brown sand, with the sea and a blue sky in the background. He is wearing a pink T-shirt and is looking directly at the camera and smiling. Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Mick Davis said in preparation for the birds, the RSPB patrols the beach

Ahead of the nesting season, the RSPB met with residents and put up an electric fence every April.

The charity also strung up poultry netting to stop animals from entering the area and eating eggs.

"We do have to be aware of every sort of animal that could come into the colony, whether that be a squirrel, a deer or a fox, or possibly a dog with a human could try and jump the fence or push it down," Mr Davis added.

He said the beach was made secure so the birds could use the beach without their nests being disturbed.

Shaun Whitmore/BBC Dominic Cimiotti is standing outside on a light brown pebble beach with a calm sea in the background. He has a black bag across his shoulders and has a beige cap on. He is wearing a blue top with a NABU logo on it. He is smiling at the camera wearing black glasses.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Dominic Cimiotti compares The Wash with Wadden Sea in The Netherlands

Dominic Cimiotti, team leader for coastal birds at NABU, said: "It's a really nice area here at The Wash with huge beaches and these mudflat areas.

"It's very similar to the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands [ and Denmark and Germany], which is a world heritage site.

"It looks quite similar, and that's the reason why we can exchange our knowledge here because we work in a similar situation with similar bird species."

Steve Rowland, RSPB area manager for Norfolk, said: "The birds don't respect borders, everybody knows that birds migrate and it's a great chance to share what we've learned here in Norfolk, with this really important colony here and it's really important to understand what our German colleagues have been learning as well."

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

More on this story
Related internet links