Visitors to North East Lincolnshire’s coastline are being reminded of the importance of avoiding disturbance to the shorebirds that arrive here each autumn.
As the seasons change, thousands of wading birds and waterfowl make their way to the Humber Estuary. Some will spend the winter here, while others continue their journey further south. This annual migration – from the Arctic to Africa – is one of nature’s most remarkable spectacles and we can witness it on our coastline at Cleethorpes and the Humberston Fitties.
But it’s a journey filled with challenges. Resting and roosting along the way is vital to each bird’s survival and our coastline is a key stopover point for many different species.
Like the rest of the Humber Estuary, this stretch of coastline is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the rare and important species that call it home. It also holds Special Protection Area (SPA) status, is a Special Area for Conservation (SAC) and forms part of a European Marine Site.
With tens of thousands of birds already congregating on our coastline, it is more important than ever to avoid disturbance. Cleethorpes and the surrounding Humber Estuary host internationally significant numbers of Special Protection Area (SPA) birds during their annual migration – any disturbance to their feeding or roosting can threaten their survival.
Disturbing SPA birds – preventing them from feeding or roosting, or causing them to take flight – is a criminal offence and can lead to prosecution under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.
Disturbance is actively monitored and North East Lincolnshire Council works with the Humber Nature Partnership as well as Operation Seabird – an initiative coordinated by Humberside Police and Lincolnshire Police – to help safeguard both resident and migratory bird populations.
You can help out by enjoying our coastline responsibly:
- Keep to the designated footpaths
- Keep dogs under control
- Be aware of birds around you
- Move away if birds appear alert of disturbed
- Water sports users must stay away from the saltmarsh and sand banks – especially areas with large congregations of birds
A message from Josh Forrester, Coastal Ranger for Cleethorpes:
“As part of the DUNE Project, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, my role as Coastal Ranger involves engaging with the public to raise awareness of the wildlife value of our coastline. It also involves promoting responsible access to our coastal spaces to ensure that this wildlife is able to thrive without being disturbed.
“I routinely monitor recreational disturbance along our coast and have unfortunately witnessed events in recent weeks where thousands of birds were disturbed at once or birds were being chased by dogs within our saltmarsh.
“I encourage anyone who witnesses disturbance to report it via the Humber Nature Partnership (The Humber Nature Partnership). Their website features an easy-to-use reporting form that helps them to build a map of disturbance ‘hot spots’ which can be used to develop further guidance for visitors to our coastline”
Learn More:
Find out more about the role Cleethorpes plays in annual migration by watching the Humber Nature Partnership’s Wild Humber video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5rxQMkUftU.
The Dynamic Understanding of the Natural Environment (DUNE) aims to sustainably manage one of the most important estuaries in Europe and to ensure the conservation of the estuary’s internationally important wildlife. It is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
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