Migratory geese at rest – please do not disturb
Exhausted brent geese need a rest after flying into Devon from Siberia. Alex Green reports
PEOPLE are being asked to avoid certain areas of the Exe Estuary which have been marked as refuges where wildlife can rest and feed ahead of winter.
The annual 3,000-mile journey from the unforgiving environment of Eastern Siberia to the Exe Estuary by dark-bellied brent geese is under way as flocks of birds have arrived after a long-haul migration.
When the birds arrive they are hungry due to the long migration and have lost a lot of body weight. Wildlife experts say they need to rest and feed up to survive the winter.
According to South East Devon Habitat Regulations Partnership (SEDHRP), two areas to protect wildlife on the Exe Estuary have been put in place.
Known as wildlife refuges, the areas are marked out with yellow ‘special mark’ buoys which have an “X” at the top and the words “Wildlife Refuge” printed on them.
The mild climate and the vast food sources of the Exe mudflats attract tens of thousands of wetland birds, including avocet, curlew, godwit, dunlin and brent geese.
On their long migratory journeys from as far away as the Arctic Circle these birds face many challenges and are exhausted when they arrive.
The South East Devon Habitat Regulations Partnership added: “Please help us protect them by avoiding the wildlife refuges, as the birds may not survive if they are regularly disturbed.”
Advice to avoid the wildlife refuges is in place from September 15, when the first migrants arrive, to the end of December.
People were initially alerted to the need to avoid the refuges and watch the birds from a distance earlier this month.
In a tweet the Partnership welcomed the arrival of the brent geese. It read: “The dark-bellied brent geese are back in town! Please avoid the wildlife refuge at Exmouth duck pond until the end of the year to avoid disturbing these exhausted birds.
“Small changes for us make a huge difference to our over-wintering birds.”
Cllr Martin Wrigley, chairman of
‘Seeing the birds gather and feed on clear autumn days brings calm serenity’
CLLR MARTIN WRIGLEY
the South East Devon Habitat Regulation Executive Committee and Teignbridge’s executive member for Communities, Housing and IT, added that seeing the return of overwintering birds to the estauary had a calming influence.
He said: “Watching the return of the overwintering birds to the Exe Estuary, seeing them feed and gather on clear blue-sky autumn days, reflected in the glassy water surface, brings a feeling of calm serenity. It’s definitely something worth protecting.
“The Exmouth Wildlife Refuge at Exmouth Duck Pond is active until December 31 to protect the feeding grounds of birds such as brent geese. The Dawlish Warren wildlife refuge is active all year round.
“Please watch from a distance and remain outside the wildlife refuge to respect their space and ensure they can feed free of disturbance.
“Dogs are seen as predators by birds, so please keep them away from the foreshore to avoid disturbing them.
“After such a long journey, it’s a simple way to show how welcome they are here.”
Information on the SEDHRP website adds: “Smaller yellow marker buoys are placed in between the ‘special mark’ buoys and have “WR” in black letters printed on them.
“People are being asked to avoid the areas, all year round at Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve (NNR) and between 15 September to 31 December at Exmouth Local Nature Reserve (LNR).
“At Exmouth LNR, the wildlife refuge protects important feeding areas during low season for a short period of time. The Imperial Recreation Ground slipway can still be used to access the foreshore during this time, although dog walkers are being asked to turn left at the end of the slipway, to avoid the refuge.
“At Dawlish Warren NNR, the wildlife refuge protects important wildlife feeding and resting areas all year round.
“Both refuges will be monitored to understand the effects on wildlife.”
These key areas for wildlife were approved by the partnership of three local councils surrounding the estuary – East Devon, Exeter and Teignbridge – known as the South East Devon Habitat Regulations Executive Committee (SEDHREC) in October 2017.