Protected zones keep wading birds safe
Giving birds a safe haven during the winter is proving vital on the Exe estuary. Colleen Smith reports
ANEW scheme set up three years ago to give undisturbed winter resting sites to protected birds is beginning to show results – despite the fact that more people than ever are enjoying getting out on the water.
The River Exe estuary is internationally important as a tidal feeding and roosting habitat for wintering water birds – including the iconic two species of dark and pale-bellied Brent geese.
The two voluntary wildlife refuge zones at Dawlish Warren and Exmouth ask all visitors to avoid Dawlish Warren all year round, and between September 15 and December 31 at Exmouth Duckpond.
The results of a three-year monitoring programme have revealed that the wildlife refuges are working and show that people have mostly complied with requests to stay out of the areas.
Counts recorded 19 species of wildfowl and wader from the Exmouth refuge – nine species/subspecies of wildfowl and ten wader species.
The refuge supported very large numbers of wildfowl on occasion, notably Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Mallard, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Pintail, Shelduck, Wigeon, Mute Swan, Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Knot, Goldeneye and Oystercatcher.
The survey showed that the wildlife refuges significantly reduce disturbance at the most critical times of year for protected birds, and the numbers of ducks, geese and swans recorded at the Exmouth refuge showed an annual increase over the three years of the study.
“It means that the Estuary is better able to provide undisturbed resting and feeding sites for these birds into the future,” the report from East Devon District Council stated.
“Unsurprisingly, the results were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic – both from numbers of people having reduced access during lockdowns and conversely by staycations increasing the number of people on the Estuary when lockdown ended.”
The surveys were carried out by independent ecologists Footprint Ecology, who started monitoring the
‘The survey shows the estuary is better able to provide undisturbed resting sites’ EXE ESTUARY SURVEY
Exe Estuary before the wildlife refuges were in place to compare the situation before and after. The survey report showed:
More wildfowl were found within the wildlife refuges when they were active than when they were not.
The total number of wildfowl using the Exmouth wildlife refuge when it was active increased over the study period.
Total wildfowl numbers have increased within the Dawlish wildlife refuge since its activation.
These results, based on three years of data, show that, the report says, the wildlife refuges are becoming more important for birds over time.
The report also found the number of events with the potential to disturb birds has decreased, following the implementation of the wildlife refuges.
It says some disturbance still takes place, with birds being flushed from the area and taking flight, but that most incursions into the wildlife refuges occurred when the ranger team was not visible.
This suggests that the presence of the ranger team means more people will avoid the wildlife refuge areas, the report found.
It also says the effectiveness of the wildlife refuges is also likely to depend on additional factors such as wardening, signage, education and awareness raising.
However, it concludes: “The wildlife refuges play an important role in providing feeding and roosting habitat for the protected birds.
“The wildlife refuges ensure that a range of disturbance-reduced areas are always available for birds to use. However, it is clear that the wildlife refuges on their own are not a panacea to completely address the impact of recreation, but that they fit within a package of measures.
“The importance of the wildlife refuges is likely to change with time, particularly if the number of incursions continues to reduce. The use by birds will likely be affected by changing conditions around the Estuary and also be dependent on the levels of disturbance in other parts of the site.
“The pandemic has highlighted how access levels and types of use can change in unexpected ways and it is not clear how access levels might further change in the future, in the post-pandemic period.
“The number of birds using the wildlife refuge areas and the Estuary is not only affected by recreational activity.
“Variation in bird numbers year to year may be affected by a range of different factors, including adult survival, breeding success, as well as food availability, water quality, and climatic impacts.”