RSPB Coast Reserves

After the management problems caused by foot-and-mouth over the previous year, we were keen to see just how our nesting birds would perform in 2002. It certainly proved to be a mixed bag around the Cumbria Coast.

At Campfield Marsh an early nesting attempt by a pair of Grey Herons was a first for the reserve, though the nest was abandoned with the platform only half-built. Little Grebes were successful for the first time, fledging two young after nest-building for the last four years. Waders continued to perform well on the wet grassland at North Plain Farm, with 17 pairs of Lapwing, 4 pairs of Redshank and Snipe all successful, and 26 pairs of Skylark over 50ha of rough grassland and peat bog. Reed Buntings also continue to do well with 15 pairs over the reserve equalling last year’s record.

 Breeding birds at Campfield Marsh

 Species                             1996           1997         1998             1999            2000            2001            2002

Little Grebe                             0                0                0                   2                  0                  2                  1

Mallard                                    4                8                12                15                15                13                23

Shoveler                                 0                0                0                   0                   1                  1                 2  

Lapwing                                 7                11              32                29                29                16                17

Snipe                                      1                1                  1                  2                  1                  2                  1  

Curlew                                   6                6                  8                  10                 9                  6                 4

Redshank                               3                4                  9                   6                15                 4                 4

Black-headed Gull                  0               17                58                23                31                28                4

Skylark                                 12               14                15                16                16                33               26

Grasshopper Warbler            4                3                  3                n/c                2                   1                 0

Sedge Warbler                       3               n/c               n/c               10                9                 12                 9

Lesser Whitethroat                1                0                    1                2                 2                   2                 3

Linnet                                   21              23                  18              16                16                21               25

Reed Bunting                         6                7                    8                9                 11               15               15

 Access restrictions had prevented seabird counts at St Bees Head last year. In 2002 a full count showed auks to be faring much better than the gulls. 8080 pairs of Guillemots was a record count with 263 pairs Razorbills a good total for the site. Around 4 pairs each of Puffins and Black Guillemots were about average for recent years. Kittiwake numbers dropped considerably to 997 pairs from 1341 in 2000, along with Herring Gull (345 from 544) and Fulmar (35 from 52). Conversely Cormorants continue to increase annually with a new high of 47 pairs this year.

In the south of the county at Hodbarrow 2002 proved to be a poor season for the breeding terns. From 360 pairs of Sandwich terns, only 6 fledged birds were seen; over 200 birds apparently deserted the site to nest successfully on Anglesey later in the season. 30 pairs of Common Terns failed to produce any young, but 24 pairs of Little Terns produced 10 young – an improvement on recent years when the site was proved to have been robbed by an egger. (No less than 14 clutches of Little Tern eggs from Hodbarrow were discovered amongst the collection and he received a six-month prison sentence – the longest yet given to an egg collector.)

Dave Blackledge