Ringed plovers Charadrius hiaticula nest on several beaches around the archipelago, including on the picturesque sandy beaches of the island of St Martin’s. Whilst their nests are well camouflaged, the birds are prone to disturbance from dogs, walkers and other forms of recreation, and the species is declining across the UK as a result. They can abandon their eggs and chicks if scared, and repeated disturbance, even for short amounts of time, can ultimately lead to complete abandonment of young chicks and eggs.

In response, the local school, which hosts just 17 children of primary school age, has taken it upon themselves to proactively protect these vulnerable shorebirds from harm. Some of the children from St Martin’s Base, Five Islands Academy, shared their thoughts:

Katie, age 8, “It’s important to protect the nest so it doesn’t get disturbed, and the eggs can hatch safely.”

Cooper, age 9, “These species are quite rare to find and because they build nests where they do, predators can get the eggs.”

Roo, age 4, “People might not see the nests because they are hidden away so we put a barrier around it, so they leave it alone.”

Orla, age 11, “It’s really hard to spot and we don’t want people stepping on it by accident!”

Jaclyn Pearson, Development Manager of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the children of St Martin’s in their efforts to protect this iconic island bird. Twelve years ago, when I first came to Scilly, I started a Save our Plovers campaign with the local children who are now young adults, so to have this next generation leading conservation measures on their home beaches is simply marvellous.”

The Trust, which manages around half of land on the Isles of Scilly, is appealing more widely for walkers to take note of local signs and keep dogs on a short lead whilst exploring some beaches. Where nests have been identified, cordons are in place in the immediate area, but staying well away from these will give these tiny birds the best chance of survival. There are also signs out asking people and their dogs to keep away from oystercatcher nests at other sites.

If you find a nest, the local charity is asking that people do not undertake to protect it or cordon it without first getting in touch with their team of ecologists, who will be able to offer expert advice and support to minimise disturbance to the nest and give it the best chance of survival.

St Martin’s Base has been supported in this project by the Trust’s Nextdoor Nature project, which empowers local people to take action for wildlife. The wooden signs were constructed by the Scilly Shed (part of the Men’s Shed Association), a community venture designed to decrease isolation in older people, particularly men, and installed with the help of Nextdoor Nature Officer Lydia Bunn.

Jaclyn continued, “Whilst we know that people are often acting with the best intentions, seeking expert advice is imperative if we want these nests to succeed. Give us a call and we can help protect the birds quickly. Yesterday a kind visitor set up a sign and we were able to ask the Scilly Shed to make a wooden sign and our Nextdoor Nature Officer hopped on a boat to get the area secured for the nesting plovers. This team work approach is fantastic.”

Around 5,400 pairs of ringed plovers breed on beaches around the UK, having shown a marked decline of over 50% since the 1980s.[i] They are red-listed due to population declines and are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Ringed plovers were once considered a common breeding bird on the beaches around the Isles of Scilly. The annual population was regionally important, being one of only two substantial breeding populations in the south-west of England, but there has been a marked decline in recent years. A survey in 2000-2001 recorded between 30 and 50 pairs, showing a decline of around 50% since the mid- to late 1980s[ii] and numbers have dropped further since. The last breeding record of ringed plover in mainland Cornwall was in 1974.

In the last ten years, nests have been reported sporadically across several beaches on the bigger islands, but with varying degrees of success. The Trust is hopeful that this year could be one of the best ever, especially with the support of the local school and young people.

[i]Conway, G. J. et al., Breeding populations of Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius and Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula in the United Kingdom in 2007. Bird Study (2019) 66:1, pp.22-31.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2018.1563045

[ii] Thomas, B., Hudson, N. and Flood, R. L, Essential Guide to Birds of the Isles of Scilly (2007).