Nesting Birds Needs Ore

We are so lucky to be able to have our club house situated at beautiful Needs Ore Point. In our continued efforts to work along side Natural England and to help protect the rare nesting birds at Needs Ore we are publishing a map of the nests we need to be aware of and a suggested area for gathering and picnicking away from the club house in the parking area.

The red dots indicate where we have active Oystercatcher nests at present, the blue lines indicate the ‘safe area’ to gather for a picnic.

Disturbance at the front entrance to the sailing club should be kept to a minimum at present, as anybody lingering there too long will inevitably stop the birds going back on the nests. Obviously time away from the nests affects the likelihood of a successful incubation. One of the balcony steps will be cordoned off to protect a nearby nest as will the grassy bank in-front of the club house.

The active oystercatcher nests at the sailing club have an expected hatch date of between 20th-22nd June, after this time the Oystercatcher will move their chicks away if needed. We will keep you updated!
There will be volunteer wardens around the sailing club area to keep an eye on the nesting area who will be more than happy to chat and explain things to help keep the eggs safe.

BIRD FACTS from Adam Wells, Reserve Manager, North Solent, Natural England

Ringed Plover

This species is in great decline, mainly through predation which is increased by human disturbance as the more time the bird has away from it’s nest, the easier it is for the eggs to be spotted by avian predators.
Surveys were conducted in 2021 which showed that the Hampshire/Solent breeding population had dropped from 160 pairs in 1992 to just 34 pairs remaining.
Here at Needs Ore/Warren Shore, last year we had 20 nesting pairs which accounted for a huge percentage of the entire breeding population left in Hampshire. Last year we started trialling nest cages for these birds with great success.
This year we have an incredible number of nesting ringed plover- 30 pairs, which now is nearly all the ringed plovers left breeding in Hampshire. Needs Ore/Warren Shore certainly has the last remaining core breeding population left.

Oystercatchers

Once again a pretty much identical story to the above ringed plover species. This year we have 40 nesting pairs at Needs Ore/Warren Shore showing the importance of this site in Hampshire for these birds.

I hope you have a very enjoyable weekend on the water.

Yours aye,

Victoria Bonham Carter
Captain of Scows