Tern Verification Surveys for Marine Sites
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Natural England Commissioned Report NECR212 Tern verification surveys for marine sites First published 20 May 2016 www.gov.uk/natural -england Foreword Natural England commission a range of reports from external contractors to provide evidence and advice to assist us in delivering our duties. The views in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Natural England. Background Five species of tern that breed in the UK are listed on • Consider individually other types of SPAs, including Annex 1 of the EU Birds Directives and require important marine areas around colonies of special protection: breeding terns. • Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis; Natural England commissioned these surveys to • Common Tern Sterna hirundo; verify modelling work on terns carried out by the JNCC. The results will be used to help define the • Arctic Tern S. paradisaea; potential boundaries of marine SPAs by identifing the • Roseate Tern S. dougallii; and limits to important foraging areas for each species at • Little Tern Sternula albifrons. each recently regularly occupied colony. Current Special Protection Areas (SPAs) protect This report should be cited as: breeding seabird colonies, but do not extend to foraging areas. Only three of the UK’s 110 SPAs with PERROW, M.R., HARWOOD, A.J.P. & CALDOW, marine components encompass entirely marine R.W.G. 2016. Tern verification surveys for marine habitats occupied by seabirds. sites. Natural England Commissioned Reports, Number212. To fulfil commitments to the global Convention on Biological Diversity and contribute to measures required under the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), working with the national statutory bodies including Natural England, aims to: • Increase the area and number of marine SPAs by extending existing marine bird breeding colony/site SPAs. • Identify important inshore areas used by waterbirds outside the breeding season. • Identify important offshore areas used by marine birds. Natural England Project Manager - Alice Kimpton, Senior Advisor, Natural England, Mail Hub, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester, WR5 2NP [email protected] Contractor - Dr Martin Perrow, Econ Ecological Consultancy Ltd, Unit 7, The Octagon Business Park, Little Plumstead, Norwich, Norfolk, NR13 5FH Keywords - marine SPA, Special Protection Area (SPA), Tern, survey 2015, model verification, site designation Further information This report can be downloaded from the Natural England website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england. For information on Natural England publications contact the Natural England Enquiry Service on 0845 600 3078 or e-mail [email protected]. This report is published by Natural England under the Open Government Licence - OGLv3.0 for public sector information. You are encouraged to use, and reuse, information subject to certain conditions. For details of the licence visit Copyright. Natural England photographs are only available for non commercial purposes. If any other information such as maps or data cannot be used commercially this will be made clear within the report. ISBN 978-1-78354-315-1 © Natural England and other parties 2016 Tern verification surveys for marine sites © Martin Perrow Common Tern above the River Tees ECON Ecological Consultancy Limited Unit 7, The Octagon Business Park, Little Plumstead, Norwich, Norfolk NR13 5FH Registered in England & Wales Company No. 6457758. Director: Dr Martin Perrow BSc, PhD, MIEEM, MIFM, CEnv C0mpany Secretary: Eleanor Skeate BSc 1 Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 4 2 Aims & objectives ....................................................................................... 5 3 Study sites & survey locations .................................................................... 6 3.1 Hamford Water ....................................................................................................... 6 3.1.1 Background information .......................................................................... 6 3.1.2 Survey locations ........................................................................................7 3.2 Teesmouth & Cleveland Coast ................................................................................. 8 3.2.1 Background information .......................................................................... 8 3.2.2 Survey locations ....................................................................................... 9 3.3 Northumberland .................................................................................................... 11 3.3.1 Background information ......................................................................... 11 3.3.2 Survey locations ...................................................................................... 12 3.4 Morecambe Bay & Duddon Estuary ....................................................................... 16 3.4.1 Background information ......................................................................... 16 3.4.2 Survey locations ...................................................................................... 16 3.5 Liverpool Bay ..........................................................................................................18 3.5.1 Background information ......................................................................... 18 3.5.2 Survey locations ......................................................................................18 3.6 Solent & Dorset Coast ............................................................................................ 20 3.6.1 Background information ........................................................................ 20 3.6.2 Survey locations ...................................................................................... 21 4 Methods ................................................................................................... 22 4.1 Timing of surveys .................................................................................................. 22 4.2 Shore-based observations ..................................................................................... 23 4.2.1 Basic methodology .................................................................................. 23 4.2.2 Timed counts ........................................................................................... 24 4.2.3 Snapshots ................................................................................................ 26 4.3 Boat-based observations ....................................................................................... 27 4.3.1 Basic methodology .................................................................................. 27 4.3.2 Timed counts ........................................................................................... 29 4.3.3 Snapshots ................................................................................................ 30 4.3.4 Transect surveys ..................................................................................... 30 4.4 Data analysis .......................................................................................................... 31 4.4.1 Derivation of boundaries to be validated ............................................... 31 4.4.2 Comparison of survey data with the proposed boundaries .................. 32 5 Results & discussion ................................................................................. 34 5.1 Hamford Water ..................................................................................................... 34 5.1.1 Spatio-temporal abundance ................................................................... 34 5.1.2 Patterns of activity ................................................................................. 34 5.1.3 Comparison with the proposed SPA ...................................................... 36 5.2 Teesmouth & Cleveland Coast ............................................................................... 39 5.2.1 Spatio-temporal abundance ................................................................... 39 2 5.2.2 Patterns of activity ................................................................................. 40 5.2.3 Comparison with the proposed SPA ...................................................... 42 5.3 Northumberland .................................................................................................... 51 5.3.1 Spatio-temporal abundance .................................................................... 51 5.3.2 Patterns of activity ................................................................................. 55 5.3.3 Comparison with the proposed SPA ...................................................... 55 5.4 Morecambe Bay & Duddon Estuary ...................................................................... 60 5.4.1 Spatio-temporal abundance ................................................................... 60 5.4.2 Patterns of activity .................................................................................. 61 5.4.3 Comparison with the proposed SPA ....................................................... 61 5.5 Liverpool Bay ......................................................................................................... 62 5.5.1 Spatio-temporal abundance ..................................................................