Bird Aware Essex Coast Leaflet
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Our coast is special Contact us What is Bird Aware? The Essex coast is of world-wide importance Please feel free to contact us: Bird Aware is a partnership of local councils for birds and their coastal habitats. Every around the Essex coast. Our aim is to help winter thousands of protected waders and w: www.birdaware.org/essexcoast people enjoy the coast without disturbing wildfowl travel thousands of miles to over- the thousands of birds that breed and e: [email protected] winter on the Essex coast estuaries. They feed here. These birds are internationally come to feast on the abundant marine protected and need to build up enough worms, shellfish and plants found on energy to fly back to their summer the coastline. breeding grounds. STOUR & ORWELL ESTUARIES STOUR & ORWELL ESTUARIES Find out more… Look out for birds HAMFORD WATER HAMFORD WATER COLNE ESTUARY Want to learn more about the variety of COLNE ESTUARY birds along the Essex coast, or the work of conservation organisations in protecting them? Then take a look at these websites: BLACKWATER ESTUARY BLACKWATER ESTUARY Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) - www.rspb.org.uk DENGIE DENGIE Essex Wildlife Trust - www.essexwt.org.uk CROUCH & ROACH ESTUARY CROUCH & ROACH ESTUARY Natural England - www.gov.uk/ government/organisations/natural-england ©Hamish Jackson BENFLEET & SOUTHEND FOULNESS BENFLEET & SOUTHEND FOULNESS MARSHES Essex Birdwatching Society - MARSHES www.ebws.org.uk THAMES ESTUARY THAMES ESTUARY & MARSHES Harwich Haven Authority & MARSHES https://hha.co.uk/ www.birdaware.org Why do the birds See what you can spot along the Essex Coast. How YOU can help… need my help? Tick the birds off the list as you see them! The Essex coast is very busy with people. ©Steve Plume ©Liz Cutting • Look out for birds feeding and They often disturb the birds unintentionally. resting on the coast • When the birds are disturbed they • Take care not to scare or disturb them stop feeding or worse still, fly away. • Move further away if a bird becomes It can take them a whole day just to Turnstone Oystercatcher alert and stops feeding refuel the energy they use ©Liz Cutting • Stay on the paths where they exist • Many of the birds can only feed at low tide so feeding time is limited • Always follow requests on signs • Short daylight hours in winter mean • Exercise your dog away from resting or feeding birds to avoid feeding time is even more precious Shelduck Little Tern disturbing them • At high tide the birds need to rest ©Liz Cutting ©Liz Cutting to conserve energy. There is often • Keep your dog in sight and on a little ground above the high water short lead if you cannot rely on where they can rest undisturbed its obedience • Don’t forget to clean up after your dog • Cold, wet and windy weather makes Ruff Grey Plover survival even tougher • If you are going out on the water ©Liz Cutting ©Liz Cutting • We can all play our part to ensure contact the local harbour authority continued enjoyment of the Essex for special guidance Coast, by both people and birds alike • Tell your friends and family about Bird Aware Essex Coast Ringed Plover Black-tailed Godwit ©Steve Plume ©Steve Plume Pintail Avocet ©Hamish Jackson ©Hamish Jackson.