Take part in this year's Great Coastal Birdwatch
Published 19:10 on 19 Oct 2024
This year's Great Coastal Birdwatch kicks off on
Saturday 19 October and runs until 3 November. Its organiser, Bird Aware Solent, is encouraging anyone who lives near the coast to take part.
Now in its sixth year, the birdwatch celebrates the autumn arrival of thousands of birds that spend the colder months on our shoreline.
Anyone can take part if they're on the coast at any time during the fortnight-long event. They just need to tell Bird Aware how many different types of birds they saw in up to an hour. A special website has been developed to keep track of birds seen: http://www.GreatCoastalBirdwatch.org.
Ranger Eloise said: 'The autumn migration of coastal birds to the Solent shoreline is an incredible phenomenon to witness and a very important legacy to protect'.
'By telling people about the birds' awe-inspiring journeys, we hope they'll give birds the space they need to feed and rest without being disturbed'.
Many coastal birds travel extraordinary distances to get to the Solent's mudflats and saltmarshes. Dark-bellied brent geese fly all the way from Arctic Siberia while turnstones arrive from Greenland, Canada and Lapland.
The annual birdwatch helps raise awareness of the wealth of wildlife on the south coast and gives Bird Aware valuable data on birds that spend the winter here.
The wildlife partnership is hosting dozens of free events to mark this year's birdwatch including birdwatching walks, guided by Bird Aware rangers in Lymington, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight; and pop-up events all along the coastline.
Last year more than 100 species were spotted including ospreys and many other species on the red-list for conservation concern, including dunlins, black-tailed godwits, and lapwings.
Bird Aware Solent works on coastlines around the New Forest, Southampton Water, Portsmouth, Chichester and Langstone Harbours and the northern coast of the Isle of Wight. It is formed of a partnership of 19 different local authorities and wildlife organisations.
For further information contact:
Kate Price McCarthy, Bird Aware Solent, 07799 866944 or
