Turnstone – Herbury – Janice Beck
There are many environmental studies carried out all along the Reserve each year. In addition to this, volunteers carry out regular surveys, looking at a variety of different subjects such as geology, habitats, species counts and human usage.
One resent count of birds along the Fleet at Moonfleet and Herbury included sightings of the following: –
- Brent Geese -1260
- Mute Swan – 118
- Tufted Duck – 2
- Great Crested Grebe – 4
- Red Shank – 10
Dunlin and Oyster Catcher – Herbury – Janice Beck
- Oyster Catcher – 9
- Grey Plover – 8
- Dunlin – 62
- Turnstones – 19
- Little Egret – 2
- Blackhead Gull – 101
- Carrion Crow X 2
- Stonechat – 1
- Dunnock – 1
- Robin – 2
- Blackbird – 1
Little Egret – Herbury – Janice Beck
It is important that areas like this are protected for birds and other species. Disturbance by people and dogs can disrupt valuable feeding time and prevent birds resting, these things are especially important in the cold winter months.
The Reserve team have been trying to improve access interpretation, to stop disturbance and damage to some areas of the Fleet foreshore which include Herbury, where there is no public right of way. It is however still possible to get great views of the Fleet and Chesil from along the South West Coast Path which runs along most of the Reserve.
See our previous post about work at Herbury Protecting our shorelines.
Photos and species count kindly provided by Janice Beck
Herbury – Janice Beck