Serving the Teesside Business Community | 13
AVOCETS MAKE A
TRIUMPHANT COMEBACK
F
Popular wading birds return to SABIC’s Saline Lagoon Island,
much to the delight of ornithologists...
ollowing the destruction of their
nesting ground in the winter of
2013, the avocets have returned
to the Saline Lagoon Island at
North Tees, owned by SABIC UK
Petrochemicals.
The avocets are iconic birds which are the
emblem of the RSPB and, to the delight of
ornithologists, because their nesting season
in 2015 was extremely successful, it would
appear that they will once again make the
area their regular breeding ground.
The lagoon in question was created
by the Industry and Nature Conservation
Association (INCA), and is managed by
SABIC on Teesside in order to maximise its
potential for wildlife. The fact that the avocets
nest in this area is a mark of the success
of the various organisations involved, in
enabling wildlife to thrive in the industrial
landscape of the Tees.
The avocet is a wading bird, belonging to
the Recurvirostridae (avocet and stilt) family.
It is a migratory bird, breeding in Europe and
parts of Asia, then migrating to Africa for
the winter. They tend to breed in areas of
shallow, brackish water with exposed mud,
making the saline lagoon in the Tees estuary
an ideal breeding place for them.
However, the damage to the sea wall and
the resulting flooding in winter 2013 raised
some concern over whether the avocets
would return to nest in the area in 2014.
Considerable efforts were made to repair
the damage to the area: the pipework which
fed water to the lagoon was fixed, and some
26 tonnes of cockleshells were ordered
from Cornwall and re-laid on the island by
volunteers from the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.
Unfortunately, whilst the avocets did return
to the area in spring 2014, it was only in a
small number, and they did not have a very
successful breeding season, with only four
chicks recorded that year.
In 2015, ornithologists eagerly looked to
the skies, in hope that they would once again
sight the avocets returning to their former
breeding ground. Sure enough, the first four
avocets were seen in February, and after
that numbers increased almost daily. The
gregarious birds once again made the island
their preferred location to nest, chasing off
perceived predators. The breeding season
was quite successful, with over 30 chicks
fledging, and the Tees Bird Ringing Group
have rung many of the chicks so that they will
be able to track their movements, in order
to gain a better understanding of this iconic
bird.
Geoff Barber, ecologist with INCA,
commented: “It is very encouraging to see
these birds maintaining their population in
the Brinefields and Cavities area.
“There has been some concern that they
would not return after the flood damage and
disturbance, but the success of this season
gives us high hopes that the avocets will
continue to be an important feature of the
birdlife of North Tees in future years.”
The site is also home to many other
species of birds, including skylarks,
shelducks, oyster catchers, terns and plovers;
however, the avocets are of particular
interest because they did not nest in this
area for over 200 years, before their return in
2008, and because they were only recently
considered an endangered species in the UK.
Their return to the area definitely signifies the
ability for industry and nature to co-exist in an
area like North Tees.
Stewart Swales, line manager, Storage &
Distribution for SABIC, said: “There is quite
a lot of enthusiasm for wildlife among the
employees of SABIC on Teesside.
“It’s a privilege that the avocet has chosen
the Brinefields and Cavities as their home long may they prosper for themselves and for
future generations of Teessiders to enjoy.”