Bird Aware Solent

The Solent coastline provides feeding grounds for internationally protected populations of overwintering waders and wildfowl, and is also extensively used for recreation. In response to concerns over the impact of recreational pressure on birds within protected areas in the Solent, the Solent Forum's Natural Environment Group initiated the Solent Disturbance and Mitigation Project (SDMP) in 2009, to determine visitor access patterns around the coast and how their activities may influence the birds. The research into those potential impacts was undertaken between 2009 and 2013. To take forward the research, develop a strategy and implement findings, the SDMP local authority and partner organisations established Bird Aware Solent .

Bird Aware Solent is a tool being used to lessen potential recreational impacts from increased local housing development.The initiative is run by the Solent Recreation Mitigation Partnership made up of 19 organisations, and funded by contributions from all new residential dwellings within 5.6km of the SPAs. The planned mitigation measures are set out in the Solent Recreation Mitigation Strategy which was endorsed by the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire on 5th December 2017.

The main measure is a team of rangers to help coastal visitors and communities understand the importance of the different bird species and the impact of disturbance. Over 60,000 new homes are planned around the Solent up to 2034. Research has shown that these will lead to more people visiting the coast for recreation, potentially causing additional disturbance to these birds.

In 2023, a standalone summary report was commissioned by Bird Aware Solent which brings together various data and information (covering the period 2016-2022) to summarise the level of housing growth, mitigation implementation, bird numbers and distribution, visitor use and how the Bird Aware Solent Partnership is perceived. The work considers the effectiveness of the Partnership, and the lessons learnt from the first 5 years and will be used by Bird Aware Solent and partners to inform how mitigation might need to change or adapt in the future.

Solent Disturbance and Mitigation Project (2009 to 2013)

In 2009, the Solent Forum's Natural Environment Group initiated the Solent Disturbance and Mitigation Project (SDMP).

The project was divided into two three phases.

Phase I collated and reviewed information on housing, human activities and birds around the Solent, and reviewed the potential impact of disturbance on birds.
Phase II involved a programme of major new data collection to (i) estimate visitor rates to the coast from current and future housing, (ii) measure the activities and distances moved by people on the shore and intertidal habitats, and (iii) measure the distances and time for which different bird species respond to different activities.
Phase III produced an Avoidance and Mitigation Plan.

The project evidence, conducted by Footprint Ecology and Bournemouth University, concluded that recreational pressure along the Solent coastline were causing an adverse effect on designated birds. The final report within phase II produced primary data to predict whether disturbance may be reducing the survival of birds. Predictions were derived for wader species by developing detailed computer models of birds and disturbance within Southampton Water and Chichester Harbour. These models create a virtual environment within the computer incorporating the intertidal invertebrate food supply of the birds, the exposure and covering of this food through the tidal cycle, disturbance from human activities, and the energy requirements and behaviour of the birds as they avoid humans and search for food. The invertebrate food supply of birds in the models was derived from previous intertidal surveys, and the exposure of intertidal habitat predicted from a tidal model of the Solent. The models incorporated the costs that birds incur when avoiding human activities (e.g. increased density in non-disturbed areas, reduced time for feeding and increased energy demands when flying away), but also their abilities to compensate for these costs (e.g. by feeding for longer or avoiding more disturbed areas). The predictions indicated how disturbance may be effecting the survival of waders throughout the Solent.

Natural England endorsed the project evidence, and supported the Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy. Given the large volume of previous studies and the relative complexity of the modelling work used to explore the impact of future housing, Natural England commissioned a scientific peer review of the Solent Disturbance and Mitigation Project. This review (ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd. 2012), was finalised in December 2012. Natural England has wrote to the relevant local authorities and concluded “Our advice is that the likelihood of significant effect, in combination arising from new housing development around the Solent cannot be ruled out.”

Phase I

Phase I of the SD&M Project, comprised a Desk Research Study on Recreational Disturbance to Birds, 2009 (pdf file) and a Methodology for phases II and III.

Phase II

Phase II, primary research, included:

Results of Bird Disturbance fieldwork: 2009/10. Bird Surveys assessing disturbance to overwintering birds - 1st Year Report 2009 (Jonathan Cox) and 2nd year report Dec 2010 (Footprint Ecology).
Visitor Surveys - 2010 by Footprint Ecology.
The Household Survey work main report by Footprint Ecology main report and Data Tables and Map Annexes, Final report September 2011. The Visitor Model main report 2012.
Modelling the impact of disturbance to birds, awarded to Richard Stillman. Work started July 2010 and was completed in 2011. A workshop held in November 2010 disseminated preliminary results and developed mitigation scenarios that can be used for modelling. Download workshop mitigation ideas tables. Natural England gave a presentation on the implications for Habitats Regulation Assessments at the workshop.

Excel Data Sets

There are two Excel data sets to support phase II. These should be interpreted using the published reports from the SDMP, which contain copies of the surveys and the methods of the survey data were handled. The two sets are a Solent Visitor data set and a Solent household data set.

Phase II Final Report

The report below represents the culmination of Phase II, in which the primary data are used to predict whether disturbance may be reducing the survival of birds. Predictions are derived for wader species by developing detailed computer models of birds and disturbance within Southampton Water and Chichester Harbour. These models create a virtual environment within the computer incorporating the intertidal invertebrate food supply of the birds, the exposure and covering of this food through the tidal cycle, disturbance from human activities, and the energy requirements and behaviour of the birds as they avoid humans and search for food. The invertebrate food supply of birds in the models was derived from previous intertidal surveys, and the exposure of intertidal habitat predicted from a tidal model of the Solent. The models incorporate the costs that birds incur when avoiding human activities (e.g. increased density in non-disturbed areas, reduced time for feeding and increased energy demands when flying away), but also their abilities to compensate for these costs (e.g. by feeding for longer or avoiding more disturbed areas). The predictions indicate how disturbance may be effecting the survival of waders throughout the Solent.

Solent Disturbance and Mitigation Project Phase II: Predicting the impact of human disturbance on overwintering birds in the Solent, February 2012 (pdf file).

Workshop to Disseminate Phase II

Following the completion of Phase 2, the Solent Forum hosted a workshop on 24th April 2012 to disseminate the results. Download the meeting notes. Presentations included:

Solent Bird Modelling (April 2012)
Solent Forum Feedback Report
Graylingwell Recreational Disturbance Mitigation Project
Project Level HRA at Tipner
Isle of Wight Council Island Plan Projects
The Developer Point of View
Gosport Borough Council Point of View
Natural England Perspective

Phase III

The third and final phase of the work provides a suggested avoidance and mitigation strategy. The work was conducted by Footprint Ecology. Natural England, as part of the Project Group, wholly supports the project. The phase 3 report has two two parts. Firstly identifies a short-list of potential suitable mitigation measures, including “quick wins,” which could be delivered quickly and easily. The second part develops a strategy which responds to the evidence base and Natural England’s Position Statement. The Phase III report was released, for endorsement and adoption by the Local Planning Authorities.