Ringed Plover
Surveys were undertaken between 15th April and 30th June. It was requested that visits be carried out prior to midday but, if that was not possible, they could be made later in the day. At least three visits were carried out with a minimum of two weeks between each. Of the 24 sites surveyed, 14 were occupied by Ringed Plovers. A total of 55 breeding territories were found with 21 in the Eastern Solent and 34 in the Western Solent. No breeding pairs were recorded in the north-east of the county or New Forest.
The results paint a worrying picture for the Ringed Plover as a breeding species in Hampshire. In the absence of specific measures and/or increased protection, it is probable that it could be lost as a breeder, particularly where suitable areas are fully open for public use and access unrestricted. Fortunately, there are some relatively large areas of suitable habitat that are not open to the public and these areas produced the highest number of breeding pairs and fledged young. However, some of those are vulnerable to sea-level rise and without specific measures, such as shingle recharge, could be lost as breeding sites in the near future. Full results published in Hampshire Bird Report 2022