Nigg Bay: an award-winning refuge for birds
We were absolutely delighted that our Nigg Bay reserve won ‘Most Sustainable Visitor Site’ at the 2018 Green Heart Hero Awards. The RSPB Scotland team involved were thrilled that their hard work over the years had been celebrated by The Climate Coalition. It was also fantastic to be recognised alongside so many inspiring people that are taking steps to protect the people, places and wildlife they love from the effects of climate change.
Nigg Bay reserve is a vast expanse of mudflat, saltmarsh and wet grassland which is internationally important for supporting wintering wetland birds. During the winter months, pink-footed geese, bar-tailed godwits, whooper swans and wintering ducks fly south from their northern breeding grounds to avoid the worst of the Arctic weather. The intertidal mudflats and saltmarsh at Nigg Bay are ideal for providing food and shelter for these winter visitors but, like many other natural wonders throughout the world, this unique area is under threat from climate change. Rising sea levels and stormy weather are shrinking the mudflats and saltmarshes, meaning less food for the birds and fewer places to roost.
In 2003, some of our team were involved with a project to breach part of the sea wall at Nigg Bay so that the field behind it would flood. This project was the first managed coastal realignment in Scotland and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, SNH, SEPA and RSPB Scotland. The aim of the project was to allow the tide to re-establish saltmarsh habitat that had been lost in the past, and prepare for future losses that might occur due to sea level rise. Over the last fifteen years, the work carried out reconnected the sea to the marshland, successfully increasing the size of the saltmarsh so that it could support more wading birds and wildfowl. The coastal realignment field provides a high tide refuge for up to 20% of the birds that winter in Nigg Bay. It is particularly important in stormy conditions, something that is becoming more frequent as our climate changes.
The team has continued their efforts in combating climate change at Nigg Bay by creating a ‘scrape’ to help migrating waders and wildfowl to refuel along their journey. A scrape is a man-made pond which has extensive shallow edges that are designed to produce as much invertebrate-rich mud as possible. The scrape is close to the reserve’s hide, meaning visiting wildlife enthusiasts can enjoy fantastic views of the birds that visit the bay.
Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today. Its effects on wildlife and the places we love can already be seen: flowers are blooming earlier than usual, some seabirds are being forced to travel much further to find food due to shortages, and some birds are being found much further south than usual. The long-term effects of climate change could see migrating birds needing to change their migration routes and the places where they breed and spend winter. Some birds may be forced to nest at different times in response to changing availability of the food they depend on to feed their young. Saltwater inundation from tidal surges will damage fragile freshwater habitats having a devastating impact on fish and the birds that depend on them.
But all is not lost. If we all take steps, even small ones, to adapt and reduce the effects of climate change, we can make a positive difference. Only by working together, sharing knowledge and inspiring change can we protect the things we love. The Green Heart Hero awards are a fantastic opportunity to keep the conversation flowing and share what can, and must, be done to protect the future of our wildlife and our planet.
Nigg Bay reserve is at its most spectacular between October to March as thousands of birds, including pink-footed geese and wintering ducks, spend the winter in the shelter of the Cromarty Firth. The best time to visit the reserve is two to three hours either side of high tide. That is when the ducks, waders and geese will be closest to the reserve’s hide. For more information, please check out the reserve’s webpage.
Written by the team at the RSPB Nigg Bay reserve.
If you’ve been inspired by a community project or outdoor site working to protect the things we love from climate change, why not celebrate their efforts by nominating them for a Green Heart Hero Award? Those shortlisted have the opportunity to meet other inspiring people, politicians and celebrities, at an awards ceremony in March. There are a range of categories open for nomination, and submissions close on the 3rd December.
