Conservation

If you are heading to West Wittering and East Head, make sure to look out for birds.

Thousands of wading birds, ducks and geese migrate to Chichester Harbour for the winter from places like Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia and Siberia. Coastal birds live by the rhythm of the tides; feeding on the mudflats and in the saltmarsh at low tide, and resting on spits, islands, in coastal fields and at the top of the shore at high tide.  During the summer, a different group of birds arrive on our harbour coastlines who have travelled up from the South (some from as far as South Africa!), they are here to nest and raise the next generation of their species. Many of these birds nest on the ground, in dunes or on shingle beaches.

 You can help the birds to thrive here by sharing our shores with them. If we give birds space to breed, feed and rest, they will continue to come back to our coastlines for future generations to enjoy. If birds are disturbed too often from feeding and resting they may not build up the fat reserves they need to survive, migrate or raise their chicks. Please help to protect the wildlife using our special coastline.

Look out for birds on the coast and Move further away if birds become alert

Learn about Bird Aware Solent & their Coastal Code

The Coastal Code:

  • Look carefully for any coastal birds who may be sharing the coastline you’re visiting. If you see birds on an area of the beach, it makes sense to avoid that area completely so they can rest or feed undisturbed. Quite a few of our coastal birds, such as the dunlin, the turnstone, the ringed plover and the sanderling are very well camouflaged, particularly on shingle. They can be quite hard to spot unless you look really carefully.

  • Signs that birds have become aware of you and are getting ready for flight include: lifting their heads or turning their heads in your direction; crying out; stretching or flapping their wings; walking or swimming away.

    If you think birds are becoming alert to your presence, it’s a good idea to move further away.

  • Even the best behaved dogs will disturb coastal birds if they’re not kept close to you, well away from where the birds are feeding and resting. If you want to let your dog off the lead to run around, it’s best to use an area where birds don’t choose to rest and feed. If birds are disturbed by dogs and fly away, they use up valuable energy and may have missed a limited opportunity for feeding that day.

  • In particularly sensitive areas, you’ll find signs which give you more information about protecting the wildlife on the shore. If there’s a path on the area of the coast you’re visiting, using it can be a great way to make sure you’re minimising disturbance to birds.

Brent Geese - Up to 10,000 brent geese visit the harbour area from November to March each year, before returning to Siberia to breed in the summer. Small for a goose, with a white neck collar and white under the tail, they are vegetarian and graze o

Brent Geese - Up to 10,000 brent geese visit the harbour area from November to March each year, before returning to Siberia to breed in the summer. Small for a goose, with a white neck collar and white under the tail, they are vegetarian and graze on grass, cereal crops and the seaweed on the mudflats.

Common Seals (Phoca vitulina) - Also known as Harbour seals, live in the Solent and often visit Chichester Harbour. This is the only known rookery in the Eastern English Channel and so they are considered regionally unique and are, therefore, very im

Common Seals (Phoca vitulina) - Also known as Harbour seals, live in the Solent and often visit Chichester Harbour. This is the only known rookery in the Eastern English Channel and so they are considered regionally unique and are, therefore, very important. Atlantic Grey seals have also been spotted on occasions.

Curlew – The distinctive down curved bill of the Curlew helps it probe deep in the mud for invertebrates. The curlews that winter here migrate from Scandinavia and the Russian federation.

Curlew – The distinctive down curved bill of the Curlew helps it probe deep in the mud for invertebrates. The curlews that winter here migrate from Scandinavia and the Russian federation.

Dunlin – This small wader forms large flocks that flash across the water moving from feeding site to roost site. They breed in Iceland, Scandinavia and the Russian Federation.

Dunlin – This small wader forms large flocks that flash across the water moving from feeding site to roost site. They breed in Iceland, Scandinavia and the Russian Federation.

Oystercatcher – Its piping call is often heard first before the distinctive black and white plumage is spotted. Oystercatchers are present all year round using their bright red beak to feed on cockles and mussels.

Oystercatcher – Its piping call is often heard first before the distinctive black and white plumage is spotted. Oystercatchers are present all year round using their bright red beak to feed on cockles and mussels.

Sanderling – Normally seen in groups running along escaping the breaking waves searching for food that has been washed up. Sanderling have no hind toes which explains the clockwork toy like running style!

Sanderling – Normally seen in groups running along escaping the breaking waves searching for food that has been washed up. Sanderling have no hind toes which explains the clockwork toy like running style!

Skylark - The sound of the skylark can be heard signing over the grassland and sand dunes during the spring and summer. It can be difficult to spot this small bird as it disappears high above constantly signing its song, before descending out of sigh

Skylark - The sound of the skylark can be heard signing over the grassland and sand dunes during the spring and summer. It can be difficult to spot this small bird as it disappears high above constantly signing its song, before descending out of sight.

Avocet – 16 pairs of these distinctive black and white birds breed in the pools of Snowhill Creek in 2020. These birds are a bit of a conservation success and the numbers of pairs are increasing nationally. The use their upturned beak to forage for s

Avocet – 16 pairs of these distinctive black and white birds breed in the pools of Snowhill Creek in 2020. These birds are a bit of a conservation success and the numbers of pairs are increasing nationally. The use their upturned beak to forage for small insects or crustaceans like shrimps within the water.

Ringed Plover – This smartly plumaged bird with its distinctive ringed neck in seen all year round with wintering flocks made up of UK breeding birds. The shingle at the end of East Head spit and island in the Snowhill pools are places where they att

Ringed Plover – This smartly plumaged bird with its distinctive ringed neck in seen all year round with wintering flocks made up of UK breeding birds. The shingle at the end of East Head spit and island in the Snowhill pools are places where they attempt to nest. Interestingly a bird ringed in Norway on 12 September 2017 was spotted just across the channel at Black Point on Hayling Island 5 days later after travelling 1,368 km!