Decline of avocet colony reversed by Humber restoration project

For the first time in three years avocet chicks have fledged on Read's Island – a low-lying expanse of mud and grass just off the south bank of the Humber.

The colony was plunged into a sharp decline after the banks protecting its breeding pools were washed away.

But a 50,000 grant allowed the charity to rebuild and reform pools. Prior to the restoration work, the number of breeding pairs had shrunk to just 50. This year there are in excess of 200, around 25 per cent higher than its previous best season.

Pete Short, the RSPB's Humber Site Manager, said: "The project has been a huge success and we are delighted that the island has regained its former glory as one of our most important avocet breeding colonies.

"The island is perfect for the iconic black and white wading birds: they love the salty pools for breeding, while the mudflats of the wider Humber Estuary offer them a rich source of food once the young birds have fledged."

Avocets, the symbol of the RSPB, were driven to near extinction in the 19th century by land drainage, hunters and egg collectors. They returned in 1947 when preparations for an enemy invasion, the flooding of the coastal marshes of East Anglia, provided them with an ideal habitat.