How well is wildlife doing on RSPB nature reserves?

2022 was another bumper year for Bitterns on RSPB nature reserves and the land we manage, with 121 booming males heard. That’s up from 109 in 2021 and includes 22 booming males at Ham Wall, Somerset, which is twice the number recorded in the whole of Britain at their low point in 1997. Breeding Bitterns were also recorded at Saltholme, Teesside, making them the most northerly breeding Bitterns in the UK since they re-colonised in the early 20th century.

The big spiders which can walk on water are one of the UK’s rarest species. But things are beginning to turn around after a successful translocation programme, including to RSPB Cantley Marshes, Norfolk, in 2012. Over the last ten years they’ve spread along 1.8km of ditches and can now also be found at Strumpshaw Fen and Buckenham Marshes.  In 2022 their range increased even further, with the spiders now living in 137 hectares across all three of the mid-Yare Valley sites.

The churring of Nightjars, the cascading song of Woodlarks and the choppy tunes of Dartford Warblers (pictured) increased across lowland heath reserves in 2022, with all three birds having a good year. There was a chart-topping 198 male Nightjars heard across all sites, with RSPB Arne, Dorset, setting a new record of 96 pairs there. Breeding Woodlarks remained similar to 2021 (90 compared to 94), while Dartford Warblers reached their highest ever total, jumping from 183 pairs in 2021 to 258 pairs in 2022. The increases are because of heathland restoration, but also milder winters.

The supreme marine explorers got a boost in 2022, with 6,225 breeding pairs recorded on Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire. That’s a 30% increase since the last census in 2016 and follows previous work to successfully remove rats from the island, as these had preyed on the Manx Shearwater eggs and young.  

Darting dragonflies and damselflies have increased at some RSPB reserves, with Arne, Dorset, Dungeness, Kent, and Minsmere, Suffolk, all recording 31 different species. Two of the highlights were a colony of endangered Southern Damselflies (pictured) at Arne and a first for an RSPB reserve – Scarlet Darter Dragonfly at Minsmere. This discovery means 50 different dragonfly and damselfly species have now been recorded on RSPB reserves.  

Avian Flu decimated the Roseate Tern colony on Coquet Island, the UK’s stronghold of the species. Breeding numbers actually increased in 2022, to 154 breeding pairs. But at least 90 adults and 170 chicks died from the Avian Flu outbreak, which also affected other seabirds on the island.  

Numbers of Dormice (pictured below) have halved in the UK since 2007, and the impact is being seen on RSPB reserves. Surveys revealed Dormice numbers have dropped at Broadwater Warren in Kent, where there was evidence of this nocturnal rodent in just 11 of the nest boxes provided for them in 2021, compared to a high of 64 in 2014.  

At Garston Woods, Dorset, a Dormouse footprint survey revealed they are still present on the reserve.   

Red-listed Willow Tits have been declining nationally and again had a hard year on RSPB nature reserves in Yorkshire. No breeding pairs could be found at Dearne Valley Old Moor, South Yorkshire, for the second year running, a drop from three pairs in 2019. There were also no breeding pairs at St Aidan’s, West Yorkshire, and numbers fell from four breeding pairs to two at Fairburn Ings, West Yorkshire, the lowest number since 1999.

The number of Black Grouse on RSPB nature reserves remains low, with 2022 seeing the second lowest number of males lekking (performing their courtship routine) since 2005. The picture varies across the UK as Black Grouse populations can change greatly from year to year and from place to place. Some reserves saw increases, but numbers at Geltsdale, Cumbria, fell from 21 in 2021 to 17 in 2022. Numbers also fell at Corrimony in the Highlands, from 36 in 2021 to 31 in 2022.  

The Avian Flu outbreak hit seabirds and waterbirds hard in 2022. These birds often gather in large groups, such as the Svalbard Barnacle Geese which winter on the Solway Estuary, where 15,000 of them died in winter 2021/22.

Many seabirds were affected, including Great Skuas which died in great numbers at key breeding sites. Like the Roseate Terns mentioned previously, the UK is a vital breeding ground for Great Skuas, with 60% of the world’s population coming here to breed.  

The UK is also where 55% of the world’s Northern Gannets breed and their numbers declined as the virus spread quickly through densely packed nesting sites.  

Many other wild birds have also died in the outbreak, including Mute Swans, Moorhens, Puffins, Blackbirds and Pied Wagtails. Birds of prey such as the Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier, Tawny Owl and White-Tailed Eagle have also been hit, probably catching the virus by scavenging on other birds which have died of the virus.  

Months of dry weather in spring and summer 2022 had a big impact on RSPB nature reserves in southern England. East Anglia received just 47% of its 1980-2022 average rainfall for April and May, which meant some reserves were much drier than usual.  Heathland ponds also dried up at Arne and the ponds at The Lodge, Bedfordshire, needed topping up to save the Natterjack Toad tadpoles.  

Where there was water, toxic blue-green algae bloomed at some reserves, including at Medmerry, West Sussex, and Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire, for the first time. The algae reduces oxygen levels which can kill fish and other aquatic life. 

Thankfully most sites with wet grasslands managed to maintain suitable water levels for wading birds to breed. This was because of measures put in place to store water, such as reservoirs, which were used to top up water levels when needed.