A researcher keen to see more endangered ringed plovers hatch on Norfolk beaches has won the Bishop of Norwich’s annual ecology prize.
Adam Bourton worked with the RSPB to find out whether special cages protect eggs laid by the wading birds on beaches in north Norfolk, and beside the Solent in the south of England.
He said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to have won the prize.
“I first became interested in ringed plovers while working as a membership fundraiser for the RSPB. In the early days of the nest-cage project, I had the opportunity to spend time with the field team and learn about their work, so that I could talk about it confidently with the public. Seeing the birds up close really captured my attention. Watching them run around the beach like little bandits, with their distinctive mask-like facial markings, I just thought they were great – really entertaining little birds.”
The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, who studied ecology at university himself and is the lead bishop for the environment for the Church of England, said:
“Caring for God’s creation is a vital part of my calling and it is a privilege to be able to support MSc students studying ecology at the University of East Anglia. Adam’s research is already helping support populations of endangered ringed plovers along the coastline of Norfolk and much further afield and he is a worthy winner of this year’s award.”
The annual £1,000 Bishop of Norwich Prize for Ecology is awarded to the University of East Anglia student whose dissertation achieves the highest marks in the master’s course in applied ecology and conservation.
Adam worked with the RSPB to find out whether nest cages improved the hatching success of ringed plovers – which are on the UK red list of highest conservation concern.
With the ground-nesting waders vulnerable to predators eating their eggs, wire mesh cages can allow the adult birds access to nests while keeping eggs safe from common predators. However, cages can also bring increased risks for the adults, and lead to nest abandonment.
Adam found that while cages improved nest survival they increased the death rate of adult ringed plovers in Norfolk, showing that the habitat and predators of each location should be taken into account when considering the use of cages.
Professor Simon Butler, course director for the MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation at the University of East Anglia said:
“We are delighted to see Adam’s excellent dissertation recognised with the Bishop of Norwich Ecology Prize. Our coasts are shared spaces, enriching the lives of the many people who visit them and providing vital breeding and feeding grounds for many bird species. Balancing these shared uses is a significant challenge and understanding the pressures coastal species face is crucial to this. Indeed, Adam’s project reports exactly the kind of careful, practical research that conservation in such habitats needs, giving land managers clear guidance on when and where to protect nests to best support one of the UK’s Red Listed shorebirds. We are extremely grateful to Bishop Graham for his generous support, which means so much to our students as they begin their careers tackling the challenges facing the natural world.”
Adam has begun work with an ecological consultancy and plans to spend part of his prize money on new binoculars.
The prize is sponsored by the Anne French Memorial Trust which supports the ministry of the Bishop of Norwich, clergy in the Diocese of Norwich, and projects across Norfolk.
Pictures: top l-r – the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, Adam Bourton and Professor Simon Butler.
Above, Adam Bourton.
