Sandpiper seed success

Overwintering purple sandpiper birds that feed and roost in the area around Southsea Castle are incredibly popular with locals. So when the Southsea Coastal Scheme began construction in this area in February, the team was mindful of the need to maintain a suitable habitat for our feathered friends when next winter came along.

Fast forward to November 2022 and the team is delighted to report that the purple sandpipers have been spotted back in their favourite holiday spot. This is thanks to the team speeding up the colonisation of the new sea defence structure by the castle by placing ‘seed rock’ from the existing defences to encourage colonisation of the new rock. The aim was to retain the existing algal and faunal colonisation, thus maintaining the habitat function the area has always provided to the purple sandpipers.

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