Leave Only Footprints

22/05/2026

It’s been a while since I had a walk around the full reserve so seeing as it’s my day off that’s exactly what I did and wow what a morning . Feeling grateful 😊🙏.

Some places don’t need drama to feel special — just sunshine, sea air and the sound of birds overhead.

Warm sunshine, a fresh coastal breeze and the sound of birds carrying across the dunes — May at Gibraltar Point feels alive from the moment you arrive. Skylarks hover high above the grasslands, little terns return to the shoreline after their long migration from Africa, and marsh harriers drift low across the saltmarsh searching for prey.

The reserve is full of movement at this time of year. Swallows skim across the pools, butterflies begin appearing along the paths, and wading birds gather along the tide line as the sea rolls in under bright blue skies. Even on quieter days, Gibraltar Point has a way of slowing everything down and reminding you how important these wild coastal spaces really are.

After a long winter, May feels like the reserve waking up properly again — full of colour, sound and new life.



Common Tern, Soldier Beetle, Great White Egret, Little Grebe, Crane Fly, Coot chick, Mute Swan, Reed Warbler, Oystercatcher, Rabbit

19/05/2026

Felt immensely privileged to witness the Sanderling high tide roost whilst monitoring our nests over the recent high tide sequence. Sat still, hunkered down in the dunes as over 1000 birds swooped in off the mudflats.

The tide leaves little room for rest.

At high tide, flocks of Sanderling gather tightly along the upper shore at Gibraltar Point, conserving energy between feeding sessions on the retreating sands. These small Arctic breeders travel thousands of miles to winter along our coastline, yet even here their survival depends on something as simple as peace and space to roost. Repeated disturbance from people, dogs, or sudden movement can force them into flight again and again, wasting precious energy reserves they need to survive migration and harsh weather.

Watching a high tide roost is one of the best reminders that sometimes the most important thing we can do for wildlife… is simply give it room. 💚

14/05/2026

Feeling very grateful. Not only seeing this one eyeing me from the ridge but noticing the rising morning sun reflected in its eyes. What better start to a day 😊

Silent, watchful, and often hidden by the landscape, roe deer are one of the countryside’s true ghosts.

Unlike larger deer species, roe deer move lightly through woodland edges, reedbeds and farmland, relying on stealth rather than size to survive. During spring and summer, their rich reddish coat blends perfectly into the surrounding vegetation, while winter brings a thicker grey-brown coat to cope with colder conditions.

Although still widespread across the UK, roe deer face growing pressure from habitat fragmentation, road traffic, and increasing disturbance. Their survival depends on connected wild spaces where they can move, feed, and shelter safely.

A brief glimpse is often all you get — and somehow that makes the encounter even more memorable.

12/05/2026

The last of our three protected species arrived today! Little Terns - often called the Swallows of the Sea - so acrobatic, so elegant . To hear the skies over the sanctuary filled with their calls really has made my day 😊

After thousands of miles across desert and open ocean, they return to a fragile coastline for a few short special months.

Little terns arrive on our coasts carrying the weight of an uncertain future. Once a far more familiar sight along the shores of Lincolnshire, these tiny migratory seabirds now face mounting pressure from habitat loss, rising sea levels, disturbance, pollution and increasing storm events during the breeding season. Despite weighing little more than a tennis ball, Little Tern undertake remarkable migrations between the UK and the west coast of Africa each year.

Their preferred nesting habitat is fragile — open sandy or shingle beaches just above the tide line — leaving eggs and chicks highly vulnerable to predators, flooding and human activity. UK breeding numbers have declined significantly over recent decades, and the species is now one of Britain’s rarest breeding seabirds. Conservation work at sites such as Gibraltar Point has become increasingly important to give these birds a fighting chance each summer.

When we started the sanctuary to protect these birds in 1976 there were nine breeding colonies in Lincolnshire . Now sadly there is only one, Gibraltar Point. Which is why it’s so vitally important we do all we can to halt the decline.

If you are visiting Gibraltar Point please respect and stay outside of the sanctuary area and help us give these remarkable birds a fighting chance - thank you 🙏

11/05/2026

One of the most familiar birds of summer is quietly disappearing from parts of our countryside.

Swallows travel nearly 6,000 miles between southern Africa and the UK each year, returning with astonishing precision to the same barns, rooftops and nesting sites. Their speed and agility in flight makes them seem untouchable — yet their numbers have declined by around 25% in parts of the UK in the last 30 years.

The reasons are closely tied to environmental change: fewer flying insects, intensive farming practices, pesticide use, and the loss of traditional nesting spaces in old farm buildings and barns.

Every low sweep over a meadow or wetland is more than just a summer moment — it is a reminder of how connected these birds are to the health of the wider countryside, and if we want to continue seeing them we to ensure things change .

09/05/2026

A big day for the sanctuary.

Few birds announce the coastline quite like the unmistakable call of the Oystercatcher. With striking black-and-white plumage and a vivid orange bill built for probing mud and prising open shellfish, these birds are a true symbol of Britain’s estuaries and shorelines.

Although still a familiar sight around coastal reserves such as Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve, Oystercatchers are facing increasing pressure from habitat loss, disturbance and rising sea levels affecting nesting sites. Their haunting calls and constant movement across tidal flats are part of what makes our coastline feel wild and alive.

08/05/2026

08/05/2026

Ghosting low across the reeds, the marsh harrier is the silent hunter of our wetlands.

Quick fleeting visit to Willow Tree Feb late yesterday afternoon to see the Crane chicks which I did but they were so far away ( so a great excuse to visit again 😊 ) but the Marsh Harriers put on a great show - and a perfect excuse to play this awesome track 😁.

Once pushed to the brink in the UK through persecution and habitat loss, this stunning bird of prey has slowly reclaimed our marshes and reedbeds. Seeing one glide effortlessly across the coastline at places like Gibraltar Point or the wetlands such as Willow Tree Fen is now one of spring and summer’s great wildlife spectacles.

Males and females look completely different, with males showing striking pale grey wings while females carry rich dark-brown plumage with a creamy crown. Their slow, buoyant flight may appear relaxed, but marsh harriers are incredibly effective hunters, capable of surprising small birds and mammals hidden deep within the reeds.

Their recovery remains closely tied to the protection of wetlands and coastal habitats — a reminder of just how important these fragile landscapes are for wildlife.

07/05/2026

On the coastline at Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve, a quiet but vital job is unfolding, one that’s been protecting some of Lincolnshire’s most vulnerable birds for 50 years.

Since 1976, wardens and volunteers have worked to safeguard species like little terns - the UK’s smallest tern - and ringed plovers, giving them a chance to breed on an increasingly challenging shoreline.

Read more below!

04/05/2026

A few images of my fave bird from the last few days.

A tiny bundle of feathers, bound by family—few birds define teamwork quite like the long-tailed tit.

The Long-tailed tit is instantly recognisable by its round body, blush-pink tones, and tail that seems almost longer than the bird itself. Through winter, they move in tight-knit family flocks, constantly chattering as they forage—staying close isn’t just social, it’s survival. Their nesting behaviour is just as remarkable: a soft, domed masterpiece woven from moss, lichen and spider silk ( pics 5&6 around it’s face ) , often taking weeks to build. Even more impressive, if a breeding pair fails, other members of the flock will step in to help raise the next brood. It’s cooperation at its purest—small bird, big resilience.