Cumbrian Little Terns have successful breeding season despite ongoing disturbance issues
by Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Number of chicks fledging is up at two coastal nature reserves near Barrow, despite ongoing disturbance issues
It's been a very successful year for Little Terns at South Walney Nature Reserve, with 10 pairs producing 20 young, doubling their population size. It was also a positive year for seabirds at our nearby Foulney Island Nature Reserve, with eight Arctic terns fledging. This is a great result, following the failure of the 2022 Arctic tern season and before that, their complete abandonment of the site in 2020.
The two nature reserves have been under the watchful eye of two seasonal wardens this summer, who recorded the birds’ behaviours and the successes and failure of the breeding season in great detail. They’ve also been out and about all summer talking to visitors, engaging with them and when necessary, advising them when they’ve not stuck to the approved footpaths.
Jessie Prentice is Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Seasonal Warden at South Walney Nature Reserve, as part of LIFE on the Edge (LOTE), an EU-funded project led by the RPSB. Here she shares some of this season’s highlights: “The Little Terns have had a great year at South Walney. Over the past decade, the population has slowly been increasing and it’s great to have another site for them in the local area to safely nest alongside Foulney. So, we’re delighted that in 2023, 10 pairs produced 20 young, doubling their population size.
“Ringed plovers and oystercatchers have been slightly less successful, but still produced 20 and 36 nests respectively. We gave extra protection against predators to some of the ringed plover by trialling nest cages, made from stock fencing and chicken wire. They’ve definitely had positive effect on the success rates. We’re pleased that the gull colony continues to increase in size after we put in a predator-proof fence a few years ago. This year we recorded 755 pairs of herring gull and 870 pairs of lesser black-backed gull, classified as red and amber under the Birds of Conservation Concern listing.”
Bekka Watts is Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Seasonal Warden at nearby Foulney Island Nature Reserve. Her job involved taking up residence for the summer in a caravan that’s towed over the causeway onto the island at the start of each breeding season. Bekka describes her top moments from the season: “It’s a great place to spend the summer – there can’t be many jobs with the view like that! I was particularly pleased that six Little Terns fledged, and eight Arctic terns. That may not sound like a huge number to some people, but to put this in context, three years ago Arctic tern had completely abandoned Foulney Island and last year, they came back but their season failed. So it’s good news! Also 12 ringed plover chicks fledged (helped by the same anti-predator nest cages that we used on South Walney – none of the caged nests were disturbed), and nine oystercatcher chicks got away. Spring tides are always a challenge for the nests, and while they washed away some eggs, we saw the little oystercatcher chicks swimming through the tides.”
Wez Smith, RSPB Senior Project Manager for LIFE on the Edge said: “It’s fantastic that nesting shorebirds, particularly Little Terns, have had a good year at South Walney and Foulney. These stunning shorelines are vital for terns, waders and gulls to raise their young. Through LIFE on the Edge, we have been working with the Cumbria Wildlife Trust to restore and enhance these nesting sites, all while raising awareness so people can share this coastline and enjoy the wildlife spectacle for generations to come.”
Both sites are shingle nature reserves and while they attract a wonderful array of seabirds, these birds make their nests on the ground. Their speckled eggs are often impossible to discern amid the pebbles. This makes the nests, eggs and chicks incredibly vulnerable and for this reason, the public is not allowed on the beaches where the birds are nesting. The nests are also vulnerable to predators (such as foxes, kestrels and sparrowhawks) and being swept away by high spring tides. So a successful breeding season is certainly something to be celebrated.
26 October 2023
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