Little Tern Sternula albifrons Juvenile
The smallest of our terns, I was delighted to see a colony of breeding Little Tern at Nanny Burn, Northumberland early this July. Arriving in April, their nest is a scrape in the shingle or sand but pressure on the coast combined with the birds high vulnerability to disturbance and predation means that Little Tern are increasingly dependent on sites which are guarded by conservationists and volunteers as was the case here. Talking to Kate, one such volunteer, I learnt that there had been 24 breeding pairs at the start of the season but high tides and Avian Flu had taken some of the chicks as well as adults. Nonetheless, the perseverance and dedication of volunteers at this protected site seem to be safeguarding the future of many Little Tern who will leave for their winter quarters along the west coast of Africa during July.
Thank you all for your kind responses.
Little Tern Sternula albifrons Juvenile
The smallest of our terns, I was delighted to see a colony of breeding Little Tern at Nanny Burn, Northumberland early this July. Arriving in April, their nest is a scrape in the shingle or sand but pressure on the coast combined with the birds high vulnerability to disturbance and predation means that Little Tern are increasingly dependent on sites which are guarded by conservationists and volunteers as was the case here. Talking to Kate, one such volunteer, I learnt that there had been 24 breeding pairs at the start of the season but high tides and Avian Flu had taken some of the chicks as well as adults. Nonetheless, the perseverance and dedication of volunteers at this protected site seem to be safeguarding the future of many Little Tern who will leave for their winter quarters along the west coast of Africa during July.
Thank you all for your kind responses.