Arctic tern numbers surge after ‘babysitting’ scheme for chicks
ARCTIC tern numbers are soaring after National Trust rangers babysat fledgling chicks round-the-clock for four months to make sure they were protected from high tides and predators.
More than 500 Arctic terns, and five internationally threatened little terns, have flown their nesting sites in Northumberland unscathed after wildlife experts set up a vigil from tents close to breeding areas from May to August.
In 2016 just two Arctic terns and five little terns survived, due to stoats, foxes, marine pollution and tidal surges. But this year numbers have rocketed.
The vigil is part of ongoing conservation efforts to protect the birds that flock to the Northumberland coast each summer to breed.
This summer, the trust bought 200 acres of salt marsh, woodland, hedgerows, pasture and sand dunes at Tughall Mill, to make sure the birds were undisturbed. Simon Lee, general manager of National Trust Northumberland Coast, said: “We are passionate about looking after special places for the benefit of people, wildlife and nature.
“We already care for 12 miles of the Northumberland coast. Now we will be able to look after the wider landscape helping wildlife and nature flourish, as well as safeguarding the site for future generations.”
Only around 1,800 breeding pairs of Arctic terns return to the Long Nanny from Antarctica each year, between May and July. Last year, one tagged tern from the Farne Islands clocked up 59,650 miles in one migration, more than twice the planet’s circumference.
The trust will link up hedgerows to create wildlife corridors as well as improve woodland areas through the removal of non-native invasive species.
The ranger team will also plant native woodland and hedgerow trees, and through careful grazing management, encourage native plant species found in the dunes and grasslands, including rare calcareous plants such as purple milk vetch and autumn gentian.
David Feige, a local Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty officer, said: “The site at Tughall Mill is very significant, especially as it hosts such an important colony of little and Arctic terns, and fantastic dune grassland.”