Rare seabird colony on Chesil Beach growing after years of decline

13th June

By James Moules @DorsetEchoJames

Things are getting better for a colony of rare seabirds.

The colony of little terns at Chesil Beach has seen growing numbers recently.

After years of decline through the 1990s and 2000s - with no breeding pairs at all in 2009 - a recovery project has successfully helped the colony grow in size again.

Ben Harrington, Project Officer for the Little Tern colony, said: "The colony is doing great, the number of nests has been rising rapidly and is very likely to keep on going. We had our first two chicks hatch, with plenty more to hatch in the next few days.

"In recent years the population at the colony has been fairly steady, at about 38 pairs, but hopefully this year we will have even more.

"The colony has successfully fledged plenty of chicks over the last few seasons and they should hopefully be returning soon."

The little tern colony at Chesil Beach is the only one of its kind in the south west.

As a result of the efforts of the project, there are now 36 nests, 22 of which have 3 eggs.

Read on

RSPB launches its #LittleTernAppeal for the Chesil Beach colony

15th February

By Martin Lea 

AN URGENT fundraising appeal has been launched to protect chicks on Chesil Beach.

The famous shingle bank is home to a rare colony of little terns – one of the most threatened seabirds in the UK.

The appeal to support the Little Tern Recovery Project has been triggered due to a shortfall in grant funding.

The project, which has been running for ten years, is a partnership between RSPB, the Crown Estate, Chesil Beach & the Fleet Nature Reserve, Portland Court Leet, Natural England, and Dorset Wildlife Trust. The Chesil Beach colony is the only one in the south west.

Each year from April-August the project protects Chesil Beach’s little tern colony from predators and disturbance, to give the chicks the best chance of survival.

The project costs £17,500 to run every year which is normally funded by grants – but this year only £4,000 has been secured. This is due to increasing demand for grants.

Funding helps the installation of a 'predator fence' around the colony as well as 24-hour warden patrols protect the birds from disturbance, a project officer and equipment for volunteers.

Kevin Rylands, RSPB Conservation Officer, said: “Every April these tiny birds beat tremendous odds by travelling thousands of miles from West Africa to a small strip of Chesil Beach to raise their family. With any luck, each adult pair will hatch two of the fluffiest and cutest chicks you’re likely to see."

He added: "They have disappeared from our coastline at an alarming rate and need our help. Rising sea levels, food shortages, predators, extreme weather conditions, and disturbance to their ground nesting from people, are all factors in their decline. It’s vital that we continue to protect them and give this summer’s chicks the best chance of survival."

Continued

Help rare seabird numbers take off on Chesil Beach

1 day ago / Martin Lea /  @DorsetEchoMart

A NEW chapter is beginning in a conservation success story on Chesil Beach.

And people are being sought to ensure the colony of little terns, one of the smallest and rarest seabirds, thrive.

Numbers of little terns breeding on Chesil Beach dipped to only ten pairs in 2008, but hard work by several organisations involved in the Little Tern Recovery Project has seen that number treble in the seven years since.

The RSPB says volunteers have a vital role to play again this year to try to make sure the conservation success story continues. Chesil is the only little tern colony in South West England, and as recently as the 1990s as many as 100 pairs regularly bred there.

RSPB project officer Ali Quinney said: “The last two years have been incredibly successful with 33 pairs nesting both summers, the highest number since the project started.

“As the numbers increase the colony will hopefully recover enough to be able to sustain its population without the need for so much intervention and protection.

“But the project’s success relies on the dedication and hard work of volunteers to help look after the colony, and we are looking for anyone who can spare some time to help make a real difference to the conservation of these brilliant birds.”

One of the smallest of seabirds, the little tern, which arrives from Africa in the spring, has been in decline because of predation, food shortages and extreme weather conditions. It is on the UK’s amber list of birds of conservation concern – the second highest level.

They nest on Chesil’s shingle, where they are preyed upon by foxes and other birds, and their nests are sometimes disturbed by passers-by and pets. The nesting area is fenced-off each summer, and volunteers work hard to reduce the impact of other threats.

Marc Smith, of Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “The little terns are such an important part of the wildlife on the Chesil Bank and the Fleet Nature Reserve, which is why so many partners are working together to protect them.

Continued ...

Little Tern's air miles equal two and a half times round the world

Wildlife conservationists studying rare Little Terns nesting on Chesil Beach in Dorset have discovered that two of them have notched up more than 60,000 miles each during their annual African migrations.

Given that the circumference of the earth is 24,860 miles, that means these small birds have travelled the equivalent of two and a half times round the world. 

The discovery was made during the fitting of new colour rings to the Chesil Little Terns in conjunction with the EU LIFE Little Tern Project.

Thalassa McMurdo Hamilton, Little Tern Project Officer says; “Steve Hales, a local bird ringer, carried out the colour ringing with Luke Phillips of the RSPB.

"As the ringing got underway we noticed some of the adults were glinting silver on their legs – they already had a metal ring on – and luckily, we managed to catch a few of these.

"We excitedly wrote down the ring number and Steve went home to check the BTO [British Trust for Ornithology] records to see how old they were.

Read on ...

Chesil Beach little terns' 'most successful year'

Breeding seabirds at a Dorset beach have had their "most successful year since records began", the RSPB has said.

Chesil Beach had a colony of 33 pairs of little terns this year, with 60 chicks making it to fledging.

The colony is watched round the clock by volunteers who have improved breeding conditions for the birds.

According to the RSPB it is the only colony of little terns in the south west of England.

The charity said the rise in numbers was down to work carried out by its warden-led team which monitors the birds.

An electric fence has been erected at the beach to minimise predation and human disturbance.

The scheme to protect the birds began in 2009.

The project is supported by Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve, the Crown Estate, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Natural England, EU PANACHE Interreg Project and the Portland Court Leet.

There are about 1,900 pairs of little terns in Britain.

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