Rare Roseate tern spotted nesting near Jersey

20 September 2019 at 1:04pm

Britain's rarest breeding seabird has been spotted on rocks off the coast of Jersey.

As many as 3 Roseate terns were sighted nesting among Common terns at Les Ecrehous off the north east coast of the island over the summer.

The bird is red listed and only four colonies remain in Europe, nesting in sites in England, Southern Ireland, Brittany.

The Roseates were the last birds to complete the 3,500 mile trip from West Africa and are believed to have stayed on Les Ecrehous between June and August.

The area has been a common nesting site for common terns. However, the nesting seabirds have faced pressure from an increase in tourism in the area, with hundreds of visitors from France and Jersey visiting the site every day during the summer.

Around 80 nests were recorded in 2019 but some of the birds did not breed as successfully, which was most likely due to human disturbance.

Last updated Fri 20 Sep 2019

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Restoration project could see one of Europe's rarest breeding sea birds brought back from the brink in Northern Ireland

Marie Louise McConville

27 June, 2019 01:00

ONE of Europe's rarest breeding sea birds could be brought back from the brink in Northern Ireland following a major island restoration project.

The critically endangered Roseate terns have been in near-terminal decline since the late 1980s.

Blue Circle Island, part of the Royal Society for the Protection of Bird's (RSPB) Larne Lough reserve, is one of the most important sites in Ireland for breeding terns.

However, sea defences on the island collapsed and up to a third of it had eroded through flooding.

Now, a £391,000 of funding, with costs partially covered by the EU-funded Roseate Tern LIFE Recovery Project ,and additional match funding from Tarmac and the RSPB, the charity has been able to lead works to extend the nesting area, making it a prime potential site for a roseate tern colony, ahead of the 2019 breeding season.

While there were between 20 and 35 breeding pairs in Larne Lough between 1985 and 1989, just one pair has been recorded in recent years.

Continued

Road to recovery for the Roseate Tern

11 Sep 2018

By Chantal Macleod-Nolan

Neighbouring BirdLife partners, RSPB (UK) and BirdWatch Ireland, have joined forces to put Europe’s rarest breeding seabird, the roseate tern, on the road to recovery.

The history of Europe’s rarest breeding seabird, the roseate tern Sterna dougallii, in Britain and Ireland has been a rocky one. Its characteristic pink breast (in breeding) plumage was once prized for fashionable hats, driving them to verge of extinction back in the 19th Century. Although the creation of wildlife laws brought them much-needed protection, the 1970s saw another population crash, with only 467 pairs remaining by 1989.

Long-term conservation efforts at its remaining three colonies – Rockabill Island and Lady’s Island Lake on Ireland’s east coast and Coquet in Northumberland, UK – have been rewarded with steady growth, reaching a record level of 1,980 pairs in 2018. As in previous years, the growth was mostly driven by Rockabill with 1,633 pairs recorded, but also Lady’s Island with 227 pairs and Coquet with 118 pairs. The productivity on Rockabill has been declining in recent years, falling to a low of 0.66 chicks per pair in 2016 and only slightly better 0.83 last year. On the other hand, Coquet had an exceptional productivity of 1.50 chicks per pair in 2017.

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Rogue rat which threatened rare bird colony flushed out after snubbing pork pies and chocolate

The RSPB was concerned it would cause devastation to roseate tern colony on Coquet Island
5th April 2017

By Mike Kelly

An elusive rat which stalked the North East island sanctuary of an endangered species of bird has been caught and killed just days before the breeding season begins there.

For three months staff from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds which manages Coquet Island have been searching with increasing anxiety for the rodent which despite their best efforts had evaded capture.

Sited half a mile off the Northumberland coast near Amble, it is the home of Britain’s last colony of roseate terns as well as being a nesting place for puffins.

If it hadn’t been caught it is feared the rat which feeds off eggs could have devastated the colony.

It is the first time a rodent had been reported to be seen on the island.

After being detected in January, the island’s RSPB warden there, Paul Morrison, installed traps with a number of different baits including pork pies, fish, pate and even Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate, but all to no avail.


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Brothers guilty of reckless disturbance of Northumberland wildlife sanctuary

Coquet Island is effectively the only place that Roseate terns breed in the whole of the UK. Image credit Chris Gomersall/RSPB images

Roseate tern nesting site disturbed

January 2103. Two brothers from Amble caused illegal disturbance to a rare seabird colony in Northumberland, a court has ruled. Derwick and Leslie Ramsay were found guilty at South East Northumberland Magistrates Court of the reckless disturbance of roseate terns on the bird sanctuary Coquet Island in July 2012.

The pair were prosecuted under the 1981 Country And Wildlife Act, which forbids the intentional and or reckless killing, injuring and disturbance of wild birds. The offence carries a maximum sentence of a £5,000 fine and/or six months in prison.

Caught on CCTV
Derwick Ramsay, together with four other men who were not prosecuted, landed boats on the island on 20 July allegedly to collect whelks. They were warned about the presence of breeding roseate terns by RSPB staff but this was ignored. On 22 July, Derwick returned with his brother Leslie, who was recorded on CCTV disturbing the birds. On returning to Amble marina Derwick and Leslie, together with four other men, were arrested and their boats were seized by Northumbria Police.

The only colony of breeding roseate terns in the UK
Coquet Island holds the only colony of breeding roseate terns in the UK and as a result, landing on the island is strictly prohibited. Roseate terns are a ‘red listed' species of high conservation concern and, as a ground nesting bird, they are particularly vulnerable to human disturbance. At the time of this incident the island held 71 breeding pairs.

Alan Firth, RSPB Investigations officer, said: "Roseate terns are incredibly rare and Coquet Island is effectively the only place they breed in the whole of the UK. Any disturbance to the colony could, therefore, have a disastrous effect on the population.

"The RSPB spends a huge amount of time, money and effort every year to give roseate terns the best chance to breed. This reckless disturbance - that took place despite warnings - threatened to undermine all of the conservation efforts to protect this species.

"We would like to thank Northumbria Police and Crown Prosecution Service Prosecutor Jonathan Moore for their hard work, which helped this case result in a successful prosecution."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/roseate-terns013.html