Little tern update

Jesse Timberlake , RSPB

Since June the little tern colonies of Suffolk have seen their ups and its downs. On one hand at Benacre National Nature Reserve we are fortunate enough to have the largest breeding colony in East Anglia. Yet at Kessingland (our most successful site in 2014) the colony was all but abandoned at the end of June, leaving just a few adults and their chicks behind. Preliminary data from the east coast shows that the food base might not be there, with chick feeding surveys showing the young are not getting the nutrients they need to survive. We are still investigating just why these two colonies, only a couple of miles apart as the tern flies, should have such different outcomes this season.

Little tern chick and egg. Photo: RSPB images

Whatever the reason for the poor results elsewhere, we are fortunate to be having a good season at Benacre. Our fledgling count on July 20th stood at 75, with many more chicks still running around and being fed. Electric fences were erected early at this site by Natural England and the RSPB little tern team, which in turn is funded by the EU LIFE programme. There is dawn to dusk wardening here, and even a few nights spend guarding the colony for good measure. This site has been very productive, with the average clutch count at 1.85, high for East Anglia this season. Our camera traps have picked up the presence of badger, fox, and otter very near the colony, but so far we have not detected any incidents of predation. We have a higher number of recorded fledglings in Suffolk this year than we have had in the past 16 years, and the efforts of the partner organisations and their volunteers have helped achieve this.

Deben Knoll early in season. Photo: RSPB images

Many people have visited the Benacre NNR over the last month and have been thrilled at the sight of 400 little terns fishing, feeding and raising young in a productive colony, a rare sight in Suffolk these days.

Although there is still much to learn and to improve upon in the coming years, I think we can look back on this season with a sense of pride, and look towards 2016 with a feeling of optimism.