ThE rETUrN OF ThE TErNS

bY ALICE mCdOUGALL (rSpb Volunteer)

“It’s summer, you never saw such a blue sky / And here they are, those white birds with quick wings / Sweeping over the waves, chattering and plunging / Their thin beaks snapping, their hard eyes / happy as little nails” - In her poem ‘Terns’, mary Oliver evokes the pleasure of sun, sea breeze and the absorbing joy of watching terns. pagham harbour is an important breeding area for Little Terns and Sandwich Terns.

Little Terns can be identified by the distinctive white forehead on their black caps and yellow bill with a black tip. As they are social birds you may see a flock rise up together to see off predators. They nest on the beach, making shallow scrapes in which to lay their eggs, and are consequently particularly vulnerable to predators from both ground and the sky: Foxes, badgers, hedgehogs and gulls all have some interest in finding eggs or chicks to feed upon. Flooding as a result of rising spring tides has also been a factor in dwindling numbers and from 2000 to 2015 there was an 18 per cent decline. This has been addressed with the LIFE+ project aimed at increasing the numbers of breeding pairs of terns. Three ‘Tern Islands’ have been constructed from shingle creating ideal habitats for the terns to breed and predators fences have been erected to keep them safe.

It is important that visitors do not pass fenced-off areas or walk across the islands. It is also vital that people keep their dogs on leads; adult Little Terns will abandon their nest if they’ve been disturbed, leaving chicks and nests vulnerable.

The good news is, there has been an increase in fledgling terns since the project’s inception, and last year a record 26 Little Terns hatched, as well as 148 Sandwich Terns – let’s see what this year brings. perhaps the final line in mary Oliver’s poem perfectly sums up the mesmerising and cathartic impact of watching these beautiful birds: “And you find, for hours, you cannot remember the questions that weigh so heavily in your mind”.

Why not join us on one of our guided walks this month to look for our returning seabirds? Visit our website https://events.rspb.org.uk/paghamharbour to book your place. And you can help us protect our nesting little terns by becoming an rSpb pagham Site ranger volunteer – contact rob Yarham, our Volunteer Coordinator, to find out more – email: rob.yarham@rspb.org.uk