This season has seen a record number of Sandwich terns nesting on Brownsea Island's nature reserve, according to figures released by Dorset Wildlife Trust. These graceful birds arrived this spring from Africa to breed on man-made islands in the lagoon, and reserve wardens have counted 263 nesting pairs, compared with last year's 231.
The lagoon and nature reserve on the National Trust owned island are managed by Dorset Wildlife Trust, and wardens are keeping a close eye on the vulnerable nests. Protected only by short half-pipe tunnels, the chicks are a temptation to many predators now that they are moving about in the open.
Brownsea Island Reserve Manager, Chris Thain, said: "This year, as always, there is some predation going on. We have not identified the culprits yet, but it could be other birds, such as great black backed gulls or herons, which also breed in the reserve. We do not have all the usual mammal predators on Brownsea, but we do have rats and the occasional otter. But with such a large colony this year, we are still hoping for a good number of chicks. If we make last year's number of 106, we will be happy."
Sandwich terns, which have amber status as birds of conservation concern, depend largely on nature reserves for breeding sites in the UK. Following work to provide the right habitat for the terns by Dorset Wildlife Trust wardens, volunteers and sponsors Barclays, the population has grown from only 6 pairs in the 1960s to the busy colony we see today. The Sandwich terns are sharing the nesting islands with common terns and black-headed gulls. There are 183 common tern pairs this year, but their chicks have not yet hatched. There are good views of all the birds, including Sandwich tern and black-headed gull chicks, from the Macdonald hide in the Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve. The reserve is open daily, with access via regular boats from Sandbanks, Poole and Bournemouth.
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