Roseate Terns Reach New Northumberland High

but RSPB reports mixed fortunes for island's birds

Roseate Tern: St. Mary’s Island, Northumberland. (Photo: Richard Dunn)	Roseate Tern: St. Mary’s Island, Northumberland. (Photo: John Malloy)

Numbers of a rare seabird nesting on a tiny Northumberland nature reserve reached a new high this year, the RSPB announced today (25 August 2004).

The Roseate Tern is one of Europe's rarest seabirds, with only about 1,600 nesting pairs. Coquet Island, which is just 6 hectares in size and situated one mile off the Northumberland coast, has the only breeding colony of Roseate Terns in England.

Seventy-three pairs of Roseate Tern arrived on the RSPB Coquet Island nature reserve this summer, the highest number since the early 1970s. However, hopes that a record number of chicks would be raised were dashed by bad weather and food shortages.

RSPB Coquet Island warden, Dr Paul Morrison, said: "It has been a year of very mixed fortunes for the birds nesting on Coquet Island. We were delighted that the number of roseate terns increased again this year to 73 pairs, but all the birds nesting on the Island have been dealt a double-blow by a shortage of food and unseasonable storms. Many nests were swept away by gales and torrential rain, while young chicks died because they were soaked and chilled. It has been as bad year for breeding seabirds on Coquet as anyone can remember."

As well as the Roseate Terns, three other types of tern nest on the island – Arctic Tern, Common Tern and Sandwich Tern. All these birds also had a poor breeding season on Coquet. Only half of the Common Tern nests successfully raised chicks, while only one in three Arctic Tern nests were successful. Last year, both species raised at least one chick in every nest. This year, the Roseate Terns fledged 63 chicks, compared to 80 in 2003.

Paul said: "For the past few years we have put special nest boxes out on the island for the Roseate Terns and the boxes give these very rare birds an ideal place to nest and rear their young. This year all the terns used the nestboxes provided, and this simple conservation action undoubtedly helped many chicks survive by providing shelter from the appalling weather."

The RSPB believes that a shortage of small fish, such as sandeels and sprats; also contributed to the poor breeding season, with terns unable to find suitable food off-shore to bring to their chicks. Instead of bringing in easily swallowed sandeels for their young, some terns tried to feed their young with unsuitable food. Wardens had to remove pipefish, which are up to 35cm, from the throats of several chicks to prevent them from choking.

One possible explanation for shortages of sandeels could be that climate change has driven a rise in sea temperatures and affected currents. Scientists believe that this is changing the plankton mix on which the sandeel larvae feed, with the result that many of the small fish are not surviving or growing to full size and are simply not available for seabirds to catch.

The problem is not just confined to Northumberland and seabird colonies in Yorkshire, Shetland and Orkney are reporting similar problems, with Kittiwakes, terns, auks and skuas all suffering food shortages.

The Roseate Terns are now heading south to their wintering grounds off Africa and have been seen at several coastal locations in the north-east recently as they stop off on migration. Sightings have come from Tynemouth, St Mary's Island near Whitley Bay, and Whitburn.

Paul said: "After leaving Coquet, the terns traditionally stop off at favourite feeding places along the coast before starting their marathon migration journey in earnest. This gives people in the north-east a unique opportunity to see one of Europe's rarest birds."

SITA Environmental Trust as part of the Wildlife Guardians programme supports the RSPB's conservation work on Coquet Island.