England's most important tern colonies are showing signs of recovery following years of challenges including bird flu, flooding, and unpredictable weather, according to new figures from the National Trust.
The trust reported record numbers of little terns at Long Nanny in Northumberland, a significant breeding site for the country's second-rarest breeding seabird. At least 126 pairs nested, doubling the previous site record, and at least 82 chicks are known to have fledged.
Numbers for arctic terns at Long Nanny also saw a slight increase, with at least 730 breeding pairs this year. In Norfolk, over 1,100 pairs of sandwich terns returned to breed at Blakeney Point after a two-year absence.
Ben McCarthy, the trust’s head of nature conservation, stated that the figures demonstrate what can be achieved through careful protection and management of internationally important breeding sites. However, the trust also noted that the picture for breeding seabirds is not universally positive, citing a 27% fall in arctic tern numbers on the Farne Islands.