10/05/18 - 'Terning' up

Last week during the volunteer work party, as well as repairing the paths and hides at North Duffield Carrs, our team also helped us to get one of the tern rafts back out on site. Hopefully as the water continues to recede and the site dries out, we’ll be able to get the other one out next week too. A pair of Common Terns have been seen this week around Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings, so fingers crossed they’ll stay to breed once again. Last year thanks to the generosity of a private donation, the Friends of the Lower Derwent Valley funded the purchase and installation of the two nesting rafts last spring. The day after installation the newly arrived terns spotted our new raft and stayed over the summer months raising two chicks to fledging – first confirmed breeding success on the reserve. This was great news for the terns themselves, but also for many of our other breeding waterfowl as the terns defended their territory from any predators passing through the patch. It also meant the many visitors to the site were entertained by the antics of the fishing adults and the young learning to fly on the pool at Wheldrake. Fingers crossed for another successful year.

A week on from getting the first raft out, the water levels had receded enough on Wheldrake, allowing us to access the pool, however with plenty of mud in the way it was quite an exercise carrying the raft in from a long way back due, but as we finally made it onto the pool we were met by the excited calling of a pair of Common Terns – no doubt pleased to see their new home being floated into position! We are also pleased to be able to update you that the tern raft we put out at North Duffield Carrs last week has attracted three pairs of Common Terns – just rewards for everyone’s efforts. Many thanks as always to our team for all the extra help and pairs of hands!