14/02/20 - Gambia Tern

Whilst we're in the grip of this wintry and stormy weather, news has just filtered through of one of our Common Terns enjoying the warm sunshine of its wintering grounds – 5100km away in The Gambia in Western Africa. Following our first recovery last summer, when we heard that one of our chicks from 2018 had been seen and photographed in Merseyside, it is fantastic to now get our second recovery out of only 11 birds that have been colour-ringed since 2017 when the project began. The individual spotted in The Gambia was ringed on the Wheldrake Ings raft as a chick in July last year, from a brood of three - great to know it made it to its wintering grounds safely - here’s hoping it returns to the LDV in 2021 having spent its first summer off the African coast.

'Our' tern chick (8.87) on its wintering grounds in Africa

The Friends of the LDV purchased the first two rafts in 2017 thanks to a generous private donation, which resulted in a single pair nesting and raising two chicks to fledging. The following year, two pairs raised six young and last year, two pairs raised five young to fledging. All 13 chicks have been ringed, with 11 fitted with colour-rings in the hope of being able to follow them on their epic migrations.

With the project going well so far with just two rafts, we are delighted to reveal that this year we will have two extra rafts, which will be installed later in the spring when the floods will have hopefully receded. Many thanks to the Friends and those that have helped support them in being able to deliver these rafts, which have helped make a difference to these birds and the people who enjoy watching them around the world. If you would like to help support further work like this then please visit our Go Fund Me page – every little helps, thank you - https://www.gofundme.com/f/conserving-the-lower-derwent-valley.