Two tern rafts made from Stokbord recycled plastic board became home to eight pairs of Common Terns in Watermead Country Park in Leicestershire, rearing ten young during the summer.
Members of the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society wanted to boost breeding numbers of the Common Tern in the county, following a decline in numbers. Nationally, the Common Tern has “amber” conservation status, due to recent significant reductions in breeding populations.
“The success of the Tern Rafts was amazing,” said Jim Graham, President of the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society. “We had not seen any Terns breeding in the Watermead area for several years. We knew that previously this wetland area had offered a good location for breeding Terns, but habitats had degraded and the birds had disappeared.
“The rafts were placed on the lake in mid-April. Although it was quite late in the season, two birds arrived on the first raft within two weeks, and four weeks later we had seven breeding pairs on the second raft”
+44 (0)151 207 8109
sales@centriforce.co.uk