Once again we have reached that time when we bid farewell to the little terns following their departure on the 3000-mile journey to The Gambia in West Africa. Some of our visitors have made that journey many times, in particular one adult which had been ringed at the site in Crimdon in 2001!! The average age for a little tern is 12 years which in itself is quite remarkable given the miles they accumulate each year, but to have one reach the grand old age of 23 years is both astonishing and rewarding for everyone involved in their care. Incidentally, the oldest little tern ever recorded by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is 25 years and 8 days. Fingers crossed that we see our little friend here again in 2026 and put Seaton Carew into the record books.

Before going any further, I’d like to give appreciation and a huge vote of thanks and recognition to the incredible volunteers, wardens and of course to the good people of SeaScapes, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Hartlepool Council and Durham Wildlife Trust who, through their commitment, coordination, support and generosity have made this all possible. Our wardens and amazing volunteers, not to mention the community of Hartlepool and beyond, already hold Seaton Carew in the highest esteem. Our location provides a unique vantage point from which to observe the birds at close quarters, from their initial arrival in April/May, site prospecting, courtship, mating, incubating eggs, brooding and feeding chicks through to their fledging and departure. I would particularly like to pay tribute and express gratitude to the general public who have given their support and encouragement to the team throughout the year. It is clear that the community have taken the little tern colony to their hearts and in doing so have become so knowledgeable of the birds and the challenges they face in order to survive and thrive.

This year saw the highest numbers of chicks (182) and fledglings (136-145) ever recorded in a single year at Seaton Carew, taking our overall total for the site to 403. If anyone ever wondered about the value of the paling fence, 354 of those chicks fledged since it was first erected by our volunteers on Seaton Carew beach in 2022. I will explain the disparity between chicks and fledglings later in the blog, but first I’d like to share the thoughts and experiences of some of this year’s wardens and volunteers.

EMMA

Earlier this year, I signed up for a beach clean at Seaton Carew (prior to the fence being erected in anticipation of the arrival of the little terns), unaware that this would be the start of something much bigger! After hearing Derek speak so passionately about these birds, I decided to sign up as a volunteer and, subsequently, was given the opportunity to become a warden.  From my first shift at the beginning of May, I was hooked!

I feel privileged to have been able to witness so much of the lives of these feisty little birds, from their arrival to their all-too-soon departure: watching their aerial courtship displays, mating, nesting, incubating, brooding and feeding their chicks. I only fully appreciated their diminutive size on seeing them lift up to deter much larger gulls and chase them off their patch! I loved arriving on site to the sound of their chatter - a reassuring noise, the absence of which is deafening once the birds have left for their long journey back to the Gambia. 

I have learned so much from my fellow wardens and volunteers, and have thoroughly enjoyed spending time in their company. I am in awe of our night wardens, without whom the site would be incredibly vulnerable.

There has been a great deal of interest from the public, whether keen birders or passers-by. Some people have travelled considerable distances to see these little birds, whilst others were previously unaware that these amazing visitors were on their doorstep. Many people have returned regularly to see them, and have been delighted to hear that they have had a successful breeding season.  There have been a number of people who have asked about the turtles, but we have clarified this misconception!

I hope to be back again next year!

LINDA

Like Emma, I was recruited to the little tern team after meeting Derek (and his little tern decoys!) at the Seaton Carew beach clean. Last year I had visited the site several times as a local nature enthusiast and had benefited from Dobrawa’s skill at spotting the well-camouflaged chicks. This year it was a wonderful privilege to become part of the friendly team as a volunteer.  There can’t be more delightful volunteering opportunities than watching over these attractive little birds on our beautiful coast – and of course the ever dynamic ringed-plover chicks! It was a pleasure to engage with the local public, who seemed rightfully proud that the little terns had chosen their beach to make their nesting place. We also met with visitors from across the country who had come especially to see the little terns and heard their different stories.

I learnt so much from Derek and Tony and the other team members about the little terns and ringed plovers; everyone was very welcoming and supportive to a new recruit.  The value of helping protect our wildlife to flourish was shown in just how empty the site feels now, without the constant motion and calls of these remarkable birds, which really brought our coast alive.  I am already looking forward to 2025 and hopefully the successful return of these long-distance travellers to our beaches and skies.

GEE (GEORGIA)

Hi! I'm Gee, one of the volunteers from the Seaton Carew site.

I thought it would be interesting to share my perspective of the season, as I haven't been involved as much as others, but even in the short time I have spent on the site, it has still been such a lovely, eye-opening experience.

Throughout my few ‘shifts’, I have learnt so much from the wardens and volunteers that I've been lucky enough to work with, and the birds themselves have taught me so much!  Getting the opportunity to watch the birds settle, build their scrapes, and then to see the chicks fledge was incredible, and all in such a short space of time!

Living locally, I’d seen the site in the past, and spoken to the wardens, but until I volunteered I had no idea of the tremendous amount of work and effort that goes into looking after our little birds, and I must say, it is beyond belief! For example, passers-by don’t tend to see the INCREDIBLE amount of effort the night shift wardens put in, tirelessly protecting the birds all throughout the night. People also don’t tend to notice the enormous amount of preparation that goes into the site, even before the birds have arrived! There was a beach clean organised, with a great turn out, and the council did their part amazingly with protecting the site. On the surface, to most it may seem like a small operation but I wanted to share a little bit of what many wouldn't have seen, to show just how much work and effort the brilliant team have put in.                  

Special shout out to Derek, Chris and Dave for all their sleepless nights - the season would not have been the same without their valiant dedication!

It is so lovely to be able to physically see the difference that the conservation and protection makes, first hand, and this has truly taught me the value and importance of it.

The interest and input from the general public in Seaton has also been amazing. The interactions I had with people visiting were absolutely lovely, and it is always great to see the support and appreciation for our team. It is fulfilling to speak with someone who had no prior knowledge or interest in the terns or the site, and then to see the excitement, curiosity and the desire to learn more appear!

For many, in the summer, the site becomes part of a routine. We had lots of lovely regular visitors coming to speak to us, check on the progress daily, and get the binoculars out and see for themselves. It has become an annual tradition for some people, as a good few people told us they had been ‘waiting for the terns’ as they'd loved seeing them so dearly last year. We also got to speak to a few large groups, that had travelled from elsewhere to see the site, which was a brilliant experience! It is so heart warming to see all the interest and the support, and so deserved for all the hard work the site wardens do.

I have learnt a lot from the general public this season, and hopefully, they learnt a little from me.

Even only being able to come to the site a handful of times has been so valuable to me, and I’ve really loved being able to help out where I can. It has really showed me that everyone's work plays a part, and that even if you’re not able to dedicate a large chunk of time, every little really does help!

See you next season! 

MIKE AND SHEILA

Another very successful year as far as fledgling numbers are concerned. It was a pleasure to be part of the project for our second season. Our “highs” and “lows” were:

Highs

1. The excellent results achieved by the project, in terms of numbers, reflecting the time and hard work of the team
2. The association and camaraderie of our superb team of wardens and volunteers.
3. Liaison with members of the public, the vast majority of whom were very interested in the birds and supportive of the project. One particular instance comes to mind: A scope had been set up on the prom as the first chicks were hatching. A young family group came past with a few children aged (say) 6 – 12. One young lad kept coming back to look through the scope and we suggested to him that if he looked through the scope when the adult little terns were swapping over, he might see the chick. When his mother came over he shouted  excitedly “Mam, I’ve just seen a chick hatch. That’s so cool”. One future naturalist converted?

The only real low was the weather! Last year, on our Saturday shift, I seem to recall wall to wall sunshine all season but this year we didn’t seem to get a decent day. On our second shift (11 May), Sheila eventually found it necessary to don two anoraks, a woolly hat and gloves!

TONY

Here we are at the end of another little tern season. Each one has been unique and this one too has had its share of wonders and challenges. We held our breath after the fence went up and no birds appeared! But soon we had a great population and our first chicks hatched on June 7th. Soon we had a heady situation of the site alive with chicks of all ages being fed and fledging.

But all too soon they took us by surprise and left for southern climes. We had our stressful times and but for the dedication of the night team deterring the foxes, we wouldn't have had a colony at all. Unfortunately, the kestrel found us late in the day and as nature dictates predated some of the younger chicks. But it could have been worse had it discovered the site sooner.

Again we have been blessed with a wonderful team of wardens and volunteers who have all brought refreshing and exciting skills and knowledge for the benefit of all of us. It's been a joy and privilege to work with you all.

Our support and interaction with the public goes from strength to strength and we have enjoyed broader exposure both on social media and mainstream news.

And finally, many thanks to Derek for his tireless dedication and leadership.

SHIRLEY

I can say that I have really enjoyed volunteering with Seascapes to help look after the little terns at Seaton Carew. There are lots of interested members of the public who engage with us and we also help them in mastering the car park ticketing machine!

I certainly intend to volunteer again next year.

DEREK

And back to me...

I am sure that from the testimonies above you will have gleaned a great (and correct) impression of our amazing 2024 little tern team – they are central to the success we have seen at Seaton Carew and I am so grateful to each and every one of them. This has been my second year as lead warden for the Seaton Carew project, having previously enrolled as warden in 2022. This year we have seen increased interest and attention on the Seaton Carew site with on-line posts from the BBC Newcastle, BBC Cleveland and articles in the local press, each presenting complimentary messages on events and achievements. We have also begun to use local social media groups to raise awareness and inform the community of progress and events, the response has been amazing.

Each year has brought new experiences, some good – some less good – and this year has been no exception. This year we have experienced exceptional fox incursions which put our night shift under pressure for a while and during the latter days we also witnessed predation by a kestrel. Such is nature and we do know that the fox and the kestrel had young to raise too. Despite these events, we went on to see between 136 and 145 little terns fledge and leave the site, albeit sooner than we might normally expect, in order to escape the disturbance. That is their natural reaction and we’re already aware of a number of our ringed birds having shown in other locations.

We never cease to learn and make new discoveries about the birds and the local environment – and we also learn lessons about how we can improve to manage the project in future years. This year will be no exception and I’m confident that we’ll be back again next year to build and improve upon every aspect of our work.

To finish off, here’s a summary of the 2024 results:

• 182 little tern chicks hatched from 81 nests

• 136-145 little terns fledged, of which 117 were ringed

• 28 ringed plovers fledged