From April, the little terns were well on their way back from Africa to set up site on the Seaton Carew beach – and our great team of wardens and volunteers have already been making preparations to greet them and keep them safe while they raise their young. THREE THOUSAND MILES to travel for this endangered little bird to visit us in Seaton Carew, with a similar return journey In September. We are so privileged to have the little terns here and our team of volunteers readily accept the obligations and duty of care we have towards them.

Although we can never be certain where the prospecting colonies will choose to raise their young, our hope is that once again they will select the site at Seaton Carew which has proven so successful for them in recent years, when 67 chicks fledged in 2022 and a fantastic 125 in 2023. We are hoping to break all records this year.

Our planning and preparation for their arrival in early May began a while ago. The success of recent years has owed much to the care and commitment of Durham Wildlife Trust wardens and the volunteers who have maintained watch over the site every day (and night!) of the week from the time of the first arrival, through to the departure of the final fledglings in August.

The first key milestone of our project plan was to recruit and induct wardens and volunteers to work alongside some of our stalwarts who step forward each year. 

You can find the final blog from the 2023 season here, in which each of our team wrote a summary of their experiences.

The first hands-on experience of the 2024 team was to join a litter pick to clear the nesting site and surrounding area, then to assist in the erection of the perimeter fencing which you may have seen in previous visits to Seaton Carew.

We will be looking skyward in the days that follow to identify arrivals before triggering our warden and volunteer rota. Don’t miss your opportunity to come along – we’d love to have you join us or simply pop down for a chat……but be prepared to be converted because these little birds will get under your skin!