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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gradders52" data-source="post: 1671558" data-attributes="member: 75771">Little Tern colony Beacon Lagoons Nature Reserve  A report on the 2003 breeding seasoNow here's a factual report for 2003... complete with electric fence... no birds!Summary.The Little Terns began a gradual return to the colony at Easington during thelast two weeks of April and by the start of the warden’s contract, on 27th April,there were 27 birds present. The numbers of Terns present on a day by daybasis fluctuated greatly with the highest daily count of 84 birds being recordedby the end of May. The first eggs were being incubated by 27th May. TheTerns appeared to favour two distinct areas within the overall colony area sothis was taken into account when the electric fencing was erected at the endof May. Over the weekend 31st May/1st June the two nests in the northernarea appeared to have been predated, although no tracks or signs could bedetected. The Terns favoured the southern area of the site with numbers oneggs increasing to sixteen pairs by the third week of June. It was at this pointthat up to six Carrion Crows began predating eggs within the colony andunfortunately within 36 hours of the first egg being predated every nest hadbeen destroyed. Over the next two weeks there were numerous breedingattempts in several places, all of which were unsuccessful due to eitherpredation, human disturbance or tides. By late July it became clear that it wasgoing to be a completely unsuccessful year for the colony, without any eggshatching.This represents the worst year at the colony since 1991 and only the seventhtime in 27 years where zero productivity has been recorded.The usual protection measures were taken this year, i.e. an electric fence anda post and wire perimeter fence. These measures were effective againstterrestrial predators, but are not designed to deal with avian predators.The failure of the Little Tern colony at Easington this year represents the firstyear since 1991 that there has been a total failure to fledge any chicks.The fact that the loss of eggs was due to predation by Carrion Crows causesconcern, but 2003 is not the first year this has been a problem - the rootcause of the 1991 problems was also due Carrion Crow predation.A report on the 2003 breeding seasonat the Little Tern colonyBeacon Lagoons Nature ReserveEasington, East YorkshireMartin KermanNovember 2003Edited by Mike Coverdale</blockquote>

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