Watching the tug, barge and all the other required equipment float up to South Binness really was exciting to watch. Rarely do I get to work with such big equipment so I jumped in with both feet to take an active role in the delivery of this project as I had planned. Working in the water full time is a dream come true. After beginning in the snow on the first day of the project I had feared it would be a particularly arduous week but the weather improved and the 200 tonnes used to replenish the beach where Little Terns had nested previously was very rewarding. Increasing the extent of the ridge will create more available nesting habitat and increasing the ridge height will hopefully prevent nest 'wash out' from tides so large the ridge would become submerged. Sea level rise will be a real problem for little terns in years to come and protecting the significant Langstone Harbour population will make a massive contribution to sustaining their nationally declining population. The RSPB gained funding from the European Union and the Heritage Lottery Fund for a three-year project to restore and protect little tern nesting sites in the harbour. The two phases of shingle replenishment are just a part of this grant. Watch this space for our other projects! Tim Callaway, the RSPB’s area manager for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said: ‘I am really excited about this project to save nesting little terns in Langstone Harbour. It is wonderful to see that these dainty, but threatened, birds have captured the imagination of so many others." Phase two will be using much smaller aggregates to create the right habitat. Simply, smaller stones with a quite bit of sand should mean Little Terns will have a great breeding season this year. Please do click on the link below to take a peek at Little Terns in closer detail, they really are quite amazing.
The RSPB gained funding from the European Union and the Heritage Lottery Fund for a three-year project to restore and protect little tern nesting sites in the harbour. The two phases of shingle replenishment are just a part of this grant. Watch this space for our other projects!
Tim Callaway, the RSPB’s area manager for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said: ‘I am really excited about this project to save nesting little terns in Langstone Harbour. It is wonderful to see that these dainty, but threatened, birds have captured the imagination of so many others."
Phase two will be using much smaller aggregates to create the right habitat. Simply, smaller stones with a quite bit of sand should mean Little Terns will have a great breeding season this year.
Please do click on the link below to take a peek at Little Terns in closer detail, they really are quite amazing.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/l/littletern/index.aspx