Whitlingham Country Park in Norfolk - Common Tern nesting raft

Birds on the Brink is pleased to announce a grant award to the Whitlingham Charitable Trust, to help install a floating raft that will boost the breeding prospects of Common Terns.

Above: Common Tern, the main beneficiary of the nesting raft. Photograph ©Paul Sterry.

Blog placement photograph ©Tony Villalgordo.

Although Common Terns are annual visitors to Whitlingham Country Park, currently they do not breed due to the lack of a suitable site. Local naturalist and Whitlingham-enthusiast James Emerson has seen signs of courtship behaviour in the past and is optimistic that a raft installation will be successful next breeding season.

The floating nesting raft will be constructed over the winter months and installed next spring, just in time for the arrival of migrant Common Terns from wintering grounds in Africa.

It is hoped that the raft will not only benefit the terns, but also serve to further engage and interest the public in the site’s wildlife - the park welcomes an amazing 300,000 visitors each year.

Above: the idyllic location for the Common Tern nesting raft at Whitlingham Country Park, with an existing bird hide strategically placed for great observation.

Photograph: ©Keith Sowter

Kate Villalgordo, Fundraising and Development Officer for the Whitlingham Charitable Trust commented: ‘Thank you so much for your support with our tern raft project. We look forward to welcoming the Birds on the Brink team to Whitlingham Country Park next spring.’

We look forward to that and wish the project every success.