Protecting Tern Island!

This morning, two of our Wardens ventured out onto the mere (in our new boat), to place roof tiles on Tern Island.

The purpose of these tiles is to provide the young terns and black headed gulls (which have just returned for the summer) with somewhere to hide from predators (a technique used on other nature reserves). This is largely in response to a hard 2016 for the birds, with all the young taken by predators within a couple of days.

Hard hats were worn to protect from the terns sharp beaks, although they quickly left once our Wardens paddled out, but did return shortly afterwards – lucky escape!

Member Andy Mooney was armed and ready in the hide with his long lens, hoping for one of them to fall in – unfortunately to no avail!