Natural England

Little and Common Terns have returned to breed at Pagham Harbour, West Sussex after an absence of 10 years.

Pagham Harbour, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is also internationally designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA). This is partly because of the terns that nested here in the past. For the decade these threatened seabirds have visited Pagham Harbour each summer, but have failed to breed successfully.

But this year around eight pairs of Little Terns have nested on the Church Norton Spit beach, raising at least five young. However the actual figure may be much higher, as they can be quite elusive. When a recent lightning bolt spooked the birds in the harbour, 35 of them flew up from the beach.

In response, a section of the beach was fenced off this summer by Local Nature Reserve staff, to protect the birds from the disturbance of people and animals. This was met with enthusiasm by the public who are excited to see the rare birds back.

Other parts of the beach on Church Norton and Pagham Spits remained fully accessible, and this is an excellent example of how protecting vulnerable beach-nesting birds and maintaining public access and enjoyment of the coast, can be combined and managed to everyone’s satisfaction.

It is not just Little Terns that have been spotted again. At least 32 pairs of Common Terns have nested successfully, raising at least 17 young. Most of these have nested on Tern Island, a specially created island in the harbour itself which is less vulnerable to disturbance, being surrounded by water at high tide.

Jon Curson of Natural England said: “This has been an excellent year for Pagham Harbour with these special birds returning to nest successfully. We hope that even more Little and Common Terns will return next year and we would like to thank the public for their co-operation with the Nature Reserve staff which has made this a real achievement.

”Nature Reserve staff have done a wonderful job in both acting quickly to ensure that the terns were able to nest successfully and in explaining the good news to the public, who have reacted positively to this local success story.”

Notes to Editors:

Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are areas designated by Natural England as internationally significant, and are safeguarded under European law. They consist of some of the country's very best wildlife and geological sites and include some of our most spectacular and beautiful habitats. It is essential to preserve the remaining natural heritage for future generations.

Issued on behalf of Natural England by the Government News Network South East. For further information please contact Katherine Ellery on 01483 882888, 07785 233167 or Katherine.Ellery@gnn.gsi.gov.uk