Cumbria wildlife warden spots first Arctic Tern eggs at Foulney Island

Spotted by Seasonal Warden Will Michaels, the birds make an epic migration all the way from the Arctic circle to the island near Barrow every April.

In the UK, they can be seen nesting on islands around the north of England and Scotland, before leaving again in September.

READ MORE: Foulshaw Moss nature welcomes first 'bobblehead' Osprey chicks

The arctic terns follow the tides in and out and focus on feeding when they arrive to build up their strength back up.

According to Will, in recent times, the birds have been settling in pairs on the shingle beaches, courting, creating nest scrapes and exchanging fish - which are all great signs of breeding intent.

The first Arctic Tern eggs of this year were discovered on May 23 but were unfortunately predated by a carrion crow a week later.

This is just one of the many reasons why a seasonal warden is needed.

Ground nesting birds face many pressures on Foulney Island, which, as well as predation, also includes extreme tides and disturbance by dogs.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust employ a seasonal warden each year during the breeding season to live on the 18-hectare island, in a caravan, and protect the birds.

Its current warden Will started his career at RSPB Dungeness in Kent and then relocated to Cumbria working as a tree-planter over the winter months.

It has now been two months since he first took on his unusual role with Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

"I absolutely love it," said Will. "My duties include monitoring and surveying the wildlife on the island, interacting with the public and ensuring the breeding birds are disturbed as little as possible.

"As the island gets cut off from the mainland during the high tides, it can be quite isolating

"I am constantly surrounded by the rewards of incredible wildlife, however - gannets diving whilst I’m eating my breakfast, short-eared owl hunting the island at dusk and recently the spectacular Northern lights over the caravan - to name just a few examples.

The Arctic tern eggs are always a welcome sight and their watcher expects there will be more.

"The incubation period for arctic terns is approximately 22 days," Will said. "So chicks are to be expected late-June onwards.

"After another 22 days, the chicks will fledge and face the unbelievably long migration South."

Last year was a successful year in terms of numbers, with eight Arctic terns fledging at Foulney Island.

This followed the failure of the 2022 Arctic tern season and before that, their complete abandonment of the site in 2020.

However, last year’s season was sadly marred by a number of disturbances from people and dogs, which had negative impacts on these ground-nesting birds.

Will added a couple of important points for visitors to remember: "We welcome all visitors to the island to see the fantastic wildlife, but it’s important to note, dogs, apart from assistance dogs, aren’t allowed on the island during breeding season.

"Visitors must respect the signage and keep to the designated pathways to keep our breeding birds safe."