Brora kids do their tern for nesting birds
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There have been a few changes taking place at Brora beach recently.
At the beginning of March, RSPB Scotland staff were joined by local volunteers and children from Brora Primary School over three days of sunshine to revamp the alternative nesting site for the terns at Dalchalm.
The week began by clearing vegetation from the alternative nesting site located at the north end of Brora golf course which was created in 2017. It is hoped that by making this alternative site attractive to these summer visiting birds, they will use this area to nest rather than their current nesting ground which is prone to disturbance by dogs and being washed away by high tides.
The team of volunteers also erected 200m of rope fencing around the current nesting site and put in 12 posts which will have signs encouraging members of the public to avoid walking close to the terns in breeding season.
Brora primary children have also been getting involved designing posters about the terns and how people can help them raise their chicks with less disturbance.
The children learned all about the 77,000km round trip completed by terns each year as they fly to the Antarctic to over winter. Arctic terns hold the world record for the longest migration of any living animal on earth.
The P4/5 class joined RSPB Scotland staff out at Dalchalm to make the nesting site as attractive as possible to the terns when they return to Brora around the end of April or early May.
The children collected pebbles, shells and seaweed to recreate a beach atmosphere safely away from the high tide line and dog walking routes. They also built chick hides so that tern chicks will have somewhere safe to hide. Over the coming weeks the class will also be making some tern decoys to put in the alternative nesting area to help attract the terns to this site.
RSPB conservation officer Bea Ayling said: "I am thrilled with the response we had from local volunteers for this project and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the golf club, the Brora and District Action Group and the local community. It was amazing to see the schoolchildren so engaged and passionate about helping these fantastic birds."
