Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project

Chesil little terns & local wildlife
RSPB @Natures_Voice & partners CBFNR, @DorsetWildlife, @NaturalEngland, Portland Court Leet, Crown Estate & Dorset Council

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

We would like to thank all of our fantastic volunteer wardens. We want to say a massive thank you to our project partners, The Crown Estate, Natural England, Portland Court Leet, Dorset Wildlife Trust, and Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve for their continued support!

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Another breeding season comes to a close for our little terns, despite the challenges — predators, weather, and noisy neighbours (the oystercatchers) — many chicks took their first flight. 🐥✈️ #CoastalBirds #WildlifeConservation #ChesilBeach

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

As of last week, all of our Little Terns departed the site. They will be missed, but we are happy to see our growing colony off on their migration back to West Africa. We look forward to seeing them all next year #LittleTernMigration #ChesilBeach

Photo Credit: Joe Kaplonek

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

As the season slowly starts to quieten down here are some running counts;
Ringed Plovers - 7 nests, 7 chicks
Little Terns - 60 + nests - 36 fledglings
Oyster Catchers -  2 nests, 5 chicks
#ChesilBeach

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Photo Credit: Joe Kaplonek

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

BREAKING:
Little tern colony halts nesting to form emergency sky committee after spotting "giant fish with no wings."
Experts confirm it was a UFO.
Little Terns are still unconvinced.
#Chesilbeach #LittleTerns #UFOs

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Dating and mating as a ringed plover is hard.
They fake an injury and run away if you get too close. #RingedPloverLover #ChesilBeach

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Oystercatcher parenting tip:
If anything gets near the nest, scream at it until the tide goes out and your problems disappear. #OysterCatcher #ChesilBeach

Photo Credit: Angela Thomas

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

With the little tern colony over halfway hatched, over 30 fledglings were recorded on the foreshore recently #littleterns #chesilbeach

Photo Credit: Angela Thomas

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Dating and mating as a ringed plover is hard.
They fake an injury and run away if you get too close. #RingedPloverLover #chesilbeach

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

The Little Tern colony continues to develop, with small chicks tern-ing into the 21 fledglings counted a week ago #littleterns #chesilbeach

Photo Credit: Neil Price

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Ringed plovers may look cute, but territorial disputes in breeding season can get heated. Expect low-flying standoffs and a lot of posturing #ringedploverlover #chesilbeach

Photo Credit: Angela Thomas

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Little tern fledglings spend 90% of their day yelling at their parents and 10% falling over their own feet. Nature's interns. #littleternlearning #chesilbeach

Photo Credit: Angela Thomas

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Oystercatchers mate for life, which is adorable until you realize they also scream in unison at seaweed.
Love is complicated.

Photo Credit: Anglea Thomas

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

As the weathers heats up here on chesil beach, so is the nesting competition with additional nests going down this week bringing the Little Tern nest count above 60 nests!

Photo Credit: Neil Price
#Chesilbeach #littletern

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Dear our Ringed Plovers Lovers, 

Chesil Beach has recorded 5 ringed plover nests so far this season. One has hatched chicks, while the another two are still incubating. Heres hoping these little floofs are up and running around soon!  

Photo Credit: Angela Thomas

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

She’s beauty, she’s grace, she’ll scream right in your face. #LittleTernAttitude #ChesilBeach

Photo Credit: Angela Thomas

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Our oyster catchers have been busy this year, with two successful nests and 4 chicks running around the foreshore 🐥#spotthegreyblob
Video credit: Alana Benjamin

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Welcome back to the Chesil Beach Little Tern 2025 season. We are off to a flying start with our first Little Tern nests being laid on 03/05/2025.

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Still time to book a spot on the Fleet Explorer for great views of the Chesil little tern colony! (link in image)

[Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project @LittleChesil]

Join our Project Officer on board the Dorset Wildlife Trust's Fleet Explorer to get some of the best views possible of little terns and learn more about this vital colony!

Cruises running 24th May, 28th May, and 4th June.

https://t.co/2WGNYoYoAe