Conservation Volunteers Galway reap rewards of Common Tern project in Lough Atalia
A pilot project to protect Common Tern chicks from airborne predators has reaped reward on Lough Atalia – with the first of the new-born birds taking flight last week from the specially created raft.
The scheme is the brainchild of Conservation Volunteers Galway, when they recognised that very few Common Tern chicks were surviving long enough to take to the air.
This was because of the variety of predators attacking their nests on their traditional local breeding grounds on Mutton Island and Rabbit Island in Galway Bay.
Protecting the nests on these islands from predators is very difficult, according to Peter Butler who is the Press Officer with Conservation Volunteers Galway
But one solution, he said, was to come up with a floating raft which can be seen moored in Lough Atalia.
“This solution has already worked in Lough Neagh and in Dublin Bay,” added Peter.
Thanks to funding from the GMIT Marine & Freshwater Research Centre and GMIT Green Campus, a floating raft with poly-carbonate sides was constructed by Conservation Volunteers Galway and put in place in April.
Up to eight pairs of Common Terns were observed by Niall Keogh – a Ph.D student in GMIT – to make nests on the raft beginning in mid-May.
“For reasons unknown many of the nests were abandoned – possibly due to a period of very strong winds and inclement weather,” said Peter.
“But chicks hatched from three nests from which one chick survived and took flight on August 12,” he added.
And now – based on learnings from this year – modifications will be made to the raft and it will be put in place again next year.
“If funding can be obtained to do so, a second raft will be added as Common Terns are better protected from airborne predators if they can nest together in large colonies,” added Peter.