The first of this season’s Arctic tern eggs have been spotted at Foulney Island Nature Reserve near Barrow by our Seasonal Warden, Will Michaels. This is one of only two places in Cumbria that the species breeds.

Famed for their long migrations, Arctic terns arrive in this country in April, where they can be seen nesting on islands around the north of England and Scotland, and leave again in September.

Will’s role is very important as he not only monitors their eggs, but ensures that visitors to the nature reserve don’t disturb or damage the nests, which are on the shingle. There are clear signs and rope trail markers to show that there is no access to the beaches, so that this threatened and fragile species is not harmed.

Will says: “Last year we had a successful year in terms of number, 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."

"We welcome visitors at the site – do come and enjoy wildlife responsibly and from a distance, but it’s essential that everyone respects the clear signage and keeps to designated pathways. It’s important to note that dogs (apart from assistance dogs) aren’t allowed on the nature reserve during breeding season – that’s from April to August.”

Arctic terns have one of the longest migrations of any bird: they breed in the Arctic and the UK during summer, and travel all the way to the Antarctic for the winter. Their journey ranges from 44,000 miles to 59,000 miles per year – that’s the longest migration recorded for any animal. In fact, over its whole life, an arctic tern can fly the same distance as taking three round trips to the Moon!

Foulney Island Nature Reserve is open all year but during breeding season access is restricted to designated paths and Slitch Ridge is closed.