New Nesting Site for Common Terns

Stockton Borough Council's Parks and Countryside staff have built and launched a Tern raft at Charlton's Pond in Billingham on March 8 2007. The 3 metre square structure replaces the existing Tern raft that has been in place since 1985.

The first raft was launched in the late 1960s and has been used by up to as many as 40 Common Terns which generally produce 18 chicks annually.

The Common Tern returns to Europe to breed after wintering in coastal regions off the coast of West Africa. They live along shingle beaches, rocky islands and salt marshes.

The Tern raft is covered in a layer of gravel that replicates their natural habitat and provides a substrate for the birds to lay their eggs. The raft will be monitored over the coming months to determine how effective the project has been.