Life as a shorebird warden for a week

Recently we have had two trainees from Ainsdale Sand Dunes NNR and Derbyshire Dales NNR making the trip up North to help out on the Shorebird Project. They were a great help during the week they were here for and we wish them all the best in the future. Sally has written a few words about her time.

I am a trainee at Ainsdale Sand Dunes NNR in the northwest, and I came to spend a week as a Shorebird Warden at Lindisfarne NNR, with fellow trainee Elli from Derbyshire Dales. It was a very exciting time to join the project. Lindisfarne NNR is a beautiful place to spend the day, and when we arrived we could see just one of the little tern eggs had hatched as we looked from a distance through our telescope; by the time we left there were at least nine! It was great to watch the chicks running around the beach and being fed, and waiting for more chicks to hatch. I especially liked walking round to and from the various colonies. It was good for me to see different dunes, with different flora and fauna.

I was pleased to be part of this important work protecting and monitoring the terns and not forgetting the Ringed Plover and Oystercatchers.

Many thanks to the team at Lindisfarne NNR for being so helpful and informative. It was an excellent learning opportunity. Hopefully we will return!

Sally Collier

Trainee Warden, Ainsdale Sand Dunes NNR