Eco change and disease hit nesting Arctic terns

ARCTIC terns nesting at a key breeding site have dropped by nearly a third this year as conservationists blame climate change and disease.

- By Emily Beament

Some of our rarest seabirds visit Long Nanny, near Beadnell in Northumberland, managed by the National Trust.

But reports from the charity suggest the number of occupied Arctic tern nests there has fallen 30%, from 1,037 in 2024 to 724 this year.

A high spring tide washed away Arctic and little tern nests, despite efforts to protect them from the weather.

National Trust experts warn that the birds are in danger from rising seas, stronger storms due to climate change and bird flu, which devastated colonies.