Common tern chicks and black-necked cygnets hatch
Two common tern chicks have hatched on a nesting raft at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre on June 20. The gravel raft is directly in front of the Sand Martin Hide, giving visitors the opportunity to get great photos. The common terns at WWT Arundel are thought to be the only pair nesting in the Arun Valley. Most terns nest on gravel beaches along the coast but will nest inland on gravel pits and reservoirs.
The grounds team at WWT Arundel have created gravel islands and put out floating rafts covered with gravel to provide nesting habitat for common terns that visit the reserve. Black-headed gulls outnumber the terns 50-1 and compete with the terns for the best nesting spots. This pair of feisty terns ejected a black-headed gull from the nest that the gull had built on the raft and took it over. The male is regularly bringing fish to feed the female and the chicks. The chicks will be fed for the next three weeks then spend two weeks learning to fish and fly before they are fully fledged.
Arnie and Laura, the pair of black-necked swans in our collection hatched out a brood of 6 cygnets on Sat 15 June. The adults took the youngsters onto the water after a few days and now they are taking turns riding on their parents backs. In the wild the youngsters ride on their parents for the first few weeks to keep out of the mouths of hungry pike and other large fish.
