We are proud to provide a sustainable, affordable, clean and safe water supply and to manage and treat the waste water returned to us in a way that protects the environment.
27/05/2008
Vulnerable ground-nesting summer visitors to Northumberland are to have somewhere safe to lay their eggs.
Arctic and common terns, which normally nest along the coast, have been spotted at Northumbrian Water’s Whittle Dene reservoir site in Northumberland.
Until recently the visiting terns did not have anywhere suitable to nest and raise their young at the reservoir site, but volunteers from the water company have built a nesting platform for the birds, and it is to float in front of a hide which has been on site since 2006.
Reporters and photographers are invited to watch the tern nesting platform being floated on the Whittle Dene Reservoir, near Horsley on Thursday, May 29 2008 at 11.00am.
Northumbrian Water employees Bill Hind, Linzie Pentleton, Neil Reed and Ray MacNeil, all from Northumberland, and Michael Crossland, from Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne & Wear, along with Kelly Hollings, Wetlands Conservation Officer for Northumbrian Water and the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, spent eighteen hours between them constructing the platform as part of the water company’s Just an hour employee volunteering project.
Temporary traffic lights will be in place to enable the trailer transporting the platform to gain access to the site. Once manhandled onto the water, the four metre by two metre timber and polystyrene camouflaged platform will be topped with gravel and anchored by Eddie Watson, another Northumbrian Water employee, also from Northumberland, in a canoe. The platform is big enough for four to six breeding pairs, and could also attract oystercatchers.
Northumbrian Water’s Just an hour scheme encourages employees to give at least 12 hours of paid time a year to improve education, the environment and the general wellbeing of local communities.
Kelly Hollings said: “Our aim is to encourage the terns to set up home at Whittle Dene by providing nesting sites. We hope that this will add to the wealth of bird life that can already be seen across the nature reserve.”
The Whittle Dene reservoir complex provides important habitat for many other species of water loving birds and is listed as a Site of Nature Conservation Importance for its value as a wintering site for wildfowl. Red squirrels and otters make use of wildlife corridors provided by belts of coniferous trees and watercourses.
Four species of tern (little, common, arctic and sandwich) are identified as regionally important species in the North East biodiversity audit. The Farne and Coquet Islands form the key sites for these birds, while Teesside contains the largest mainland colony of common tern in England.
Arctic terns appear white with a black cap. Common terns are silvery-grey and white. Both have long tail streamers and a buoyant, graceful flight earning them the nickname of ‘sea swallow’. They will hover over water before plunging down for a fish. They are often noisy in company and breed in colonies.
The Northumberland Wildlife Trust, established as a registered charity in 1971, is the leading charity dedicated to wildlife conservation and environmental education in North East England.
Ends
For more information contact Alison Mosquera on 0191 301 6477.
Note
To get to the site, drive along the B6318 (Military Road). Activity will be near a lay-by where the road crosses the reservoir. Temporary traffic lights will be in place to manage passing traffic. Pull in and park where safe.
Grid reference NZ0668. Eastings: 406800. Northings: 568271.