Life as a Little Tern Warden

Little Terns have nested on the shingle beach at Kilcoole for over 100 years. The Kilcoole Little Tern protection Scheme has been ongoing for the last 34 years.
The Little Tern colony at Kilcoole grew from less than 20 nesting pairs in the 1980’s, to 216 pairs in 2021.
At its peak in early June 2024 over 270 nesting pairs of Little Terns were recorded at Kilcoole. This is the highest-ever number for the project and a long way from the small number of pairs recorded at the project’s onset many years ago. Based on these figures, Kilcoole likely had one of the largest Little Tern colonies in Ireland and Britain in 2024.

There is a long list of duties that the Wardens at the Kilcoole Little Tern Conservation Project have to carry out on a daily basis, and Jonathan Stanley will explain all.