In 2022, avian flu devastated the sandwich tern colony at Pagham Harbour on England’s south coast, forcing the birds to abandon their breeding grounds entirely. Three years later, the site is thriving again with 756 sandwich terns, a recovery led by the RSPB and a dedicated team of volunteers.
The comeback wasn’t luck. Conservation teams installed predator-proof fencing, monitored for rats, cleared vegetation, and ran volunteer patrols to protect ground-nesting birds. The effort paid off beyond the terns: little terns, ringed plovers, black-headed gulls, and oystercatchers are all increasing too, and the site is now hosting record-breaking populations. The work is part of the Solent Seascape project, which is restoring habitats across a 128,000-acre coastal stretch between Brighton and Southampton.
RSPB senior project manager Wez Smith noted that it took years of dedicated action, but the situation began to“tern”around last year. It’s a rare good-news wildlife story proving that sustained conservation can reverse even severe losses.
What animal comeback story would you love to see happen where you live? Tell us in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.