Little tern feeding chicks at Foulney Island Nature Reserve © J Sheldon
Vandalism at Foulney Island Nature Reserve
Intruders damage important electrical equipment that helps protect rare birds
We were devastated to discover an incident of vandalism at our Foulney Island Nature Reserve near Barrow last week. Intruders damaged around £300 worth of equipment for the electric fence that’s in place to protect rare birds, including the battery, waterproof casing and energizer. There were no witnesses to the vandalism and the police have been informed.
Vandalised equipment at Foulney Island Nature Reserve © Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Zoe Barrett, seasonal warden at Foulney Island Nature Reserve said: “We were very shocked to discover that some important equipment at Foulney Island Nature Reserve had been vandalised. This nature reserve is an important site for a range of breeding terns, which travel huge distances to nest on the island's shingle banks. As they are ground-nesting birds, this equipment is essential for protecting the nests and chicks from predators and from human disturbance. Without this protection, these important bird populations are at great risk, so we need to repair and replace the damage as soon as possible.”
If you would like to help us replace the damaged equipment, you can donate here Thank you.
Foulney Island, near Roa Island is formed entirely of pebbles that were brought from the Lake District to the coast by glaciers during the last ice age. Once a true island, it is connected to the mainland by a causeway that was built in the 19th century to prevent the Walney Channel from silting up.
Foulney Island is best known for the Arctic terns and little terns which breed here, travelling vast distances to nest on the island's shingle banks. Arctic terns migrate from Antarctica to breed around our shores, whilst little terns are our second rarest seabirds.
Other breeding birds here include ringed plover, oystercatcher, eider, skylark and meadow pipit. To protect them while they nest here, during the bird breeding season (1 April – 15 August) access to Foulney Island Nature Reserve is restricted to designated paths and Slitch Ridge is closed. No dogs (except assistance dogs) are allowed on the island at this time to protect birds from disturbance. A warden is resident during the breeding season to monitor and protect the birds.