At least 17 fluffy tern chicks defied the odds to thrive at a Scots nature reserve despite bird flu devastating other sites this year.
Scotland’s wildlife agency NatureScot said the survival of the plucky little birds at Forvie National Nature Reserve in Aberdeenshire was “little short of a miracle”.
It comes as the avian flu epidemic has taken a huge toll on seabird populations in 2022. Including tern colonies in England, the Netherlands and France.
But the trend was bucked at Forvie, where breeding terns are of international importance and the reserve is carefully managed to protect the birds from disturbance and predators.NatureScot said the total of at least 17 little tern chicks successfully fledged was the highest since 2014.
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