Natural England and partners have launched an innovative habitat restoration project designed to create safe spaces for seabirds within the Lune Estuary.

Environment organisations in the North West have been building a raft of hope for one of the UK’s beloved bird species – the common tern.

Natural England, alongside partners including Environment Agency, Fylde Bird Club, Lancaster University, RSPB, Lancaster & District Birdwatchers Society and Lune Rivers Trust have been working hard to do a good ‘tern’ for these delightful silvery-grey and white birds which are affectionally known as the ‘sea-swallow.’

Just outside of Lancaster and Morecambe in the Lune Estuary, breeding pairs of common terns were once a regular sight but lost habitat, disturbance, lack of food and increased threats from predators caused the colony of several hundred pairs to disappear in 2008. To encourage their return, they needed a helping hand.