Dog causes 'chaos' at Hartlepool's little tern nesting site in Seaton Carew

Hartlepool Borough Council chiefs are again calling on residents to respect a cordoned off area along a stretch of beach at Seaton Carew home to legally-protected little terns.

The colony of 80 to 90 birds have taken up residence there for a second time this summer after nesting for the first time last year.

Council officials say some people are continuing to enter the cordoned off area despite previous warnings.

The site also falls within a dog exclusion zone – in force from May to September – and there are concerns that some owners are ignoring the ban and allowing their animals to disrupt the birds’ nests.

Council chiefs have warned people found in this area with dogs will receive a Fixed Penalty Notice.

Sarah Scarr, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Heritage and Countryside Manager, said although most are respecting the area, recently they have seen problems such as a dog causing ‘chaos’ at the site.

She said: “We are still seeing some people walking across the site, disturbing the colony and possibly destroying eggs.

“We are also having to spend a lot of time talking to people about walking dogs on the beach.

“Indeed, we recently had an incident where a dog entered the site and caused chaos. Dogs should not be in this area and where we find people to be breaching the seasonal beach ban then we won’t hesitate to take enforcement action.

“We would urge everyone to respect the site and keep their distance. Adult birds will leave their nests if disturbed, leaving their eggs and chicks vulnerable to the weather and predators.”

She also praised the work of wardens from the Durham Wildlife Trust who are monitoring the site.

The latest concerns come after in May council chiefs issued an appeal to respect the site after youngsters had been spotted playing football nearby and throwing objects at the birds.

Weighing only 40-60g and about the size of a starling, they are the smallest of the five species of terns that breed in the UK.

They winter in West Africa and migrate thousands of miles to nest here from May to August.

The birds lay their well-camouflaged eggs in shallow scrapes in the sand, but this makes the nests very difficult to spot and leaves them extremely vulnerable to disturbance and damage.

Anyone who witnesses the site being deliberately disturbed or damaged should contact the police on 101.

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