The roseate tern conservation, research and policy practitioners from both sides of the Atlantic will meet to exchange experience and knowledge on key conservation issues concerning the species. The meeting will take place online using one of the webinar platforms on 24-25 February 2020. There will be two half a day sessions due to the time difference.

​These exchanges are not new, in fact practitioners from both sides of the Atlantic used to meet annually as part of larger conferences in times when resources and carbon footprint were perhaps less of an issue. There have also been sporadic cross-Atlantic visits and other communication platforms such as the Roseate Tern Newsletter and West Atlantic Roseate Tern Recovery Meetings. Certainly, these exchanges have yielded positive results and ideas, such as nest boxes, which were first introduced from the US to Ireland, then to the UK and more recently to France.
 
The agenda is being finalised and soon we will share more details, but we have identified several topics of interest, i.e. predation and biosecurity, habitat management/ creation, tracking at breeding colonies and during migration, population and diet monitoring, renewable energy and food resources. 
 
More details on registration and participation are here. 

More info:
Daniel Piec: daniel.piec@rspb.org.uk for Europe including Azores, or
Susi von Oettingen: susi_vonoettingen@fws.gov for the US, Canada and Caribbean. 

Are you interested in seeing some of the stunning seabirds in the Firth of Forth?
Why not consider the RSPB's Seabird Cruises which are available during the summer?

South Queensferry Cruises
Join the RSPB aboard the Maid of the Forth for a 3 hour fun and fact filled trip around the islands of the Forth. 

Starting under the iconic Forth bridges we will sail east past Inchgarvie, Inchcolm and Inchmickery out to our turning point at Inchkeith.  Along the way we are sure to see many of the birds that make up the fantastic seabird colonies found in the forth including puffins, fulmars, eiders and shags as well as seals hauled out on buoys, terns fishing and we may even catch a glimpse of peregrine falcon hunting. 

With in-depth commentary from RSPB experts bringing the environment to life, it’s sure to be a fun and fact filled cruise!

Cruises sail on Sunday 4th June and Sunday 2nd July at 6pm.

North Berwick Cruise
Hop aboard the ‘Seafari Explorer’ catamaran for a two hour trip around the fascinating Forth islands. 

Sailing from North Berwick harbour we will first head west towards Fidra, said to the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s treasure island and now a RSPB nature reserve, before turning to head back towards Craigleith and on towards the Bass rock, the world’s largest colony of Northern gannets and ‘one of the wildlife wonders of the world’. 

We will see gannets fishing, seals basking and puffins galore as we see hear and smell the wildlife spectacle that helps make the forth such a special place.

Cruise sails on Saturday 17th June at 6pm.

Cost?
The North Berwick cruise is £20 for adults (RSPB members £18) and £12 for children.
The South Queensferry cruise is £18 for adults (RSPB members £16) and £7 for children. Family tickets (two adults and two children) are £40.
 
To book, visit maidoftheforth.co.uk or for more information call 01324 832853

On the 1st of May, the Fat Mermaid restaurant, in Amble was transformed into a French piano bar to help support the local island of Coquet and it's precious inhabitants!

The lovely puffin and tern bunting decorating the windows were made by Amble First School Pupils.

It was a fantastic turn out with a full-house raising just over £500 from the tickets and £47 from the pins!              

As a result of this spectacular evening, this fundraiser will support the hardworking efforts of the RSPB (staff and volunteers) to safeguard the sole UK colony of roseate terns and the now globally endangered puffins.

A huge thank you to everyone who made this event such a success!                 

All Photo credits: Paul Morrison