Little Terns Sitting Pretty

 Primary Schools in Clogherhead and Cartown excelled in poster making for the Annual Little Tern Art Competition sponsored by Coca- Cola International Services (Drogheda). The posters highlight the little terns which are currently nesting in Baltray, Co Louth.  

Fourth classes from Callystown NS and Cartown NS enjoyed a great talk given by Zookeeper and Louth Nature Trust Director, Peter Philips.   He told the students about the journey the terns make from Africa to Baltray every year to nest and breed.  How they require the shingle and sand mixture for their nests, access to fresh and salt water for their food source, and how the Boyne Estuary and Baltray area is one of the two key locations where Ireland’s rarest breeding sea bird, the little tern, choose to nest in Ireland. 

The competition winners were Alexandra Caulfield from Callystown NS and Laura Doorley from Cartown NS.   Peter advised how he and other members of Louth Nature Trust were delighted with the really high standard of poster.  “Through the posters, the students showed a great understanding of the birds, their foodstuff and the potential predators.” 

Áine Walsh of Coca-Cola International Services explained how delighted the company is to sponsor this competition for the third consecutive year.    “The entries to the competition were excellent, and the level of awareness and interest in the Little Tern Conservation Project is very heartening.“

Peter, in presenting the prizes updated the classes with news that the first chicks hatched in the last couple of days, and there are still at least 75 eggs left to hatch.  

All posters can be viewed on the Callystown page and the Cartown page, and up to date information on the 2011 Little Tern nesting season can be found on the blog on the same site.