In 2014, the Firth of Forth was designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for seabirds by the Scottish Government. Some of the key species include common and arctic terns and, on occasion, the UK’s rarest breeding seabird, the roseate tern. In 2018 RSPB installed a floating tern raft at Port Edgar Marina in Edinburgh. As the area has a low lying profile, it is prone to getting inundated and the raft was seen to be a suitable alternative nesting site for the common tern population. Since its installation, more than 100 pairs of common and arctic terns have attempted to breed each year, but the raft has suffered from damage which now needs to be repaired to ensure this safe space is available for breeding terns for future years.
RSPB Scotland was awarded £10,797 for this work. This grant round was made possible with funds from the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). For more information about how to contribute to SMEEF contact manager@smeef.scot