Percy Hedley School Students Aid in Kittiwake Conservation Efforts

Students from Percy Hedley School have been assisting Groundwork NE & Cumbria, an environmental and community charity, with a new kittiwake tower nicknamed ‘the kittiwakery’ in order to help conservation efforts.

Since the 1960s, many of the birds have nested on buildings and structures along the river Tyne as a stop-off point on their route to the sea. The Tyne Bridge is a popular location, and with restoration work happening for the foreseeable kittiwake ‘hotels’ have been installed on the bridge. This effort goes one step further, providing another safe space for the birds.

Newcastle and Gateshead has the largest inland nesting site for kittiwakes in the world. But the gulls are at risk of global extinction.

Two towers have been created on the Gateshead side of the river Tyne, one serving as a decoy to attract the gulls to them. The Groundwork team, alongside Percy Hedley School students, have made artificial kittiwake nests out of natural materials, and 3D-printed decoy birds for the tower. The project aims to have the best nesting sites for the gulls.

(Pictured above: A student alongside a team member of Groundwork NE & Cumbria looking at the kittiwake tower, and another student holding some of the materials they use to make the decoy nests.)

When the students visited the towers to see their handiwork, they were pleased to find out that for the first time, a pair of kittiwakes were spotted making their home in the tower. Kittiwakes are thought to be faithful to their sites and do not move easily or relocate once they have chosen a nesting site. The team are delighted with the recent discovery and look forward to the possibility of new chicks.

Hellen Hornby, Project Manager and environmentalist at Groundwork NE & Cumbria said: “We are over the moon to learn that our efforts have been successful and a nesting pair of kittiwakes have taken up residence in the new Kittiwakery.

“One of the great things about this project is its educational dimension. We’ve worked with local schools and the children have helped make the nests and the decoy chicks getting hands-on, practical experience in how to support local wildlife. We’ve been able to explain about kittiwakes and the importance of protecting endangered species and the environment. As well as making the chicks and helping with the nests, we will take the children bird-watching near the site with binoculars so they can see how their efforts have helped these amazing creatures and the impact on the river Tyne and its wildlife.”

This venture was captured on local news, and you can watch Groundworks and our Percy Hedley School students thought about the project via the Look North news segment below: