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Renewing The Kittiwake Tower

The Kittiwake Tower

Work is underway to renew the nesting ledges of the “Kittiwake Tower”, a man made roosting platform built on the south side of the Tyne to encourage colonisation by these fascinating but endangered sea birds.

The repair scheme is being carried out while the birds are away for the winter and will be completed before their return in time the breeding season which runs from late March to August.

The work involves completely stripping down the timber structure including the nesting ledges which provide roosts for over 100 breeding pairs of birds. These will be replaced with new marine ply structure and platforms which should provide safe nesting places for many years to come.

Where possible, existing kittiwake nests are being carefully removed and stored until the work is completed so that they can be put back in their original places. It is thought that this will encourage the birds to return and re-colonise the tower.

Kittiwakes are relatives of the more common and larger, land-based herring gull but these smaller birds are predominantly sea dwelling and usually nests on narrow ledges on the steep sea cliffs of the Farne Islands.

In recent years however, kittiwakes have turned to nesting inland, establishing colonies on the Old Baltic Flower Mills and the Tyne Bridge. At 10 miles from the sea, these sites are believed to be the furthest inland roosts anywhere in the world.

With numbers of breeding pairs declining rapidly and local concern as to the noise and mess caused by the birds, Gateshead Council constructed an artificial breeding tower some distance opposite the from the Baltic Mills to encourage a shift in their nesting habits.

The 12.0 metre high tower was later moved, nests and all to its current location at Saltmeadows on the south bank of the Tyne. Now, after more than ten years in use, the tower – a converted aluminium communications mast – is in need of essential maintenance.

Work is scheduled for completion at the end of the month.

Posted on 22 February 2010 by Ranson Og and filed under .

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