I hate to be a doom-sayer, but I really think there is no answer to this
problem.
Placing electric and vermin proof fences around the nesting sites will of
course stop the normal problem people, those with loose dogs, or Mike's
'lady wearing thongs' and even foxes.
However there will always be a very small number of youngsters and those not
so young who will see such hurdles as a challenge. Education does not help,
such people either have the IQ of a brick, or have a vicious streak which
pushes them to such cruelty. When I was at a small country primary school in
the North of England almost 50 years ago, our head master used to take us on
'Nature Walks' and would show us birds nests with chicks in them. Frequently
the next time we went out we would find the nests full of mutilated chicks,
it turned out one boy did not like the attention the birds were getting!
The same thing seems to be happening here, the nesting terns were given
publicity on TV, the local thugs then knew where they were and went out of
their way to damage all the good those they think of as 'goody-goodies' are
doing.
I may be a cynic, but probably the only answer is to encircle the nesting
sites with razor-wire and run 250 volts through it.
Best regards - Mike
Penrith, NSW, Australia
http://members.optusnet.com.au/ozbirds
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