Farne and Staple Islands

Angry Tern protecting its nest - Farne Islands

The nest is usually a depression in the ground, which may or may not be lined with bits of grass or similar materials. The eggs are mottled and camouflaged. Both sexes share incubation duties. The young hatch after 22–27 days and fledge after 21–24 days.
If the parents are disturbed and flush from the nest frequently the incubation period could be extended to as long as 34 days.

Arctic terns are long-lived birds, with many reaching fifteen to thirty years of age. They eat mainly fish and small marine invertebrates.

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