We are in real danger of losing our terns from the Welsh Harp (Brent Reservoir) this Summer. This urgent appeal for your support, on behalf of the Welsh Harp Conservation Group and Friends of the Welsh Harp, may be our only opportunity to prevent this from happening.

Elegant Summer visitors, Common Terns arrive in the UK in April and then return to Western and Southern Africa in September. Inland, they seek out large bodies of water in which to fish for food, alongside isolated shingle beaches or rafts on which to lay their eggs and successfully rear their chicks.

The Welsh Harp tern rafts have been vital in enabling Common Terns to find a rare safe nesting place in the London area. At peak they provided a haven for an amazing 44 nesting pairs, 32 of which successfully raised chicks. Sadly, owing to age and neglect, the rafts have deteriorated and are no longer a viable nesting site. As a result, the number of terns has declined. Last year only 4 pairs attempted to nest, producing just 2 chicks.

We urgently need your help. £300 is to re-shingle 8 of the least damaged rafts before the terns return. With the kind support of Phoenix Canoe Club, this should help to temporarily build back the number of terns this Summer. A further £1600 is needed to acquire a customised state-of-the-art tern raft, the prototype for seeking funding from conservation partners to replace all 20 rafts.

Our aim is to restore the Welsh Harp as a vital breeding sanctuary for Common Terns, reversing their decline in numbers and re-affirming the Harp's precious status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. Please give generously, knowing that you have helped to protect and preserve these remarkable birds for future generations.

For more information about the Welsh Harp Conservation Group, visit https://brentres.wordpress.com/ or keep in regular touch and join our Whatsapp group by texting your name to 07552 672489.