Meet some of the people behind another busy season at Spurn, from our Little Tern wardens and seasonal volunteers to our new Conservation Intern, all helping to protect wildlife, welcome visitors and keep the Observatory running.
31 July 2026
I’m Tate Lloyd, the Head Little Tern Warden for the Observatory this year. I’ve previously been a volunteer and an Assistant Tern Warden, and this role is something I’ve always wanted to do. My main responsibilities are carrying out daily shifts at the colony, both night and day, making sure the birds are safe from predators (which include birds of prey, crows and foxes), and collecting important data such as nest numbers, hatching times and fledgling counts. I’m also there to speak to the public around the colony, educating them about the birds and making sure there’s no disturbance.
My highlights from this year have been watching the colony go from strength to strength. We’ve had adversity early in the season but still recorded a record number of pairs, and all signs indicate there should be an excellent fledging total in the coming weeks.
We have also had another great year for colour-ring sightings, with birds from all across the UK and the Netherlands, as well as no fewer than four birds ringed on their wintering grounds in Senegal. These special birds never fail to amaze me, and it brings me great satisfaction knowing I’ve played a small part in ensuring their future survival, not just at Spurn but across Britain.
Hi, I'm Ursula, and I'm one of the Assistant Little Tern Wardens at Spurn. I'm an ornithologist and field ecologist with a passion for bird conservation, particularly seabirds and coastal species. I completed my MSc in Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology at the University of Exeter and have been fortunate to work on a variety of conservation and research projects across the UK and overseas, including the Galápagos Islands. My work has involved bird ringing, breeding bird monitoring, ecological surveys and helping to protect vulnerable bird populations.
At Spurn, my main role is helping to safeguard our breeding Little Terns throughout the nesting season. Every day is different, from monitoring nests and chicks, recording breeding success and watching for predators, to speaking with people and photographers about these incredible birds. I have found the role to be incredibly rewarding, working in one of the UK's most spectacular coastal landscapes here in Yorkshire.
One of the things I enjoy most about working at Spurn is spending time in the colony and watching the Little Terns' behaviour up close. Although they're the UK's smallest tern, they're incredibly resilient birds, making remarkable migrations between Britain and West Africa each year. Being part of the team working to protect them during their brief breeding season is a privilege, and I hope my work can help future conservation activities here at Spurn and more widely across the UK for this endangered species.
Hi everyone, my name’s Luke Nash, and I’m one of the Little Tern volunteers this year. Some of you may recognise me from my stint here in 2020/21, but I couldn’t resist coming back now that I’ve graduated from university. My job over the next few weeks is helping to make sure the Little Terns are safeguarded from errant crows, off-lead dogs and other threats. It’s been an excellent start, with a great number of chicks already well on their way to fledging.
I’ve also enjoyed the other delights of Spurn birding, like finding the first Roseate Terns of the year while on shift, getting stuck into tricky ID challenges with the recent Pacific Golden Plover and a dark-billed Common Tern, and getting back involved with the community and setting that make Spurn the wonderful place it is. I’m looking forward to a great few weeks as the autumn rolls on!
Hi, I’m Toby Stapleton. I am 24 and from Sussex. Around a month ago, I returned to Spurn as a volunteer Assistant Little Tern Warden. I volunteered at Spurn for seven months last year, so it has been great to reacquaint myself with the area and many of the friends I made here, as well as meeting new people! Spurn really does feel like a second home now.
As a volunteer Little Tern Warden, my role revolves pretty much entirely around watching over the Beacon Ponds Little Tern colony, as well as other breeding birds (mainly Oystercatchers, Avocets and Ringed Plovers) on site. Each day I complete shifts lasting between four and eight hours, monitoring the colony from a safe distance to ensure that nests are kept safe from predators such as foxes, crows and raptors, while also ensuring that visitors keep a safe distance away and do not let their dogs get too close to the electric fence surrounding the birds. During each shift I also count the numbers of adults, chicks and nests present, something which is done multiple times throughout the day by every warden and volunteer to ensure that the numbers are constantly monitored.
In my first month back at Spurn, I have already had plenty of highlights! I thoroughly enjoyed the strong Swift passage in late June and spent hours at The Warren during my free time watching flocks whizz past, which culminated in fellow volunteer Jack and me finding a Pallid Swift on the 27th! The Pacific Golden Plover that turned up in late June was also very nice to see and a stunning-looking bird to boot.
Aside from general birding, it’s been great to see the Little Tern colony doing so well again, and with the first chicks already fledging, it’s looking like another great year. I’ve also loved catching up with everyone here, many of whom I’ve not seen since last year, while getting the opportunity to make new friends too. I’ve no doubt there will be many more evenings in the Crown & Anchor to come! It’s really great to be back at Spurn, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of my time here brings. Hopefully there will be plenty of good birds, big passage days and a successful season for the Little Terns.
June is a month of change at Spurn, both with birds and people. It was sad saying goodbye to Dylan, Luke and RS, who had worked here at Spurn all spring, but it was equally nice meeting all the new Little Tern wardens and summer volunteers I'd be spending the next two months with!
The birds are changing too in June, with the first hints of autumn migration starting, especially at The Warren. Late June was spent with us volunteers posted out at Numpties for days on end, counting Swifts and hirundines heading south, while waders like Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits were flying in off the sea.
The highlight for me was finding a Pallid Swift amongst thousands of Swifts with Toby on the 27th. It raced over our heads mid-afternoon, but luckily I was able to get some clinching record shots as it flew away down the Breach. One of the best birds I've found at Spurn!
I have taken the plunge into the deep end with this role. Having only taken up birding in the last couple of years, to now be surrounded by the passion and knowledge of everyone at Spurn is simultaneously intimidating and inspiring, in the best possible way.
A career in conservation has always been something I have been dead set on, and the skills I am building here are exactly what I need to get there. Beyond personal development, this internship is a chance to make a difference in a way that feels tangible, not just learning about habitat loss in a lecture theatre, but actually getting stuck in and doing something about it. Having just finished a Zoology degree and been inspired by a season volunteering at WWT Slimbridge, I feel ready to chip in and do my bit to help protect the environments I care so much about, with thorns, thistles and the occasional scratched shin all part of the deal.
Life at Spurn moves fast, and no two days look the same. It's been hot, humid, and the farmer's tan has caught me already. Highlights so far? My first proper twitch has to be up there: a stunning Caspian Tern, which is a pretty good one to start with. I have also loved checking the moth traps every morning. My ID skills feel like they are improving at a breakneck pace.
With the autumn migration season on the horizon, I can't wait to see the activity pick up and get swept along in the excitement when the rarities start turning up. I have a feeling the next year is going to hold a lot of incredible moments for me, and I really can't wait to experience them.
