Blakeney Point: 'Vital' nature reserve stars in Attenborough series

A National Trust site famous for its seal and seabird colonies has featured in a David Attenborough TV series.

Sunday's episode of Wild Isles on BBC1 explained how Blakeney Point in Norfolk was "vital" to the survival of little terns, a threatened bird species.

The nature reserve is also home to England's largest grey seal colony, which appeared on the programme.

Rangers have recently moved back into a lifeboat house on a remote shingle spit on the site, from where they will monitor wildlife over the summer.

Blakeney Point featured in David Attenborough's TV series Wild Isles

They will spend the next five months counting nests and fledglings, warding off predators and talking to visitors.

The little tern population has seen a 40% decline since the 1980s and there are only about 1,300 pairs left in the UK, of which up to 200 pairs live at this reserve.

Ranger Duncan Halpin said: "With such a low population concentrated into a handful of sites around the country, protecting those sites is paramount unless we’re happy for little terns to no longer grace our shores."

The tern breeding season begins in April when the first arrive after their migration from Africa.

Visitors have been urged to watch out for restrictions and follow signage to avoid disturbing wildlife, especially ground-nesting birds.