IT'S up, up and away for an under-threat seabird which is making a comeback on the Dorset coast.

Little terns on Chesil Beach have had another good summer, with 34 youngsters set to fly south to west Africa.

Local wildlife groups are celebrating this year's success and say that the recovery of the colony on the world famous shingle beach is in no small part due to the hard work of dedicated volunteers over the years.

Throughout the 2000s the colony declined from 81 pairs in 2000 to none in 2009. Predation and disturbance were particular problems.

Since then the colony has been protected by a new style of fence, predators have been deterred and volunteer wardens work shifts to help minimise disturbance.

John Dadds, long term Chesil Beach Little Tern volunteer said: “I first became involved as a volunteer helping to protect the little terns of Chesil back in 1983. From then until 2009 I have experienced the highs and lows of little tern breeding attempts.

“In 2009 I became involved in a full time capacity when I was appointed as the seasonal project officer for the recovery project. Since then my experiences with the terns have been almost all highs with record-breaking breeding successes almost every year.

“I look forward every year to seeing the first terns arrive back from Africa and it is very exciting waiting to see how many will return to breed with the anticipation of another increase in breeding pairs. It is incredibly rewarding being involved at the sharp end of conservation and knowing that I, along with many other volunteers, am making a difference to the terns breeding success."

Marc Smith, from Dorset Wildlife Trust said: “We are really pleased to be a partner in this project, the little terns have gone from strength to strength over the last few years. These birds are not just important for conservation, they are also important to the people that live here. We have a lot of visitors each year, at the Chesil Beach Centre, eager to follow their plight."

The Chesil Beach little tern project is one of a number of initiatives around the UK to help the seabirds.

Staff working for the EU LIFE funded Little Tern Project monitoring their breeding behaviour have watched a complex season unfold, with ups and downs being recorded across England and Wales.

Susan Rendell-Read, national LIFE Project Manager said: "Although overall breeding numbers are down from last year and the five-year trend before that, a difficult season could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for the hard work of the many rangers, wardens and volunteers on our national beaches protecting little terns."

The Chesil Beach Little Tern Project is a partnership between RSPB, Natural England, Crown Estate, Portland Court Leet, Dorset Wildlife Trust and the Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve.