Wideawake Fairs

Sooty terns nest on Ascension's open lava plains in colonies running into the hundreds of thousands, laying straight onto the bare ground, and the noise they make gave both the birds and the place their local name of wideawake. The colony does not follow a calendar year: it runs on a cycle of roughly nine to ten months, so the timing shifts steadily and the birds can be there in any month depending on where the cycle has got to.

What you actually see

• The colony - hundreds of thousands of terns nesting on bare lava.
• The noise - the constant call that gave the birds their local name.
• The ground nesting - eggs laid directly onto the open lava with no nest.
• The shifting cycle - a breeding season that moves through the calendar.

When to go

The cycle runs roughly every nine to ten months rather than annually, so timing shifts; check locally before travelling for it. Access is restricted while birds are on eggs. The plains are hot and exposed.

Honest expectations

The cycle shifts, so there is no reliable month and the colony can be absent. Access is restricted during breeding and viewing is from a distance. The lava plains are hot with no shade.

Nearby

Boatswain Bird Island is north, and Georgetown is northwest.