|
Hi Birders,
The Little Tern colony at Karagai
Point, The Entrance is back in business again. The Little Terns were seen to be
undertaking display flights last Monday when a Wyong Council/NPWS/Central Coast
Birders onsite meeting got underway to review the need for a protective fence
once again. Wyong Council Parks and Reserve staff agreed to re-fence the Karagi
Point sandspit and this was done last Friday 15/11/02. On Saturday Robert
Quinan reported that there were about 10 pairs setting up nest sites and by this
afternoon (sunday) I was able to count 8 nests, including one with three eggs
inside the fenced area. Unfortunately there were three nests outside the fence
and in immediate danger of being walked on, one with 3 eggs and one with 2 eggs.
I will be contacting members of the Central Coast Group of Birding NSW to
organise some monitoring of the colony.
During the afternoon I saw about 110
Little Terns around The Entrance / Picnic Point of which atleast 30 were in
breeding plumage, some had coloured flags and some just metal bands. There were
about 40 Common Terns roostingn near the colony and yesterday Rob Quinan saw a
White-winged Black Tern with the Common Terns. Also at The Entrance were about
700+ Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, 300 Red-necked Stints, 80 Bar-tailed Godwits, 60
Curlew Sandpipers, 14 Pacific Golden Plovers, and a few Greenshanks and 1 Marsh
Sandpiper.
I have some concerns for the success
of the colony this year because the sandspit is much narrow than in previous
years so that the area to be fenced off for the Little Terns is much narrower.
This has the effect that everytime some one walks past the fence, all the terns
leave their eggs. Hopefully those nesting outside the fence will get the message
when their eggs become trampled, and will renest inside thefenced area. I assume
that the other colonies are underway.
Alan Morris
|
