Well done Richard!
I suspect that we will only be able to protect vulnerable species when
people are willing to look out for the more 'ordinary' birds.
Cheers and happy New year
On Fri, 2 Jan 1998, Dr Richard Nowotny wrote:
> Further to my holiday period "postings from Margaret River, WA", an
> interesting event here over the past days has involved a Red-capped Plover
> nesting on a popular beach (in the midst of the holiday throngs). At the
> mouth of the Margaret River, a famous local surfing spot, the river in
> summer is separated from the ocean by a sandy bar, this year some 75 metres
> across. This is a popular spot for surfers, swimmers and families, and
> many walk across the bar sightseeing and to swim in both the ocean and the
> river.
> In the middle of this thoroughfare a female RCP chose to lay 2 eggs and
> begin incubating them. With each passing beach-goer it left the "nest" and
> engaged in a "broken-wing" distraction display, leaving the well-camouflaged
> eggs to the vagaries of unwary feet and other obvious risks. The sand
> surrounding the eggs was heavily indented with footprints and the future
> looked gloomy, particularly as few of the beach-goers were aware of the
> presence of either the bird or its eggs.
> In spite of concerns about the increased risks associated with making the
> bird more visible we nonetheless felt that some protection might give this
> rather unwise bird a fighting chance, at least to hatch a chick or two, and
> just maybe to rear them successfully (realising however that in biological
> terms it was hardly a high-priority conservation issue). We also figured
> that it might acquaint a few more visitors (and locals too) with the
> bird-life literally on their (beach) doorstep.
> A handful of bamboo garden stakes, some coloured string and a few pieces of
> orange plastic tape were used to demarcate a "no-go zone" (diameter about 2
> metres) around the brooding bird.
> Two days later and the bird thrives! The sand within the "no-go zone" is
> pristine while that outside the barrier is even more pocked than before -
> obviously interest in this somewhat unusual event is fairly high.
> Someone has placed a quite large piece of driftwood upwind of the sitting
> bird and there she is, apparently untroubled by either the passing traffic
> or the now more frequent observers, proceeding with the process of incubation.
> I was able to approach to the edge of the "roped-off" area (only 1 metre
> from the sitting bird) without her feeling the need either to move or to
> attempt to distract me. She seems to have learned quickly that this little
> piece of beach is now safe from the passers-by.
> To be able to walk up to within 1 metre of a wild shore-bird, indeed to sit
> down beside it and observe it at such close quarters (no binoculars needed
> of course), is rather remarkable.
> Whether this unusual breeding attempt will be rewarded or not remains to be
> seen (unfortunately I will be leaving in 2 days - but I'm afraid I can't be
> particularly optimistic), but it is certainly an interesting experience - at
> least from the outside looking in.
>
> Richard Nowotny
>
> From: Dr Richard Nowotny
> Melbourne, Australia
> Tel. (w) 61-3-9214.1420
> <>
>
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