The little Terns at Lake Conjola like the rest of the state are having a
good season this year, with the first chicks fledged on the 15th of
December. Today we counted 24 birds, 5 of which were fledglings and 2 in
nonbreeding plumage. There were two more near-fledged chicks as well as two
chicks about 5 days old. I'd say the present population stands at about 8-9
breeding pairs. There are no new nests at present
The red-caps have also had a good year with 16 birds counted today, 3 of
which were juvenilles. They have 2 new nests, one of which is due to hatch
tomorrow.
The Hooded Plovers still have one chick despite the Christmas onslaught.
The chick is about a week off flying and is busily consuming flys and other
tid-bits
The human exclusion fence and "endangered species nesting, no dogs" signs
have been critical in the birds success. On the 4th of January I counted
over 200 people on the spit, including 12 boats pulled up on shore. Despite
this there were only one set of footprints within the fenced off area
indicating that most people have a respect for the birds needs.
It is amazing how quickly the birds "learn" to utilise the fenced off
areas. The Hooded Plovers spend most of their day within the "safe" area,
venturing out to forage when the crowds subside.
I'll give a report on the nesting success of the Hooded Plovers, Pied and
Sooty Oystercatchers on the south coast in the near future. Any additional
information on these species on the south coast would be greatly
appreciated.
Mike Jarman
Shorebird Recovery Co-ordinator, south coast
NPWS 02 44553826
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