> Heartbreak as vandals trash bird sanctuary
> By Rosslyn Beeby, Research, Conservation and Science Reporter
> Canberra Times, Friday, 9 January 2004
>
> Vandals have destroyed a NSW South Coast breeding colony of one of Australia's
> most endangered shorebirds, the little tern.
David,
Thanks for letting us know. I visited this colony last month when I went
south. I did a weekly sweep of the colony with the Parks and Council
officers and the volunteers, and was impressed by their commitment. It was
my first ever experience of nesting Little Terns, something to which I had
looked forward for years. When I arrived, news had just come through that
half a dozen boys from the local community had been inside the fence that
morning, disturbing birds and pocketing chicks and eggs. The volunteers had
counselled them, and off they had gone, only to return not long afterwards
to do the same thing again. That afternoon, we found evidence of their
interference, with six eggs in one nest: three Fairy Terns and three
Littles. An adult Fairy Tern was incubating all six eggs.
I think we can kiss goodbye to beach nesting birds. We're so keen on
counselling these days. Whatever happened to a good swift kick up the ring?
Jill
--
Jill Dening
Sunshine Coast, Qld
26º 51' 152º 56'
Ph (07) 5494 0994
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