Hi Birders,
Normally the Little Terns when nesting at
Karagi Pt The Entrance commence nesting early in November, however up to
16/12/2006 none were seen around Karagi Point and it was thought that as the
Terns had not nested there in 2005/6, that they had gone elsewhere. Usually
NPWS with Council help, erect a proper fence if the birds are nesting. From
a distance on 19/12/06 it was obvious that there were some birds flying
around the colony site but an inspection by me was not possible until
21/12/06, when I found 7 pairs nesting!!
However I spent much time on 22/12/06 at the Dentist and then went away to
Port Macquarie for the Christmas period. I did alert Council and NPWS as to
the problem.
Trying to organise to have a fence erected at Karagi Point on the Friday
before Christmas proved very difficult, the Council staff were at their
christmas picnic and most NPWS staff were away fighting fires. The fence
that was erected by the NPWS people who were availabe delineated the site
but it was inadequate!
However who are we to judge when none of us were in a position to do
anything ourselves at the time! When I returned from my holidays up north it
was obvious that the fence was often breached over Christmas and grossly
inadequte.
Because the configeration of the sandspit changes annually (and that is why
the birds nest there) there is no point fencing the site until the birds
decide where on the spit they will nest this year!! Providing they nest at
the usual time, Wyong Council and NPWS are very responsible in the location
of the fenced areas and the local bird club provides volunteers to help with
the management of the site. By Christmas when the birds are under the most
pressure from people, dogs, gulls and foxes, most young have hatched and
some have almost fledged. As most birds went elsewhere intially this year
and it appeared that no nesting would take place for the second year in a
row, no action was initiated to fence the site.
While David Stowe should be commended for the trouble that he took to
explain things to the passers by at Penrhyn Rd, it is a sad fact that most
people abuse you when to try to draw attention to of the plight of the birds
and the fact that their dogs should be kept under control especially as at
Karagi Point it is a dog free area!! You have to have thick skin when you
volunteer to be a warden at the Karagi Pt site, an area too where many
people are non-english speaking, not that they are the dog walkers, but they
also walk through the colony!
Alan Morris
Central Coast Group,
Birding NSW
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