Dear Birders
Following on from a number of recent postings regarding the little terns
breeding at Penrhyn Estuary on Botany Bay, Sydney I visited the site yesterday.
The NPWS have now erected a very substantial fence surrounding the whole
breeding site which will at least deter humans from walking over the chicks and
eggs. The NPWS are monitoring the site each day and we met a ranger (John) at
the site yesterday at around 11:00 am.
There were around 19 adults present and I saw 4 chicks - sandy coloured little
bundles of fluff which alternated between hiding behind or beneath various bits
of rubbish on the site and dashing about with their little bills agape. Adults
were regularly flying over with small fish in their beaks and calling. I saw
one chick return a call and the adult quickly dropped down and stuffed a fish
down the chicks throat before rapidly departing. I also saw on a number of
occasions an adult landing with a fish in its beak and sitting on the sand for
a minute or so calling without ever connecting with a chick, the adult would
then fly off.
John said that he had seen 5 chicks and IU suspect that there were more as a
couple of adults dropped down into bitou bush at the eastern end of the site
with food but we were unable to see the chick. John also had noted 3 eggs
unhatched.
There were a number of the usual other regular species around. It was quite
noticeable that there were no people on the sand spit at all. This might have
been chance or it might have been a result of the very prominent notices put up
by NPWS. A great birding experience and we can only hope that this breeding
exercise is successful.
Regards
Peter Marsh
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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