I had a quick visit to Anglesea Victoria overnight last week and took a
quick walk along the beach to the point in the drizzling rain in the
evening.
I came across the signs telling about the rare Hooded Plover nesting in the
area and how dogs etc weren't allowed past this point, I was
told that volunteers manned the area during the Plovers nesting season and
kept people away from the nesting area.
I backtracked and climbed the sandune where the steps lead down to the beach
and from the top I could see a Hooded Plover at the water's edge feeding
about 100 mts away towards the point ,so I sat on the steps and watched for
a while and it was soon joined by its mate.
They continued to feed running into the surf and quickly running out again
between waves before getting wet, this continued till they approached the
rocks and fed on them close to where I was sitting.
Another joined them but was soon hunted away each time by the slightly
bigger one which I presumed was the male.
I had a great viewing of them for quite a while until I noticed a movement
on my left at the edge of the scrub and there watching them closely was a
big tabby cat which began to stalk them through the rocks that lead down to
the water's edge.
I Plovers flew away when I approached and gave the cat a hurry up but it
only retreated into the edge of the scrub and crouched till I threw more
rocks at it.
If someone on here knows of the volunteers or the powers that be that
protect these birds and can tell them of the cats existence something could
be done to trap it.
It would be a great tragedy to loose these beautiful and declining birds
after all the time and effort has gone into protecting them from people etc.
Barney Enders.
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