Some of the coast’s most vulnerable birds are beginning to nest and shorebird coordinators and volunteers are on high alert to give chicks the best chance of survival.
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National Parks and Wildlife Services South Coast shorebird recovery coordinator Jodie Dunn said pied oystercatchers had begun to lay along the coast.
Nests have been spotted at Burrill Lake, Lake Conjola, Pretty Beach, Shoalhaven Heads, Berrara Creek, Gerroa and Batemans Bay.
A pied oystercatcher nest at Narrawallee Inlet was destroyed by a fox and ravens took hooded plover eggs at Berrara.
“We are doing some fox control at Narrawallee and will try and get the pair to renest,” Ms Dunn said.
“We have only had one hoodie pair lay so far this season and we lost that as well.
“The nest at Lake Conjola has been fenced and sign posted and we are hoping to have success there.”
Only three weeks into the shorebird breeding season, Ms Dunn said a lot of pairs had not yet nested because of the “cold winds” experienced on the coast.
“We are hoping the hoodies start nesting soon and chicks fledge before Boxing Day,” she said.
“We need the wind to stop and the weather to warm up. They need a solid week of warm weather and we haven’t had much of that.
“Volunteers are monitoring known nesting sites several times each week and keeping an eye on swell and tides.”
The 2016/17 shorebird season saw six hooded plovers and 21 pied oystercatchers successfully fledge.
The South Coast shorebird program has had great success in the past 10 years, doubling the endangered hooded plover population, Ms Dunn said.
“There used to be less than 50 in NSW, and we used to have less than 20 between Gerroa and Batemans Bay, but now we have about 40,” she said.
“Our breeding pairs went from seven to 14.
“Only 10 per cent of eggs make it to a flying chick and then only half of them only survive their first winter. Only five per cent of hooded plover eggs will become adults and breed.
“Hoodies are really timid and small, while oystercatchers are much bigger and have strikings colours so people see them on the sand.”
Despite this, Ms Dunn said she would like to see the population “doing better” on the coastline.
If you see a hooded plover or pied oystercatcher on the shore, stay clear.
“Give them space,” Ms Dunn said.
“At this time of year, they are nesting or feeding and they need to keep their energy up. They can't be flying away from dogs or people.
“Don’t let your dogs near them, put them on a lead if you see shorebirds.
“Share the shoreline with the birds.”
Ms Dunn said little terns would arrive at Lake Conjola in the next month to nest.
“We have a large colony that come there to breed,” she said.
“They are endangered but we had great success with them last year. There was about 60 to 100 fledglings at Lake Conjola.”