Call to keep dogs off South West beaches while these rare birds are nesting
DOG owners are being asked to keep their pets on a leash at Seacliff, as rare hooded plovers wait for their eggs to hatch in the dunes.
DOG owners are being asked to keep their pets on a leash at Seacliff, as rare hooded plovers wait for their eggs to hatch in the dunes.
The birds, which are believed to be the same ones that nested in the area last year, have laid three eggs — their first in the area this season.
Natural Resources Management Board coast estuary and marine officer Kerri Bartley says a section of the dunes and two walkways have been cordoned off to protect the nest.
“The main threat on a metropolitan beach is dogs off leads,” she says.
“If the birds are scared off the nest and it’s really cold or hot, the eggs will be exposed and they won’t be viable.”
There are only about 50 hooded plovers on the Fleurieu Peninsula, and it is uncommon for the birds to nest this far north. Ms Bartley is hopeful the breeding pair will be successful in fledging its chicks this season before the hot weather arrives, after several failed attempts last summer.
The eggs are expected to hatch in mid-October, and the chicks would be flightless and foraging in the area for about five weeks.
From Sunday, October 1, to April 1, dogs must be on a lead from 10am to 8pm whenever they are on local beaches.
Ms Bartley is looking for volunteers to help monitor the eggs and the birds.
For details, call 0417 081 695 or send an email to kbartley@holdfast.sa.gov.au