Operation SoHo trawling the Bellarine and Surf Coast to protect our hooded plovers

Beachgoers are being urged to obey signs and educate themselves on plover protection as the threatened birds try to breed on our coast. WATCH THE VIDEO.

Conservation Regulator officers are hitting Surf Coast beaches on a mission to “save our hoodies”.

Hooded plovers, small pale brownish-grey shorebirds, are at risk of habitat destruction, domestic animals and invasive species.

These factors coupled with a bad breeding season last year have made them a threatened species.

Monique Cugliari is a local Forest and Wildlife Officer and case manager for Operation SoHo, which aims to help educate people on how to protect “hoodies”.

“The aim of the game was to initially educate beach recreation users on the presence of hooded plovers and other beach-nesting birds,” Ms Cugliari said.

Forrest and Wildlife officers Elyce Gray and Rachel Hansen at the hooded plover breeding area of 13th Beach. Picture: Alison Wynd

“During the breeding season from August through to about April, they’re on beaches nesting and that’s obviously peak period for beach users as well.

“So essentially we get out on patrols and talk to people and let them know to raise that awareness, but unfortunately in the same breath, we also undertake enforcement activity.”

Officers like Ms Cugliari have the authority to issue warnings and infringements to anyone with dogs off leash, or in protected breeding grounds.

One of the reasons this is necessary is that the federally protected birds are extremely picky about where they nest.

“They’re so easily disturbed,” Ms Cugliari said.

Hooded plover. Picture: Mark Lethlean

“They’re such a specialist species, they’re specific about the dune areas they nest in, they’re specific about their feeding regime.

“They’ve got the longest incubation period of any nesting bird, I think it’s about 35 days for the egg to be incubated.

“They’re just vulnerable little dudes, and of course they do it over summer when everyone else wants to be at the beach.”

The birds had a difficult 2022/23 breeding season in the Bellarine and Surf Coast areas.

Eighteen pairs attempted to nest a total of 47 times, but only 26 per cent of nests hatched successfully.

Only eight of the 19 chicks survived to flying age.

This was actually improvement from the season before, where only six chicks fledged from the 21 pairs monitored.

Forrest and Wildlife officers Elyce Gray and Rachel Hansen in the hooded plover breeding area at 13th Beach. Picture: Alison Wynd

It isn’t all doom and gloom for the hooded plover, however. Our area has already seen a chick born at Point Roadknight, with nests also being monitored at Ocean Grove, Pointt Lonsdale and Hutt Gully.

“It’s an awesome sign,” Ms Cugliari

“We’re seeing change within the community, we just need to kind of keep it up throughout the summer period because it can drop off.

“I know if, for example, we don’t visit a beach for a while people can get a bit lax with keeping their dog on a leash or they’ll push back into a roped-off area where they’re nesting looking for shade.”

Ms Cugliari urged beach goers to be aware this season.

“Whether it’s dog restrictions, or there are certain areas along the beaches down here that are just prohibited in terms of people at all,” she said.

“So really, any area you’re going to recreate just ensure you’ve read the signage, and you know where you’re going.

“And if you do see the birds, get excited about it. It’s an awesome thing to witness, a threatened species going about their day.”

Originally published as Operation SoHo trawling the Bellarine and Surf Coast to protect our hooded plovers