NZ Dotterel Watch
Coromandel
Peninsula
A Partnership
between
2009-10
Update 1
20th
of October 2010
Welcome
to another season helping protect the NZ Dotterel during their breeding period
on the beaches of the Coromandel.
As the current season gets underway, this is the first of a series of
updates planned for the summer, keeping you informed about how the NZ Dotterel
breeding season is progressing around the Peninsula.
Heralding
the start to this season’s nesting was the discovery of a two-egg nest at Lakes
Resort, Pauanui in late July.
These eggs were abandoned, then a third egg was found in the same nest
at the beginning of September – it was this third egg which eventually hatched
our first known chick of the season on the 29th September. Within a week our first wave of chicks
had hatched out – collectively this is slightly earlier than last season.
What’s been happening since the end of last
season?
Between
breeding seasons NZ Dotterel gather at flock sites around the peninsula,
starting as early as mid January.
The largest flock site is at Matarangi (n=158) with smaller flocks seen
at Coromandel, Colville, Matarangi, Pauanui, Opoutere and Whangamata. During the flock period individuals
whose partners have died can establish new pairings and subsequently a new
breeding site. For young birds 2-3
years of age this flocking period enables them to find a mate and start their
first season of breeding.
Consequently the number of breeding pairs at your beaches may vary in both
number and individuals from last season.
An example of this is a banded bird, which previously bred at Whiritoa
and is now breeding at Whangamata this season (M-OKG).
Associated
with most winters here on the Peninsula, large sea swells and swollen streams
have resulted in significant change to beach profiles and subsequently the
breeding areas of the NZ Dotterel.
Reduction in the area available for nesting along with increased risk to
flooding has again been observed at some sites compared with last season. NZD have learned to move onto the dune
system to nest where beach zones have been marginalised – this is observed at
Otama, Waikawau, Rings, Gray’s and Opito beaches.
The season to date:
I
started back on the road for my fifth season as Coromandel’s NZ Dotterel Watch
Ranger on September 15th with the breeding season for the NZ Dotterel well
underway with nests at many beaches.
Your feed back via email and phone informing me what has been happening
at your sites is as always invaluable, and I thank many of you for having
secured those early nests prior to my arrival. Unfortunately we have already lost a breeding adult bird
this season – dog prints seen to and from the nest site at Gray’s beach. The bird was incubating three
eggs. A double blow as this pair
seldom failed to routinely raise 2 clutches of chicks each season to
fledglings.
While
a number of NZD pairs have already lost their first clutch of eggs and others
are yet to establish nests, most of the NZ Dotterel breeding sites on both
sides of the Peninsula have birds currently incubating eggs, namely Whangamata,
Onemana, Opoutere, Pauanui and the Waterways, Lakes Resort, Tairua, Hotwater
beach, Taputapuatea, Wharekaho, Woodcock, Otama, Kuaotunu, Rings, Whangapoua,
New Chums and the Thames coast at Te Puru, and between Omawhiti –Wairotoroto
and Wairotoroto. Flooding has seen recent nest losses at Opito, Matapaua,
Pauanui and Ohui. Successful hatchings have seen chicks sighted at Waitaia,
Whauwhau, Rings, Hotwater Beach, Opoutere, Whangamata and along the Thames
coast at TeMata and Waikawau.
Unfortunately our first known chick of the season at Lakes Resort did
not survive those crucial first ten days.
DoC
Ranger Nicki Miller has returned for a second season to monitor and protect the
NZD at Opoutere and Ohui.
While
last season saw no chicks hatch out on the Wharekawa spit at Opoutere due to
egg predation, this season after intensive early season trapping resulting in
ferrets/stoats and weasels caught, two nests have hatched and another nine
nests are well into their incubation period. Ohui lost a couple of early nests
but currently there are two nests present.
Some
of the other larger NZD breeding sites have seen little success to date this
season. At Waikawau Bay the first nest has been lost and little activity since
due to strong winds and recent rains. Beth Pearsall and Wayne Todd, both locals
to Waikawau will undertake the monitoring and protection of the Waikawau NZD
this season. At Matarangi, the spit has been reduced in area since last season
and much of the establish vegetation was lost to winter flood events. Only one egg has been found to date,
this only survived a few days. VOC
continue to have a negative impact on NZD scrapes and consequently
establishment of nests. Pauanui beach was pounded with large sea swells last
week resulting in the loss of all four nests, some close to hatching. However, in the Waterways the first two
of three nests have hatched chicks in recent days. Whangamata has seen an earlier start to the season than
previously with chicks already on the ground and another five pair nesting.
NZ
Dotterel will establish a new nest if they have lost their eggs, this often
takes a couple of weeks or longer. If they keep losing their nests, a pair can
attempt to re-nest up to four times during a season before they either run out
of time or energy. The latest they
leave a re-nesting is early to mid January, as after this the chicks are not
able to fledge and get to a flock site early enough before autumn and winter
sets in.
Labour
weekend
As
a number of the nests currently incubating will be due to hatch before or
during Labour Weekend please ensure a large safe area is roped off possibly
near the food source (high tide level, stream or estuary) to allow chicks to
feed yet retreat quickly to safety when the beach is busy. Extra monitoring
over the long weekend will be required, recruit help and see this as an
opportunity to inform people about the NZD on your beach and elsewhere on the
peninsula.
Red
Alert, High Tide dates: The next
Red-Alert Dates for very high spring tides is during the period 4-9 November. More information @: http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/coasts/research-projects/all/physical-hazards-affecting-coastal-margins-and-the-continental-shelf/dates
It should be
remembered that large sea swells can happen at any time, they dominate any
predicted high tide levels, a
good site for those of you on the eastern coasts is: http://www.marineweather.co.nz/reports/index.php?regionid=23
Predator control
The
survival rate of eggs and chicks is dependant on the success of predator
control at the beaches. The project’s Predator Control is this year serviced by
Andy Wills (DOC). He started
trapping at most beaches on the east coast from Whangamata to Matarangi in mid-August. Many thanks to those Minders who help
service traps between Andy’s visits and to Brian and Tim who run their own
trapping regimes. Trapping results
received to date for this season have included: Hedgehogs 36, Rats 16,
Ferrets 1, Stoats 6, Weasel 2, Possums 2, Feral Cats 2.
Project
Kiwi predator control- Paula and Jon Williams afford protection to bays north
east of Wharekaho Beach.
The
flow on effect from Moehau Environment Group trapping helps many of the bays in
the north of the peninsula and the Thames Coast also gains from predator trapping
that the Thames Coast Kiwi Care group are doing.
Labour w/end Dog restrictions
Labour
w/end will see the commencement of TCDC’s Dog restrictions on our Peninsula
beaches. Dogs are not permitted on most beaches from 9am – 7pm from Labour
w/end through to February 8th. Some beaches have been given additional
protection around areas where NZD breed. Official TCDC/DOC signage has been
erected illustrating areas where dog bans occur and additional DOC signage has
been placed on beaches to help educate the public. To know what rules apply at your beach click this link: http://www.tcdc.govt.nz
Finally,
I am yet to get round all the bays and catch up with you personally, until
then, I really appreciate your time and effort placed in monitoring and
protecting your sites, without your help this NZD Watch program could not be
the success that it is. You are
doing a great job. Remember to
recruit help especially during those busy holiday periods.
Many thanks, Susan Bryant, NZ Dotterel Watch Ranger.