Hooded Plovers on the Beaches
Are we seeing a return of the Hoodies?
Over the past few months Helen and I, along with a number of locals and ENHS members, have enjoyed monitoring a pair of hoodies (Hooded Plover - Thinornis cucullatus) breeding on the beach immediately south of Bingie Point. Amanda Marsh had posted reports on the ENHS Facebook page of a pair in the area on several occasions during the year and in mid-October it appeared they had taken up residence. This was reported to the NPWS rangers and Sophie Hall-Aspland, the Shorebird Recovery Coordinator. On 27 October Sophie let us know that the rangers had found a nest, with 3 eggs, and the following day the site was fenced, the beach access track nearest the site temporarily closed and numerous signs erected at the car park and around the site. Then, knowing the incubation period for hoodies is about 28 days, the waiting, watching and worrying began.
A photo of the pair taken by Paul Gatenby showed one of the pair with a flag (U1) and this has been identified as a female originally banded at Disaster Bay on 21/3/14. The same bird had been reported at Congo by Nicola Clark in March this year. Amanda made checking on the pair a part of her regular morning walk and we also made regular visits to check progress. Lots of texts and emails were exchanged to keep everyone up to date. Then on 18 November Amanda reported a chick had hatched. We went to look the following morning and saw 3 chicks, a cause for celebration – but still another 35 days before the chicks would be able to fly.
The chicks coped with some difficult weather, including hot strong winds and heavy rains, as well as at least one beach party which left beer cans and the remains of a campfire close to the nest site. Still Amanda was able to get them to pose for a family photo the day after the big downpour on 16 December. The outcomes are still unclear as none of the youngsters were seen to leave. One disappeared around 21 Dec and another around the 24 th , whilst one was still hanging around with the parents in early Jan, despite numbers of visitors on the beach.
The events reminded me of a Newsletter article by Julie Morgan in 2014 noting that the Eurobodalla seemed to have become largely a Hooded Plover-free zone. They were breeding in the Shoalhaven and south from Wallaga Lake (in Bega Shire) but that there was a 100km gap along the Eurobodalla coast. The 2011 Birds Australia booklet ‘My Hoodie’, notes that the eastern subspecies - Thinornis cucullatus cucullatus historically extended from southern Queensland through NSW, Vic, SA and Tas but was now extinct in Qld and northern NSW. It estimated that there were only around 50 individuals in NSW, where they are listed as critically endangered. Julie’s article noted that historic records from the Eurobodalla show that before 2005 hoodies were reported at many locations along the coast: at Durras, Barlings Beach to Broulee, Moruya Heads to Meringo, Narooma to Mystery Bay and Tilba Lake.
Breeding was recorded in the 2004–5 season at South Durras, Dawsons Beach, Nangudga and Bogola Head, but the breeding records then stopped.
From 2005 to 2014 we only had reports of vagrant birds: two immature birds at Lilli Pilli in 2009; another pair at Potato Point in 2011 and a single bird at Coila Lake in 2012. Since 2014 records of hoodies in the Eurobodalla seem to have been increasing again. In 2014 single birds were reported at Bengello Beach, Coila Lake and Tuross. In 2015 a pair successfully raised 2 chicks at Pooles Beach, Mystery Bay and birds were recorded at Narooma and Bengello Beach.
In 2016 up to 6 birds were recorded at Mystery Bay, with a nesting attempt in November, although the eggs failed to hatch. In 2018 there were records from Mystery Bay, Bingie and Meringo and last year there were 7 seen at Narooma in March and records from Bingie, Corunna Lake and Pedro Pt. This year we’ve had 9 birds reported at Mystery Bay, the 5 we’ve been watching at Bingie, 3 at Brou Lake, a pair with 2 chicks at Congo and birds at Bogola Head, Coila Lake, and Tuross. The Biennial Birdlife Australia Hooded Plover survey was held 14-15 November this year and for the first time Helen and I were able to report seeing the species during the survey. Unfortunately, at the time of writing the results of that survey were not publicly available – so I’m not in a position to answer the question posed in the title of this piece.
What we can say is that the Eurobodalla is not hoodie-free.
David Kay
Over the past few months Helen and I, along with a number of locals and ENHS members, have enjoyed monitoring a pair of hoodies (Hooded Plover - Thinornis cucullatus) breeding on the beach immediately south of Bingie Point. Amanda Marsh had posted reports on the ENHS Facebook page of a pair in the area on several occasions during the year and in mid-October it appeared they had taken up residence. This was reported to the NPWS rangers and Sophie Hall-Aspland, the Shorebird Recovery Coordinator. On 27 October Sophie let us know that the rangers had found a nest, with 3 eggs, and the following day the site was fenced, the beach access track nearest the site temporarily closed and numerous signs erected at the car park and around the site. Then, knowing the incubation period for hoodies is about 28 days, the waiting, watching and worrying began.
A photo of the pair taken by Paul Gatenby showed one of the pair with a flag (U1) and this has been identified as a female originally banded at Disaster Bay on 21/3/14. The same bird had been reported at Congo by Nicola Clark in March this year. Amanda made checking on the pair a part of her regular morning walk and we also made regular visits to check progress. Lots of texts and emails were exchanged to keep everyone up to date. Then on 18 November Amanda reported a chick had hatched. We went to look the following morning and saw 3 chicks, a cause for celebration – but still another 35 days before the chicks would be able to fly.
The chicks coped with some difficult weather, including hot strong winds and heavy rains, as well as at least one beach party which left beer cans and the remains of a campfire close to the nest site. Still Amanda was able to get them to pose for a family photo the day after the big downpour on 16 December. The outcomes are still unclear as none of the youngsters were seen to leave. One disappeared around 21 Dec and another around the 24 th , whilst one was still hanging around with the parents in early Jan, despite numbers of visitors on the beach.
The events reminded me of a Newsletter article by Julie Morgan in 2014 noting that the Eurobodalla seemed to have become largely a Hooded Plover-free zone. They were breeding in the Shoalhaven and south from Wallaga Lake (in Bega Shire) but that there was a 100km gap along the Eurobodalla coast. The 2011 Birds Australia booklet ‘My Hoodie’, notes that the eastern subspecies - Thinornis cucullatus cucullatus historically extended from southern Queensland through NSW, Vic, SA and Tas but was now extinct in Qld and northern NSW. It estimated that there were only around 50 individuals in NSW, where they are listed as critically endangered. Julie’s article noted that historic records from the Eurobodalla show that before 2005 hoodies were reported at many locations along the coast: at Durras, Barlings Beach to Broulee, Moruya Heads to Meringo, Narooma to Mystery Bay and Tilba Lake.
Breeding was recorded in the 2004–5 season at South Durras, Dawsons Beach, Nangudga and Bogola Head, but the breeding records then stopped.
From 2005 to 2014 we only had reports of vagrant birds: two immature birds at Lilli Pilli in 2009; another pair at Potato Point in 2011 and a single bird at Coila Lake in 2012. Since 2014 records of hoodies in the Eurobodalla seem to have been increasing again. In 2014 single birds were reported at Bengello Beach, Coila Lake and Tuross. In 2015 a pair successfully raised 2 chicks at Pooles Beach, Mystery Bay and birds were recorded at Narooma and Bengello Beach.
In 2016 up to 6 birds were recorded at Mystery Bay, with a nesting attempt in November, although the eggs failed to hatch. In 2018 there were records from Mystery Bay, Bingie and Meringo and last year there were 7 seen at Narooma in March and records from Bingie, Corunna Lake and Pedro Pt. This year we’ve had 9 birds reported at Mystery Bay, the 5 we’ve been watching at Bingie, 3 at Brou Lake, a pair with 2 chicks at Congo and birds at Bogola Head, Coila Lake, and Tuross. The Biennial Birdlife Australia Hooded Plover survey was held 14-15 November this year and for the first time Helen and I were able to report seeing the species during the survey. Unfortunately, at the time of writing the results of that survey were not publicly available – so I’m not in a position to answer the question posed in the title of this piece.
What we can say is that the Eurobodalla is not hoodie-free.
David Kay