Banded Dotterels (tuturiwhatu), G7, 100-400

Messier Object wrote:

hindesite wrote:

Messier Object wrote:

Very nice images. Where in NZ was this ?

South coast and on the East side of Wellington harbour. The video was in an area in Robinson Bay about 1 Km from where I live.

The photos of the chicks are probably less than 50m from my front door

I saw and photographed this bird in the Lake Tekapo area last October. I saw enough of them to make me think they were common.

I think all of our dotterel species are either vulnerable or recovering, they are not in great shape.

I'm fairly sure a growing human presence around nesting sites is having a significant effect - people bring disturbance from vehicles, cats and dogs, and since the nests are so hard to see, very easy to walk or drive over.

Thanks for the response.

Ok, I’m glad I got to capture them. BTW I also found a Black Stilt on the Pukaki shore and got some great ground and BIF shots

Some of our Aussie dotterels (eg Hooded Plover) are suffering similarly - domestic dogs and reckless beach walkers having an impact on nesting areas. I once saw and videoed a woman walk up to a warning sign and after reading it she stepped under the rope-line and proceeded into the nesting area, kicking things around presumably looking for eggs or chicks. There was a stretch of water between us, but she did get some ‘choice advice’ from me, to which she replied with a 1-fingered gesture.

Peter

In our area, it seems intuitive that if the nests are fenced off, they'll be safer; but I don't know that there is any evidence that this is true.

Last season I saw somebody walk under a fence so they could take a photo of the nest and eggs with their phone.

We had just as much success with two pairs on our beach, one was fenced, the other was not (nobody had found the nest).