Hoodie season dog-walker warning

THE Borough of Queenscliff is urging beachgoers to stay away from hooded plovers nesting at Point Lonsdale back beach, with warnings to dog owners to keep dogs on leash in the area.

The council has been keeping the community up to date on the hooded plover nesting season, which is in full swing, with resident hoodies MD and HY reported to be expecting fledglings after Christmas.

The local hoodies initially built a nest earlier this month near the Winterley Road entrance point.

Despite asking beachgoers to keep clear of signs and rope fenced areas, a social media update advised that human and dog prints were found near the nest.

Friends of the Hooded Plovers Bellarine member Tash Verspeek said if Hoodies felt threatened they would leave the nest to distract the threat but the nests were then at risk from magpies, gulls and other birds.

“But the good news is that the pair look to be establishing a new nest in the same area as a new scrape has been observed,” Ms Verspeek said in an update.

“We hope their second nesting attempt this season is more successful.”

Another local resident has reported at least one egg in the new nest, with potentially two more on the way, and following an incubation period of about 28 days, chicks could hatch by mid-December.

The borough proudly supports organisations such as Hooded Plover Volunteers and BirdLife Australia in their conservation efforts.