Watch out for just-hatched hoodies

VOLUNTEER birdwatchers and rangers from the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority are urging community members to follow safety precautions to protect hooded plovers nesting on beaches at Lorne, Apollo Bay and Anglesea.

Rangers say six of the “hoodie” chicks have hatched from two nests on the beach at Mounts Bay, between the Barham River and Ocean Park Drive, in Apollo Bay.

Signage has been installed to inform the community and a temporary exclusion zone was established around the nesting sites ahead of the Melbourne Cup long weekend.

 

 

A temporary exclusion zone will also be set up at Lorne, where another Hooded Plover nest was expected to hatch this week.

Dogs are not permitted within the exclusion zone at any time, however, people are free to pass through at the water’s edge.

In other news, two out of three hooded plovers that hatched recently at Point Roadknight in Anglesea have survived and are now able to fly (fledged).

To give the hoodies the best chance of survival, the authority is asking community members to:

• Give the area a wide berth. Please walk your dog at another beach and use the area outside the exclusion zone to enjoy our beaches, and
• Please be vigilant in the area. The hoodie chicks have a survival rate of only 2 per cent.

 

Hooded plovers are listed as a vulnerable species, and only about 700 individuals are left in Victoria.

“We all need to work together to protect our Hoodies so they can thrive and be enjoyed by future generations,” the authority’s climate action and resilience manager Leia Howes said

“We’re thrilled that two chicks at Anglesea have fledged because the odds really are stacked against these beautiful birds.

“For these cute little birds to survive, they’ll need to make it through the first 35 days before they can fly and escape predators.”

She said with crowds flocking to Surf Coast beaches at the weekends, the plucky plovers needed support to give their chicks the best possible chance of survival.

If you spot a hooded plover nest on beaches, or a nesting pair of hoodies along the Great Ocean Road, please report the location by emailing [email protected] or phoning 1300 736 533.