The rare international visitors who choose to breed at The Entrance North each year have begun their flight back home to South-east Asia.
Hundreds of the endangered Little Terns arrived in early October from South-east Asia (breeding birds) and Japan (non-breeding birds) and the bright-billed breeding birds wasted no time in pairing up and laying eggs on the sand at Karagi Point, The Entrance North.
After a record-breaking number of fledglings last season, expectations were high for the 2022/23 Little Tern breeding season.
Central Coast Council staff were well prepared for the arrival of the birds and were busy in the off-season carrying out fox control, installing signage, planning educational activities, and installing a protective fence. Most of the terns seemed to be grateful for the efforts and nested within the fenced area – there are always a few, however, who like to be different so additional exclusion zones were installed for these special cases.
The birding community was twitching with even more excitement with the discovery of two pairs of Fairy Terns nesting amongst the Little Terns! This marked the first ever breeding record on the Central Coast, and most northern, for this species which is more commonly seen on the far south coast of NSW and Victoria. Fairy Terns look similar to Little Terns, the most obvious difference is a white patch between the bill and eyes of the Fairies - tricky to spot amongst a fast-moving flock of 300 Little Terns! Council staff felt privileged to see these beautiful birds up close and observe the different behaviours and calls.
Council staff, in partnership with National Parks and Wildlife Service (Saving our Species Program), faced many challenges this season in protecting the breeding colony. As with last season, the team encountered:
• off-leash dogs
• significant rubbish dumping, especially fishing bait - this attracts scavenging birds which prey on the eggs and chicks
• physical disturbances from people jumping fenced areas (which can lead to trampled eggs)
• inundation and compromised fencing from high seas, tides and flooding
• overhead disturbances from drones and kite surfers
• significant noise from party goers, including fireworks.
Despite these challenges, the Terns persisted with their efforts and by mid-November there were 85 active Little Tern nests and more than 200 eggs on the sand.
With high numbers expected, things took a ‘tern’ for the worst in mid-December when devastation struck in the form of predatory Silver Gulls, which for several reasons had a stronger presence on-site this season and actively hunted both eggs and chicks of the Little Tern.
By the end of January, only 31 Little Tern chicks were confirmed as having fledged, with most fledglings sneaking through before the arrival of these avian predators. While 31 fledglings is down on the previous two seasons (56 and 96 respectively), this is still considered a good outcome in terms of population recruitment, especially in comparison to other breeding colonies in NSW. The site yielded the second highest number of fledglings in NSW this season behind Lake Wollumboola with 55 birds.
The ongoing success of the Little Terns breeding season is due to intensive, best practice management that includes:
- habitat enhancement works to reduce the threat of inundation
- installation of fencing to exclude people and dogs
- the development and maintenance of interpretive and regulatory signage
- a program of fox control
- regular rubbish collection to reduce the threat of avian / terrestrial predators
- regular site monitoring and a program of weekly nest monitoring
- effective community engagement and education strategy to raise awareness of the endangered Little Tern and the importance of Karagi Point as a breeding site.
This season, Council worked closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to deliver an even stronger education and communication campaign to raise awareness of the Little Tern colony and how the community could assist. This included roving rangers and stalls at community events, presentations and hands-on activities in local holiday parks, kayaking tours and responsible fishing workshops.
Council thanks beach goers and the local community who have, in the vast majority, been very respectful of the Little Terns and we are particularly grateful to the people regularly picking up litter on site and no longer walk their dog in the area.
This year, the protective fencing will be left in place to allow further establishment of vegetation, provide important habitat for non-migratory shorebirds such as the Red-capped Plovers and Oystercatcher species. The fence, with attached signage, will also allow continued public education about the site, especially the importance of not bringing dogs to Karagi Point.
The goal for the 2023/24 breeding season is to provide an environment in which Little Terns can safely and successfully breed, thus contributing to the long-term survival of the ‘Swallow of the Sea’ - hopefully cracking triple figures in terms of fledging success in the process.
Council staff, NPWS and the wider community now eagerly await their return in October!
Photo credit: Andrew Robinson