Initiative saves chicks from savage death
Local conservationists have resorted to thinking “inside the box” in an attempt to increase the breeding success of white-fronted plovers in Plettenberg Bay.
Nature’s Valley Trust (NVT) has been strategically placing small artificial shelters along Nature’s Valley Beach.
NVT’s Brittany Arendse said the aim of the shelters is to provide a safe place for chicks to retreat to against not only the elements but also predators and clashes with beachgoers and dogs.
“In species like the common terns, the shelters have reduced predation by gulls to zero,” Arendse said.
Studies done on the hooded plover in Australia showed that more than 50% of chicks provided with an artificial shelter used it when disturbed, she added.
“These shelters are commonly used and are most successful in areas that are low in natural cover. Hence why we are trialling them in less vegetated areas like the estuary beach area and above the high-tide mark at other sections of beach.”
Arendse said they hoped to increase breeding success to a more stable and natural 30 to 35%.
Until recently, these birds’ breeding success has been very low, with only one in 10 nests successfully fledging their chicks. Incubating plovers react to disturbances, like someone approaching, from up to 50m away and subsequently leave their nests. This is a problem as unattended eggs can reach lethal temperatures on hot days.
Over the years, the NVT has attempted to create awareness around this and even erected signs on beaches, warning the public about their potential impact. This has led to an increase in breeding success.
Arendse said it is yet to be determined if the shelters would be a success, as they eagerly observe the current six pairs breeding in Nature’s Valley where several eggs were expected to hatch this week.
One nest’s eggs were scheduled to hatch last week, but extreme heat led to lethal egg temperatures. The shelters are constructed from marine plywood with brass hinges and are secured in the sand.
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Source: Knysna Plett Herald News