Recreation river users and fishers are being asked to please avoid the Point Walter Spit as there are presently an estimated 60 breeding pairs of fairy Terns making use of the vegetation and shoreline at the end of the spit. The City of Melville has erected signage discouraging access to the site.
It is estimated that there are less than 1600 breeding pairs of fairy terns left in Western Australia. These tiny birds nest between October and January and like many shorebirds will nest above the high-tide mark on sandy beaches, where they lay one or two specked eggs in a shallow scrape in the sand. The eggs and chicks are highly vulnerable to disturbance as well as predators. Other birds, including pied oyster catchers and red-capped plovers also nest in this area. Birdlife WA and DBCA’s River Guardians have recently installed chick shelters at the end of the spit to give the birds a helping hand and are monitoring the area. You can do your bit by reducing beach traffic and disturbance.
Learn more about beach nesting birds and what can be done to help protect them: http://birdlife.org.au/projects/beach-nesting-birds
Photo: Birdlife WA members and DBCA’s River Guardians staff with the recently installed chick shelters