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Nesting of Endangered Little terns at Cowley Beach Spit ....ACTION REQUIRED ASAP

2/12/2011

 
My friend Russell Constable is a tireless campaigner for a better deal for the environment where he sees a need for more awareness and change. Russell's blog is packed full of information about his local area.  Here is a letter he   wrote to DERM and CCRC representatives to express his concerns about some of the ongoing threats to wildlife at Cowley Beach.....

Dear Mark, Terry and Paul 
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During my recent visits to the Cowley Beach Spit on 25 November 2011 (with Mr Richard Piper) and the 29 November 2011 (unaccompanied) I witnessed Endangered Little terns Sterna albifrons exhibiting nesting/breeding behaviour on this spit. As you should no doubt be aware, this dune spit at the mouth of Liverpool Creek currently presents optimal nesting/foraging habitat for this species as it has a large area with a clear view of approaching predators and a significant amount of camouflaging timber and wrack.

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Unfortunately the Little terns were flushed from the ground on the 25 November by a quad bike rider driving through this area so I did not get the photographs I desired.

I did however get photographs of the birds on the wing that confirmed that they were indeed Endangered Little terns Sterna albifrons  when they later commenced feeding behaviour at the mouth of the creek.

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They are small fast birds and hard to photograph from a distance. Please note I did not wish to disturb them or threaten any nests by walking too closely to the area where I saw them. 

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Also of interest was the presence of many waders including what appeared to be Whimbrels on the southern creek bank, a migratory wader mentioned within Paul Devine’s Cowley Beach report to Cassowary Coast Regional Council. 

However my primary goal on the 25th was not to photograph birds and the weather was turning bad so I left.


When I returned to this location on 29 November 2011 I was delighted to see even more of these endangered Little terns Sterna albifrons  squatting in the dune and exhibiting what could be described as nesting/courting behaviour. Please note that the Birds in the photographs below exhibit the yellow beak, yellow legs and strongly defined facial plumage of breeding birds. Immediately below is an image of a Little tern I took on the 29th that was sitting amongst the timber etc on the southern section of the Cowley Beach dune.

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Although the birds were part of a flock obvious pairs could be seen within the group demonstrating “affection” for each other. 
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I am both delighted that these Endangered birds are hopefully going to nest at this location and at the same time highly concerned that uncontrolled beach/dune driving at Cowley Beach poses a direct threat to the success of any nesting by these terns.
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The DERM web site lists beach driving as a direct threat to this endangered bird species. The extract below is from the DERM website at http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-ecosystems/wildlife/az_of_animals/little_tern.html

Common name: Little tern
Scientific name: Sternula albifrons
Family: Laridae
Conservation status This species is listed as Endangered in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992) and is ranked as a high priority under the Department of Environment and Resource Management ‘Back on Track’ Species Prioritisation Framework.

Threatening processes
Threats known to affect the little tern include coastal recreational activities such as 4WD vehicles on the beach, trail bike riding and walking that can crush eggs and chicks. Foxes, wild dogs and uncontrolled pet dogs are the most serious predators, along with cats, rats and silver gulls. Human disturbance is also a major cause of nest failure. Loss of suitable nesting habitat occurs because of recreational use or development. Little terns are potentially susceptible to pesticides and contamination of estuaries by oil spills and heavy metals.

I have witnessed this species nesting at Coquette Point where recently that colony has been under threat from unregulated beach traffic and off leash dogs http://www.missionbeachcassowaries.com/9/post/2011/11/news-from-coquette-point28.html and it would appear that this is a regional issue.

ACTION REQUESTED

As Little terns are an Endangered species in Queensland I naturally believe that local (CCRC) and State (DERM) government bodies have a responsibility to ensure that these Little terns can nest without disturbance from vehicles on the Cowley beach southern dune where they appear to be nesting. I strongly request that CCRC and DERM take action to COMPLETELY STOP  Dune/Beach  driving at the South of the Cowley Beach Boat ramp at least until this nesting activity ceases. Continued disturbance by car and quad bike drivers will most probably deter nesting or damage existing nests.

I look forward to your prompt attention to this threat to this Endangered bird species and hope to hear from you in the very near future

As a further matter of concern I photographed many wader species using this area on both days that would also be impacted by this vehicular disturbance. I have included images below taken on 29 November 2011 at Cowley Beach Spit in the same area as the terns. Undoubtedly many of these would be Commonwealth listed migratory waders (apart from the red capped plover below which I only included as they nest on this dune at Cowley Beach too).

Regards and thank you for giving this matter your urgent and diligent attention

Russell Constable
Russell Constable link
2/12/2011 02:58:34 pm

Thank you Liz for posting this letter on your site.
I conducted a site inspection at Cowley Beach this afternoon 2 Dec 2011 and was very pleased to see DERM/QPWS had installed a warning sign. I was then sickened to see that quad bike drivers had ignored the sign and driven all over this nesting site and I took video footage. It gets even worse...then a person known to me drove up through the nesting site on a quad bike turned and drove up to me pretending they hadn't seen the sign (even though their previous vehicle tracks were near it!) She stank of alcohol and had a can of beer in her bike. Oh and by the way her terrier dog was running through the nesting site too! I will be posting this to you tube soon ...watch this space for a link!

Russell Constable link
22/5/2012 02:36:41 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp24GcI4qjU
Here is the video of the sort of behaviour that I am concerned about. Driving a quad through a bird nesting site is unacceptable and driving whilst obviously intoxicated is far from OK in my books!

Russell Constable link
22/5/2012 02:37:09 pm

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp24GcI4qjU
Here is the video of the sort of behaviour that I am concerned about. Driving a quad through a bird nesting site is unacceptable and driving whilst obviously intoxicated is far from OK in my books!

Russell Constable link
22/5/2012 02:38:57 pm

Click on my name to see the sort of behaviour that I am concerned about. Driving a quad through a bird nesting site is unacceptable and driving whilst obviously intoxicated is far from OK in my books!

Russell Constable link
22/5/2012 02:39:22 pm

Click on my name to see the sort of behavior that I am concerned about. Driving a quad through a bird nesting site is unacceptable and driving whilst obviously intoxicated is far from OK in my books!

Richard Piper
4/12/2011 03:57:29 pm

Thanks Liz for posting Russell's letter. It was pleasing to see that DERM's QPWS officers moved promptly to place a warning sign for beach users. These terns need greater protection and a closure of the beach in this area to all vehicles during nesting season is certainly needed. I have also filmed a fledgling red capped plover in this same area so it is clearly an important breeding site for sea birds.

Julie Waugh
29/12/2011 01:48:13 am

Why can't a compromise be reached here? I used to live at Cowley Beach for close to 30 years and have never seen so much community unrest which is quite disturbing. Maybe the Council could open up the track that used to be there for many years so that the local folk can carry out their recreational interests and stay off the streets. Perhaps the people involved in public head-hunting should call a community meeting and try to make some compromise instead of the continual confrontation which does not appear to solving anything [only making matters worse]. There is no doubt that the wild-life should be protected but the social and community interests need to be considered in such a small community.

Russell Constable link
22/5/2012 02:26:02 pm

In response to Julie, CCRC have dozed out more fragile dune vegetation at Cowley to create a new track as she suggested after large sections of same eroded into the sea. Guess what...we still have people driving on beaches, interfering with turtle nests near Liverpool Creek, Vandalising bollards designed to keep drivers off the foredunes etc etc. I make no apologies for considering the protection of threatened species like little terns and green sea turtles to be more important than protecting the hooning "rights" of individuals who show scant regard for such a beautiful place.

Russell Constable link
22/5/2012 02:40:29 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp24GcI4qjU


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