Eggs from endangered shorebirds nesting at Seven Mile Beach were all washed away with the recent large storms. But this reporter can confirm that the Pied Oyster Catcher breeding pairs are back and trying again!

While the dunes near the bridge from Burke Parade have been halved in size, protective fences have been erected again around this small area to allow the shorebirds to nest in safety. A couple of dunes have been left unfenced for children to play on.

One of the fenced off areas

Masked Lapwings, a pair of Pied Oyster Catchers and some Red Capped Plovers (which are only about the size of Blue Wrens) are sharing this small space. 

The challenge for Sally, our local National Parks shorebird protector, is to spot any eggs very quickly and immediately set up a small electric fence around them to keep the foxes away. Other endangered birds are also nesting around tracks 6 and 7 on Seven Mile Beach.

A small sandy coloured Red Capped Plover can be hard to spot

So, keep your eyes peeled and keep your distance when on the beach - these birds don't make 'nests' as such, but lay their eggs directly onto the sand. The eggs and then the chicks are mostly sand-coloured, so are very hard to see.