Shorebird and Waders Report 2024-25
Winda Woppa and Corrie Island
Prepared for Myall Koala and Environment Group
This report covers the systematic monitoring of the breeding season for Pied Oystercatchers (APO) and Little Tern (LT) and observations of migratory shorebird numbers in their non-breeding season at Winda Woppa and Corrie Island, during the summer of 2024-25
Most of the data was collected in the field by NPWS volunteers and MKEG members, Trish Blair, Sharon Taylor, Kit and Richard Streamer. Data input and photographic records by Trish Blair and Sharon Taylor. NSW Department Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water (DCCEEW) through its agency NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Save Our Species programme, and Mid Coast Council were the responsible government agencies. Katherine Howard - Project Officer Threatened Species NPWS and Nicholas Colman Environmental Projects Officer MCC were our primary contacts.
Summary
This season can be considered very successful for APO and LT in terms of the fledgling rate of both species. Five pair of APO on Corrie Island and one pair on Winda Woppa sand spoil (the mound) successfully hatched one or more chicks from their first and only laying. Eight fledglings were recorded from those six nests.
The Little Tern returned to Winda Woppa mound and Corrie Island producing fledged offspring for the first time since 2021. Over 20 breeding pair produced more than 40 fledglings from a top count of 65 eggs from 24 nests – a very good result.
Winda Woppa and Corrie Island
Prepared for Myall Koala and Environment Group
This report covers the systematic monitoring of the breeding season for Pied Oystercatchers (APO) and Little Tern (LT) and observations of migratory shorebird numbers in their non-breeding season at Winda Woppa and Corrie Island, during the summer of 2024-25
Most of the data was collected in the field by NPWS volunteers and MKEG members, Trish Blair, Sharon Taylor, Kit and Richard Streamer. Data input and photographic records by Trish Blair and Sharon Taylor. NSW Department Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water (DCCEEW) through its agency NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Save Our Species programme, and Mid Coast Council were the responsible government agencies. Katherine Howard - Project Officer Threatened Species NPWS and Nicholas Colman Environmental Projects Officer MCC were our primary contacts.
Summary
This season can be considered very successful for APO and LT in terms of the fledgling rate of both species. Five pair of APO on Corrie Island and one pair on Winda Woppa sand spoil (the mound) successfully hatched one or more chicks from their first and only laying. Eight fledglings were recorded from those six nests.
The Little Tern returned to Winda Woppa mound and Corrie Island producing fledged offspring for the first time since 2021. Over 20 breeding pair produced more than 40 fledglings from a top count of 65 eggs from 24 nests – a very good result.
Photo 1
Location of Pied Oyster-catcher nests and chick nursery areas where the families moved after eggs hatched.
Note: ‘Kits POC pair’ = Myall River nest in table 1
Two unlabelled stars beside SW nest are the SW/NW nursery area and location of NW nest
Little Tern Data
The big surprise of the season was the return of the LT to both Winda Woppa mound and Corrie Island.
One LT nest was noted on top of the mound on our 6 December survey. One week later, Peter Goonan (MCC) photographed that nest with one of 3 eggs in the process of hatching. Peter also observed 2 other chicks of on the mound, probably from 2 other undiscovered nests. From these and subsequent observations we believe there to have been a total of 3 pair of LT to successfully hatch chicks. We recorded 2 fledglings later in this location.
On Corrie Island we were delighted that the LT noted the swale between the beach and the light tower lagoon. It had developed since last season to be an appropriate surface for a nest colony - a shelly surface and sparse vegetation. The red-capped plovers had already laid eggs so this may have been an encouraging sign to the LT.
We initially found a total of 21 nests spread widely throughout the swale area. As this area became occupied the colony extended and 7 more nests were discovered at the top of the beach between high tide and the spinifex covered low dune. Table 2 records the counts for the Corrie Island LT colony.
At the height of the laying period 62 eggs were counted in 21 nests. Nearly 100% of nests contained 3 eggs with just two nests having 2 eggs and one containing 4 eggs.
The peak number of fledglings observed was 43 on 11th January. They were seen spread along the beach and in the air near the lagoon. Extensive storms producing high winds and approximately 120mm rain delayed our next and final visit until 20th Jan. On this visit we found the colony had largely disbanded with some fledglings spread further east towards the shortcut mouth of the Myall River, using the sand islands as well as the shore. A number remained on the shoreline adjacent to the original colony.
The birds were busy fishing and very active coming and going from their multiple roosting sites. Some were in the air and resting on a sand bar too distant to distinguish fledgling from adult. Such activity made it difficult to provide a definitive count of fledglings at this point of their development. Fledglings in flocks with adult birds were documented through photographs of birds in flight when they alighted, confirming that the majority survived from the largest count of 9 days earlier
Migratory Shorebirds
The migratory shorebirds that we observed this summer all make an over -wintering journey from Sub-arctic parts of the Northern Hemisphere to Southern shores including our region. Some seasons we have also seen birds such as the double-banded plover that travels from New Zealand.
The number of birds counted on each survey varies according to tides, winds, time of day and other unknown factors. Our observations contribute to the understanding of some part of the population of migratory shorebirds that visit Port Stephens. The maximum birds counted for each species on any one occasion in our survey area are listed below. A bird new to our records and not listed below is a single sighting of the Terek Sandpiper.
Larger species:
Eastern Curlew – 27; Whimbrel – 12; Bar-tailed Godwit – 160
Smaller species:
Grey-tailed Tattler – 3; Pacific Golden Plover – 4; Red Knot – 5; Red-necked Stint – 8; Ruddy Turnstone - 2
Conclusion
Pied Oystercatchers
This season breeding season was successful for the Pied Oystercatchers of Winda Woppa and Corrie Island. The differing factor in shorebird breeding conditions this season was the absence of canid predators on Corrie Island. The Corrie birds needed only lay once to produce eggs and chicks that survived to juvenile or fledged age. The tolerance of the mound pair at Winda Woppa to constant machinery and truck movements for 2 weeks of the incubation period was an insight into their resilience and a new observation for our team. It seems humans on foot are more likely to interrupt egg incubation than noisy machinery several metres nearby.
Little Tern
It is difficult to know what factors determined the establishment of a Little Tern colony this year after three years absence. Perhaps the size, shape, consistency and degree of vegetation cover of the sand zone between the lagoon and the water’s edge was a big factor. This area has been constantly evolving over the five years of our monitoring and we had thought this site could be suitable for an LT colony. Other than the absence of dingoes and foxes on the Island and the strength of more than 40 breeding birds, it seems reasonably arbitrary as to why the Little Terns settle and why this year they appear to have successfully bred. Conversely, the very small group of an estimated 3 pair on the WW mound struggled amid constant human holiday traffic and would have been less effective in repelling potential threats. Under these circumstances we could say “good effort” in raising even the two fledglings we counted.
The big surprise of the season was the return of the LT to both Winda Woppa mound and Corrie Island.
One LT nest was noted on top of the mound on our 6 December survey. One week later, Peter Goonan (MCC) photographed that nest with one of 3 eggs in the process of hatching. Peter also observed 2 other chicks of on the mound, probably from 2 other undiscovered nests. From these and subsequent observations we believe there to have been a total of 3 pair of LT to successfully hatch chicks. We recorded 2 fledglings later in this location.
On Corrie Island we were delighted that the LT noted the swale between the beach and the light tower lagoon. It had developed since last season to be an appropriate surface for a nest colony - a shelly surface and sparse vegetation. The red-capped plovers had already laid eggs so this may have been an encouraging sign to the LT.
We initially found a total of 21 nests spread widely throughout the swale area. As this area became occupied the colony extended and 7 more nests were discovered at the top of the beach between high tide and the spinifex covered low dune. Table 2 records the counts for the Corrie Island LT colony.
At the height of the laying period 62 eggs were counted in 21 nests. Nearly 100% of nests contained 3 eggs with just two nests having 2 eggs and one containing 4 eggs.
The peak number of fledglings observed was 43 on 11th January. They were seen spread along the beach and in the air near the lagoon. Extensive storms producing high winds and approximately 120mm rain delayed our next and final visit until 20th Jan. On this visit we found the colony had largely disbanded with some fledglings spread further east towards the shortcut mouth of the Myall River, using the sand islands as well as the shore. A number remained on the shoreline adjacent to the original colony.
The birds were busy fishing and very active coming and going from their multiple roosting sites. Some were in the air and resting on a sand bar too distant to distinguish fledgling from adult. Such activity made it difficult to provide a definitive count of fledglings at this point of their development. Fledglings in flocks with adult birds were documented through photographs of birds in flight when they alighted, confirming that the majority survived from the largest count of 9 days earlier
Migratory Shorebirds
The migratory shorebirds that we observed this summer all make an over -wintering journey from Sub-arctic parts of the Northern Hemisphere to Southern shores including our region. Some seasons we have also seen birds such as the double-banded plover that travels from New Zealand.
The number of birds counted on each survey varies according to tides, winds, time of day and other unknown factors. Our observations contribute to the understanding of some part of the population of migratory shorebirds that visit Port Stephens. The maximum birds counted for each species on any one occasion in our survey area are listed below. A bird new to our records and not listed below is a single sighting of the Terek Sandpiper.
Larger species:
Eastern Curlew – 27; Whimbrel – 12; Bar-tailed Godwit – 160
Smaller species:
Grey-tailed Tattler – 3; Pacific Golden Plover – 4; Red Knot – 5; Red-necked Stint – 8; Ruddy Turnstone - 2
Conclusion
Pied Oystercatchers
This season breeding season was successful for the Pied Oystercatchers of Winda Woppa and Corrie Island. The differing factor in shorebird breeding conditions this season was the absence of canid predators on Corrie Island. The Corrie birds needed only lay once to produce eggs and chicks that survived to juvenile or fledged age. The tolerance of the mound pair at Winda Woppa to constant machinery and truck movements for 2 weeks of the incubation period was an insight into their resilience and a new observation for our team. It seems humans on foot are more likely to interrupt egg incubation than noisy machinery several metres nearby.
Little Tern
It is difficult to know what factors determined the establishment of a Little Tern colony this year after three years absence. Perhaps the size, shape, consistency and degree of vegetation cover of the sand zone between the lagoon and the water’s edge was a big factor. This area has been constantly evolving over the five years of our monitoring and we had thought this site could be suitable for an LT colony. Other than the absence of dingoes and foxes on the Island and the strength of more than 40 breeding birds, it seems reasonably arbitrary as to why the Little Terns settle and why this year they appear to have successfully bred. Conversely, the very small group of an estimated 3 pair on the WW mound struggled amid constant human holiday traffic and would have been less effective in repelling potential threats. Under these circumstances we could say “good effort” in raising even the two fledglings we counted.
