Oystercatcher Diary - 2015 Day 15 - Last

My daily routine nowadays is to get up and go straight out to check on the birds.

This morning, they weren't there. I could hear them calling from the far end of the beach and thought perhaps they were chasing off another Oystercatcher like they did the other day.

They were walking back from the far end, continuing to call until they reached the nest. They both looked at it and sat down. It just didn't look right. They hadn't ever sat together. After a minute they got up, stared back down at the nest and then walked down to the Bonnie Vale end, all the while calling. It was heartbreaking to watch. They gave a final call and then they flew off towards Cronulla.

I went to the nest and leading in were fox prints. Same prints then leading out. It stole in during the night and took our precious eggs. I did know predators were going to be a problem, just wasn't expecting it so soon.

We gave these birds the best possible chance. For beach nesting birds, on a beach such as ours, the human element is by far the biggest threat. Without our efforts these birds would have had zero chance. We almost got there.

Thank you everyone. You've worked so hard to try and stop another species from just disappearing. I am just so upset that another human problem, introduced predators, beat us.

Over the past 5 years in Maianbar I've seen many of our birds and all of our bandicoots disappear. I had hoped our Oystercatchers could have managed to keep beating near impossible odds so they could stay on our beaches. I wonder if in 20 years our wonderful little wildlife patch will be just like any other Sydney suburb, devoid of anything but dogs, cats and caged birds.

Must go, computers hate moisture dripping onto them. It is with a very heavy heart I have to say, Oystercatcher diary, signing off.