Still waiting!

We still have the fence up, which I think is a good thing. In our inexperience last year we pulled it down to satisfy local complaints. The oystercatchers didn't end up nesting that far from the first position, so we could have saved some time in set-up and re-upsetting the locals as they thought it had gone down for the season.

Our oyks are learning that inside the fence is a great place to be.

Yes, they had their first set of eggs taken. They are however, learning it is a place of peace and quiet away from all the people, which is one part of the mix needed to get the chicks up. We just need work out how to take out the predators. Not helping is someone in the neighbourhood, camper or local, that is turning upside down a cage trap or two. Can't tell if they are perhaps throwing something of a turn off smell nature into the soft leg traps enclosures to discourage the fox from being caught there. We are learning how to get the soft leg traps working properly in sand, during windy season.

The Oyks keep trying to sit outside the fence lines, but people come through dragging kayaks, or placing their kids and towels down right next to them. They slowly just get up and slink back within their fence.

Today they were sitting directly outside my place. about 100 metres from the fence. A place they were considering for a couple of days for placement of their eggs first time around before deciding on the place they eventually went with as it was quieter. They had reinforcement today that outside my place isn't so good.

At high tide they rest and sleep. Today they were doing that but a guy in an out of control tinnie (the motor is too big for the boat) ended up running the tinnie up onto the beach without cutting the motor or slowing it down. It missed the oyks by just over 3 metres. They got up and out of the way, but just stood there looking at the guy, looking at each other, then back at the guy. They then fluffed up their feathers, shook themselves off, and went for a walk back to their enclosure to continue their sleep. It was pretty unbelievable to see.

Life is tough for a breeding shorebird, one day we'll be able get the mix right and our Oyks will get some chicks up. Let's hope this next nesting we'll have the mix right.