Hanging on time and tide

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You would think that because the weather was bad it would be have been quiet, but the campgrounds were full, so to the beach they came.

Saturday was interesting dealing with the pre to early teens boys soccer club. There were groups within this group. Some of them were polite and interested, asking all kinds of questions, coming through in small groups, at different times. Then there were the "others". They were a group of 12 that took a particular fancy to stirring up the masked lapwings that have a newly hatched chick. Seems to be a right of passage for young boys camping at Bonnie Vale, you see it year after year.

I headed them off when I did my 7am check, with three, much younger boys, quite distressed by what they were doing. They could see the chick might get hurt and said the gang had been doing it the night before also. At lunchtime they were at it again and weren't letting up. Not one person was suggesting to the kids it wasn't a wise thing to do so figured it was better to go across. That time they all yelled, ranger, run, and 6 took off, leaving 6 behind. One of the kids that took off was then yelling in a panic to Toby, one of the kids left behind, with his calls becoming louder and louder and more and more frantic.

The remaining 6 got the message, it wasn't part of the game, and took off in different directions. All I could do was hang around and wait as I felt it important to have a chat with them. I saw them creeping around the back and then 3 brave souls of the group came forward. They asked if I was looking for the boys that were stirring the birds as they knew who they were, they were part of their soccer team. Anyway, told them to let their friends know that the campground manager had been informed about it and if he catches them, the parents might get a fine, and thus the lapwings were left alone for the weekend. I should have given them an extra tip. Put a hat on the kid with the bright red hair if you want to get up to mischief and escape.

Sunday started off much better with the beach being quiet as it was cold and windy. Come mid afternoon, however, the predicted big swells arrived in line with high tide. It wasn't a horrendously high tide, only 1.5 metres, but almost 4 metre swells saw the water starting to come up over the beach.

I started getting more and more nervous as the water continued rolling over, an hour after high tide. The birds have done an amazing job picking their area this year. Got to give them credit. They really know what they are doing. Their first nesting site was perfect, except for the predator that took the eggs. This site is the next best. Off the wash zone, bit too close to the fence line, but us volunteers help with that. They've chosen in amongst some vegetated hills, which when you look at picture 3 above, helped stop the water.

So another weekend down. Let's keep hoping there are more to come.