10,000 Birds

JULY 29, 2018

We have been busy walking the beach and keeping an eye on our local Pied Oystercatchers and the two pairs that laid their eggs earliest for the 2018 breeding season and successfully hatched out their chicks have now lost their chicks to predation. Animal prints leading to and from a raided nest.

Eggs 119

Eggs Feral Cats Feral 2018 119

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2019

It is quite common for several clutches of Pied Oystercatcher eggs to be laid during the breeding season and often within ten days of egg or chick loss. There are still very real threats of predation by feral cats and birds of prey, but we just have to be optimistic.

Eggs 124

Eggs Feral Cats Shelters Feral 124

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 23, 2015

Since discovering our first Pied Oystercatcher nest on Cable Beach in July 2000 we have observed the breeding of these local shorebirds along the coast between Gantheaume Point in the south and Willie Creek in the north, which is a distance of 23 kilometres. We are unsure of the exact predator, but there are cat prints in the area.

Feral Cats 158

Feral Cats Eggs Feral Cats 158

10,000 Birds

JULY 15, 2018

Feral cats have been an issue in previous years and continue to be a problem along the length of Cable Beach that we monitor. Red-capped Plovers are also breeding along Cable Beach at the moment and we have observed several chicks and there are also newly laid eggs.

2018 100

2018 Eggs Feral Cats Camels 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2011

We are into the second attempt at breeding for this season in Broome for Pied Oystercatchers. Sadly a lot of eggs are lost to feral cats and chicks are sometimes taken by birds of prey. We had one pair attempt 5 times in 2009, so they don’t give up easily!

2002 166

2002 Feral Cats Eggs 2007 166

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2018

It is not unusual to find a group of trial nest scrapes in a breeding territory and then the female lays the eggs in the nest that she prefers. We do not add debris to protect the nests and the main threat to the nests still appears to be feral cats. “A1” Preparing another nest site.

Eggs 108

Eggs Feral Cats Feral Raised 108

10,000 Birds

MARCH 26, 2014

There was a story this morning that did make my blood freeze, and it had nothing to do with four big cats biting the bullet. The elimination of vultures had its own knock on effects, such as the increase in feral dogs (now that there was more meat available for them) and corresponding increase in rabies. Conservation Lion vultures'

Lions 150

Lions Giraffes Zoos Killing 150

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2011

We monitor the Pied Oystercatchers breeding along a 23km stretch of beach each year and it can all be covered on foot or by bicycle-tide dependant! We keep our observations to a minimum to avoid disturbance and usually only visit the nest site once to get GPS coordinates to report to Birds Australia’s Nest record Scheme.

Breeding 172

Breeding Feral Cats Eggs Feral 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

Australia is a vast country with a very small human population, which mostly clings to the edge of the continent. Even the first explorers to Australia documented there was a risk of extinction of birds and animals into the future and subsequently decided to collect as many specimens as possible! Preface,p.xxiv.

Species 175

Species Australia Birds Parrots 175