Mrs Rogan is confident that the fairy terns have been under good supervision, proven by the 12 chicks that survived from 20 eggs in the previous year.
"You can monitor everything else, but you can't control the weather," she says.
There are multiple reasons for the small number of fairy terns, with the most common being disturbance and predators. Mrs Rogan said loss of habitat from developments made along the coast affected the lives of these birds. Predators included a range of animals, such as cats, dogs, weasels and hedgehogs, with cats being the most difficult to catch. On an average month, around 10 hedgehogs and rats are caught in traps around fairy tern nesting sites, whereas only two to three cats were.
Full-time wardens, trappers, and volunteers help the conservation of the birds by monitoring their habitats and ensuring that they are away from danger. During the breeding seasons, generally between September to February, the Department of Conservation will set fences up in areas likely to have nesting birds.
The New Zealand Fairy Tern Trust will hold a meeting on September 19 at 2pm, at Mangawhai Heads' Senior Citizens' Hall, to elect a new committee.
