Transit NZ lures rare birds to new nest

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Work starts today on building new homes for eight rare New Zealand dotterels who live besides Auckland's Northern Motorway.

A helicopter will carry about 20 truckloads of shell from a stockpile beside the motorway to build up shellbanks in Shoal Bay.

Five nesting sites will be prepared on the banks - in the hope of encouraging the dotterels away from their present homes.

They are in the path of earthworks for an improved Esmonde Rd interchange and a two-way bus lane for the new North Shore busway.

For 16 years New Zealand dotterels have lived on a shelly beach only 20m from traffic rushing to the Harbour Bridge.

But the busy motorway has been credited with helping their survival.

Predator rats, cats and dogs have been unable to reach them.

The $200,000 relocation nesting work is being carried out by Transit New Zealand.

Last June, the Auckland Regional Council banned work on nearby motorway improvements until alternative nesting sites were established and the birds resettled.

This was hoped to occur over this winter and breeding start in about September, said scientist John Dowding, who looks after the birds.

Apart from encouraging the birds to use the shellbanks, said Dr Dowding, the birds were also being discouraged from using the motorway verges by not mowing the grass.

"They normally don't like nesting in long vegetation."

Dr Dowding said it was misleading to say the cost of resettling the birds was $25,000 each.

Most of the $200,000 was a one-off cost to enhance the shellbanks north of the beach called The City of Cork.

He said the new sanctuary was expected to serve generations of dotterels, of which there were only 1500 in the world.

Five nests were being built because it was hoped to attract more birds to the area.

It also gave the birds a choice.

"Some of the sites may be more attractive to them than others for reasons we don't understand."

The City of Cork shellbank is already home to a number of New Zealand dotterels as well as endangered caspian terns and variable oystercatchers.

The shell comes from a quarry at Kaiaua near the Firth of Thames.