Outdoors: Dotterel return to Waikato

A pair of New Zealand dotterels just south of Port Waikato.

New Zealand dotterel are reappearing on Waikato beaches, thanks largely to combined pest control efforts by community volunteers and work spearheaded by the Department of Conservation.

It is no easy task making beaches safe places for dotterel to nest and breed, with cats, stoats, ferrets and hedgehogs all eager to make a meal of eggs and chicks.

And that's just the first line of attack. Other threats include cattle, horses, dogs, king tides and storms - not to mention people on quad bikes.

All extract a toll on this plucky little bird's chances of getting their offspring safely through to fledging stage.

A decade ago the total NZ Dotterel population was estimated at 1700, most of them on east coast beaches from Wairoa, northward. Other scattered populations could be found around the upper North Island coast, and in very low numbers down the west as far as Marokopa.

A survey of the whole Waikato west coast in 2008 revealed the presence of just 28 dotterels.

DOC partnership ranger Michael Paviour describes the NZ dotterel as "conservation dependent", saying they require sustained pest and predator control to survive and flourish.

"That conservation effort has come in the form of the Department's rangers working closely with volunteers, many of whom are putting long hours into pest control, monitoring and advocacy. But all the volunteer work is strongly supported by DOC rangers on the ground, through the supplying of signs, traps, bait, technical support, trap clearance, boat work, and much more," Mr Paviour says.

"For several years Michael Lellman at Aotea Harbour and Karen Opie at Port Waikato have coordinated the efforts of growing numbers of volunteers with practical, technical and financial support from DOC. We are now beginning to see all of our efforts pay off."

Dotterel have this season been nesting in increasing numbers and at new beaches. Michael Lellman's monitoring at Aotea on 23 January 2015 revealed 12 adults and seven juveniles, while Paviour and other DOC staff were that same day confirming a further eight adults and five juveniles at two new sites further north.

"It is highly likely that, given the sustained efforts of ourselves and our partners in trapping pests and predators, even more may have bred and fledged earlier in the season. So, from DOC management of dotterel at Aotea now extending to other sites on the West Coast we now have a great group of volunteers and Rangers making a real difference with seven beaches being trapped and managed."

With the Waikato Regional Council and the Ngati Karewa Ngati Tahinga Trust also involved with pest control measures at Port Waikato, the dotterel population is dispersing and showing every sign of sustained growth.

Mr Paviour says the combined effort at these sites is proving to be the difference between success and failure.

"We are staking our claims for the Waikato west coast as a place where people can come and expect to see NZ dotterel and other species such as Caspian terns and variable oystercatchers thriving."