Above: Adult Hoodie Orange KK is 14 years old and is known as ‘Stumpy’ because she has one foot missing.

LATEST ‘HOODIE’ NEWS

There are several breeding territories in the area west of the Wilson Rd access track: one between the first and second bay west and two others further west near the rocky platforms.

2nd Bay west and beyond. White AW and Orange KK are back on this territory but their normal nesting sites have been severely eroded recently. On 17 December their first nest for this season was discovered on the upper beach but it failed from tidal inundation. A second nest was discovered on 5 January on a sandy point with one chick hatching on 29 January, but this chick disappeared within 5 days. Please note this is a NO DOG zone!

1st and 2nd Bay west of Wilson. White AS and White XR are back in this area. Their first nest was discovered on 2 December at the F Break access track area and on 3 January, amazingly, two healthy chicks hatched. One chick died around Day 7. The lone chick fledged officially on 6 February after 35 days and is starting to fly some distance but still remains with the parents. Advisory signage and shelters have been removed. Please note this is a NO DOG zone! This is only the 4th juvenile to fledge here since records started in 2006 and the first since 2010.

Above: Fledged chick on 6th February – the first since 2010.

Above: AW White from the Wilson Rd far west bay site.

INTERESTING FACTS ON THE LOCAL BREEDING PAIRS

Orange KK is a 14 year old female that has raised 5 fledges in several locations along this coastline and two seasons ago returned to mate with White AW, the bird that kicked her off this territory back in 2019! She has one foot missing from a fishing line entanglement, but gets around ok and is a feisty girl! She’s affectionately known as ‘Stumpy’.

White AS is a female bird and its male partner is White XR.

IMPORTANT SITE INFORMATION

The birds in these territories use the foredunes and upper beach to establish nests. On some of the beaches, there is little room to move, especially at high tide. Try to keep your beach walking to the water’s edge and away from the high tide line and refrain from entering the foredunes and sand dunes. 

PARKS VICTORIA REGULATIONS

NO DOGS are allowed west of Wilson Rd Access 24 to just east of Coal Creek estuary near Harmers Haven as per Parks Victoria regulations. A sign is in place on the upper beach just west of the Wilson Rd track access advising of this. Local Parks Victoria Rangers and Officer’s from the Office of the Conservation Regulator monitor this beach to ensure compliance.