Extending my interest across from Shoal bay I checked out the birds in Ngataringa bay at high tide yesterday and low tide today. Good to see particularly the 119 South Island pied oystercatchers (SIPOS) and 60 wrybill roosting on a sand and shell bank at high tide. I recently saw three wrybill at high tide on a shell bank at Shoal bay with over a hundred pied stilts. This area is proving to be very rich in wildlife and we have to do more to protect it.
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| 119 south island pied oystercatcher and 60 wrybill in the foreground |
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| Wrybill and south island oystercatchers take flight |
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| The 2 black birds with the shorter heavier bills are Variable oystercatchers |
Our interpretive signage at Shoal was a start along with trying to reduce dog disturbance on these shell banks particularly in the breeding season. Predator trapping is another possibility to help with nesting sites.
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