It has been a successful season for Hooded Plovers on the Fleurieu, according to the South Coast Friends of the Hooded Plovers.

With the 2021-2022 season coming to a close, they say this year’s breeding and fledging season has been relatively successful for the birds, compared to previous seasons.

The hooded plover is a beach nesting bird listed as a vulnerable species, and a birdlife Australia program aims to lift the numbers on the state’s beaches.

It is reported that 14 ‘hoodie’ pairs produced 16 fledglings from 112 eggs laid in 42 nests on beaches from Goolwa Beach, to the Bluff at Encounter Bay, to the remote beaches on Deep Creek Conservation Park.

A fledgling is a chick flying after five weeks of growth after hatching.

“Some highlights across the season were hooded plover pairs producing two sets of three chicks which went onto fledge, which is a rare event in the ‘hoodie’ world.”

More remote sites had the most success, with fledglings produced at Tunkalilla Beach and Balquhidder Station beach.

Local landholders in the Yankalilla District were instrumental in the successful season, taking an active interest in the program and assisting with fox problems. 

South Coast Friends of the Hooded Plovers is coordinated by Wendy White and works with the City of Victor Harbor, District Council of Yankalilla, and Alexandrina Council, along with National Park Rangers to support the Hooded Plover Program.

The hooded plover project is jointly coordinated by Green Adelaide and Birdlife Australia, with support from local councils, and is funded by Green Adelaide and the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board, through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program.