Te Arai beach welcomes new residents

TWO TERNS: Fairy terns haven’t bred at TeArai for years. - PHOTO/Reg Whale

An endearing pair of birds has arrived at Te Arai beach to prepare for and raise their chicks. 

Te Arai residents are very excited about the prospect of New Zealand’s rarest endemic breeding bird, the New Zealand fairy tern, once again breeding on Te Arai beach after an absence of around 20 years. 

Locals began a timetable of nest minding while the Department of Conservation arranged for the appointment of a full-time beach warden for the breeding season. 

Sadly for this breeding pair, their two eggs which were well on their way to hatching mysteriously disappeared.

A successful predator trapping effort has been in place at Te Arai over the last six years, with volunteers also putting up fencing to protect nesting shore birds and talking to beach users about the needs of the endangered species. 

Te Arai enjoys the protection of the Wild Life Act so is a ‘no dog’ beach all year around and under Auckland Council by-laws is a ‘no vehicle’ beach. 

The Te Arai Dotterel Care Group is reminding dog lovers that there is a designated dog exercise area at Te Arai Point car park.

A spokesperson for the New Zealand Fairy Tern Trust said that it was inevitable that fairy terns would return to breeding again at Te Arai. As populations rebuild they will seek out more sites and Te Arai is an obvious choice. 

- Lyn Whale