Young Dot Watch fans keep guard over backyard birds

Young dotterel volunteers with their own Dot Watch tee shirts are Beau MacDuff, Violet Connelly and Gemma Munro. Photos / Supplied

Dot Watch have some new recruits this year after a pair of dotterels decided to nest on a subdivision at the back of their Waihi Beach houses.

The ''dotterel kaitiaki/guardian'' youngsters are keeping a watchful eye on the rare pair and are patrolling the area while keeping a safe distance from the nest.

The birds are new to Waihi Beach and Beau MacDuff, Violet Connelly and Gemma Munro have named them Fluff Bum and Tweet.

The team — who have their own Dot Watch T-shirts — are also keeping an eye out from their bedroom windows.

Violet says they have been asking people to keep their dogs on a lead and walk them away from the nest, to keep out of the nest area and keep cats in at night.

Beau made his own dotterel-inspired waistcoat.

Dotterel season is here and local group Dot Watch have introduced a feral cat trapping plan which includes a free companion cat microchipping programme at the beach in conjunction with Waihi Beach Vets (the offer is still available for the North End, Island View/Hanlen Ave area and Bowentown).

The group was formed to help protect the endangered bird as the last two/three seasons have been detrimental for nests. Last season no fledglings survived despite much publicity about protecting nests by leashing dogs and keeping local cats inside at night.

The hard work of Dot Watch youth team seems to be working as a secretly placed trail cam picked up on — not rats or feral cats — but locals walking their dogs on leads at the furthest most point from the nesting pair.

A Dot Watch spokesperson says their work is being embraced by the local neighbourhood, and everyone is rallying together to see the successful hatching of the three eggs.

In other dotterel news, Dot Watch coordinator Doug Longdill says local Island View dotterels Tutanekai and Hinemoa have moved from the beach to the middle of a field this year to nest.

''The threats posed to the pair have been overwhelming with cats, rats, hedgehogs and dogs off leads as well as huge swells and very high tides that have displaced the birds this year.

''It has been a great collaboration with the local farmer, he has moved the cows out of the field and wants now these birds to survive, we are hoping for another successful nest.''