Friends of the Hooded Plover - Mornington Peninsula

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Friends of the Hooded Plover - Mornington Peninsula

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Friends of the Hooded Plover Morn Pen work in conjunction with Parks VIC to protect Hooded Plovers.

The FoHPMP are also involved in:
-Educational programs from primary schools to tertiary institutions
-Market day stalls in different localities on the Peninsula. assistance in various research projects conducted by BirdLife Australia and Deakin University
-Conducting ‘Dog’s Breakfasts’ to include and educate dog owners on Hooded plover conservation various marketing strategies.
-Application for various grants to assist in Hooded Plover management and maintenance of local environment including permanent fencing and Fox control. The Birdlife Australia, Beach-nesting Birds Team is the leading authority on the management of Hooded Plovers across Australia. They tackle the challenges of HP conservation from many angles based upon the knowledge gained from years of detailed scientific research. Their work includes:
-Raising awareness of the plight of beach-nesting birds within coastal communities educational programs for students and their teachers across all age groups
-Conducting management workshops for volunteers and land managers.
-Lobbying all levels of government application for grants and ethics permits to maintain their research projects.
-Maintenance of the web portal for the collection of data on the distribution of bird populations and their breeding activity across south-east Australia.
-Conducting a biannual count of Hooded Plovers across South-east Australia
maintaining support for the 13 ‘Friends’ groups.

30/10/2026

Hellooooo, what about me! It’s not only the big kids that have condos, we little tackers get our very own bungalows too! I can hang out here whenever I want and it’s got fab beachfront views.
I'm grateful, I really am and I don’t want to seem pecky but it would be better if it came with curtains for a bit of privacy ⛺️ (because mum and dad are ALWAYS watching me)…….

BirdLife Australia Beach-nesting Birds Project Parks Victoria

Photos by Yungarup, Hills by the Sea

27/10/2026

Anyone visiting our ocean beaches during breeding season will see rope fences, signs and chick shelters - but these don’t spring up (and disappear) by some strange, mystical force. It takes commitment, hard work and a deep passion to get out there day after day to help our feathery buddies. Two such champions are Howard and Melanie - troopers to the core. When they recently discovered three eggs nestled on the sand (and definitely needing protection from wayward human tootsies) they got to work erecting their very first fence. What you can’t tell from this photo is that it was done early on a Sunday morning in drenching rain while most folk were tucked in bed or contemplating what to munch for brekky. And the two of them couldn’t have been more delighted with their efforts as they watched the Hoodies return to incubate those speckled nuggets (now safely roped and signed). I think it’s safe to say that if these eggs hatch we already have names for the chicks 🐣👏

26/10/2026

🐣 A big shout-out to Terry and the fellas from the Men’s Shed, and our young friends at St Joseph’s Primary School in Sorrento! 👏❤️

Look who’s chilling in one of the condos you built!

This trio of fluffy cuties are under the watchful eyes of their ever-vigilant parents, but managed to squeeze in a little rest break — and a chat about the important things in life…

🏖️ What’s on the menu? Perhaps a sand-wich!
🐥 Where to next? The beach sounds like fun!
🎶 What music should we listen to? Maybe The Chicks! 🐔😂

Life can be tough for our threatened beach-nesting birds, but we can make it just a tad easier by providing safe shelters for their precious chicks and it's always rewarding seeing the youngsters use them.💚

We’ve got everything crossed for this gorgeous little family. 🤞🐣

BirdLife Australia Beach-nesting Birds Project Parks Victoria

Photos Yungarup, Hills by the Sea

23/10/2026

Is this what’s meant by the term ‘moth eaten’?
A speckle headed juvenile Hoodie was spotted feasting on some of the Bogong Moths that are currently washing ashore on our ocean beaches. As the moths migrate in their millions to the high country to avoid the summer heat, many fall short of their intended destination - thrown off course by weather conditions and bright lights.
The natural world holds many challenges, for moths and Hoodies alike, but for this young Hoodie the Bogong was just a nutrient rich, tasty morsel. And no effort required, one might say he hit the ‘moth'erlode! 🤭

Photos by Yungarup, Hills by the Sea

18/10/2026

🐦 Hooded Plover Start of Season Catch-up – Mornington Peninsula 🌊

The new Hooded Plover breeding season is underway, and we’d love you to join us for a morning of updates, connection and all things Hooded Plover! 💚

📅 Saturday 24 October 2026
⏰ 10:30am – 1:30pm
📍 Rye Community House, 27 Nelson St, Rye

Hear the latest project and conservation updates, including H5 bird flu information from BirdLife Australia, plans for the upcoming season, and share ideas with fellow volunteers and land managers.

We’ll also be holding the Friends of the Hooded Plover Mornington Peninsula AGM, followed by lunch (provided) 🥪

Whether you’re a regular volunteer, land manager, or simply passionate about protecting our precious Hooded Plovers, everyone is welcome!

📩 Please RSVP by 21 October to [email protected] or call 0422 798 388.
Let us know about any dietary requirements.

We look forward to catching up with you and getting ready for another breeding season! 🐣💙

16/10/2026

Everyone deserves a sprinkling of delight…..
Do you remember TC (Top Chick), the Hoodie with blood stained breast feathers? Well, whatever trauma befell TC and her partner, for a couple of weeks TC was left to wander her territory alone as everyone else paired up for breeding season. Gradually, under our watchful eye TC’s feathers returned to pristine white and she regained her vigour. And now look who is incubating their very own eggs! Precious TC and her new beau are nesting on one of our more spacious beaches and we couldn’t be happier to see her flourishing. We’ll keep you updated on any Top Chick chicks…….

Image Mark Lethlean

11/10/2026

🔎🥚 A TALE OF TWO NESTS… AND A HOODIE MYSTERY! 🥚🔎

Nest #1: A three-egg nest tucked among a blob of greenery (a third egg was laid after this photo was taken).

Nest #2: A two-egg nest on a bare patch of sand.

They look quite different, don’t they? But here’s the twist… they’re the very same eggs! 😮

How can this be, we hear you exclaim?

In the world of Hoodie monitoring, you need to be a bit of a sleuth. 🕵️‍♀️ When a two-egg nest was reported about a metre from where a three-egg nest had been seen just four or five days earlier, our investigative skills swung into action. (Notice the blob of greenery to the right of the new nest.)

There simply wasn’t enough time for a nest to be lost, the pair to mate again, lay two eggs AND settle down to incubate them. So, what was going on?

Our theory? 🌊 A tidal wash swept across the upper beach, whisking the eggs away to a new location. The pair apparently gathered their precious cargo and made a new scrape for the remaining two eggs. Sadly, it seems they couldn’t salvage the third.

There are clues in the sand, too! The surface around the new nest is smooth, with a slight crust at its edge — signs that the sand may have been wet and subsequently dried.

🕵️ Why does solving this mystery matter?

Approximate hatch dates are important for planning our chick management. Where possible, we aim to have everything in place a few days before the chicks hatch, helping raise awareness among beach visitors while minimising disturbance to these vulnerable little families.

So now we wait to see whether these little Hoodie nuggets pop out of their shells in about two weeks, as expected. 🐣

Otherwise… it’s back to sleuthing school for us! 😂

📸 Photo credits: Howard and Melanie

Beach-nesting Birds Project BirdLife Australia

07/10/2026

Beach walkers beware! Do not, under any circumstances, go for a casual stroll while Teresa is nearby. YOU WILL be coopted into carrying equipment. The old saying ‘a job shared is a workload halved (or something like that)’ is Teresa’s Hoodie monitoring mantra. These good folk were kind enough to help lug items along the beach so Teresa could set up some chick management in anticipation of a hatching. Thank you 👏 To our members and followers, please reach out to us if you would like to learn more about these precious Hoodies and what it is we do to try and help them. And if you have free hands and sturdy legs watch out - Teresa is lurking………

Beach-nesting Birds Project BirdLife Australia

06/10/2026

🐣 OUR FIRST CHICKS OF THE SEASON HAVE ARRIVED!

Be careful where you tread because you will not see,
I’m tiny and I blend in with all the sand and w**d,
Be careful where you spread your towel and please don’t climb the dunes,
I run to them for safety, to hide when danger looms,
I’m not like other chicks who stay cosy in their nest,
I zoom all over the beach with my folks who know what’s best,
While I stuff my beak with yummy bugs, they keep me under watchful eyes,
So I can grow bigger every day and in five weeks I can fly,
But while I’m a tiny fluff ball I need your help too,
There are signs on the beach to let you know what you can do,
So please if you you see us, walk on quickly by,
That way you give me the bestest chance that one day I can fly.

Poem by Karen Wootton

Beach-nesting Birds Project Parks Victoria BirdLife Australia

Photos Yungarup, Hills by the Sea

04/10/2026

Crumbed Sausage found on the beach (we thought that might get your attention)! 🤭
We would like to congratulate our wonderful President Mark on his recent success in the BirdLife Australia Photographic Awards 2026 (Runner Up Bird-Behaviour). This photo of a Caspian Tern chick that he titled ‘Crumbed Sausage’ was taken after some wild weather on the sand spit that the colony nest on. The mature chick was hiding but not from Mark’s prying lens. Congratulations Mark (but don’t you go getting too full of yourself)!

Photo credit ‘Crumbed Sausage’ - Mark Lethlean 👏🏆

Address

Lord Somers Road
Somers, VIC
3927

Website

http://www.hoodedplover.com/

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