Whole clutch - 3 eggs. Cover installed. Once we finished, it took about 30 seconds for one of the birds to get back to incubate the eggs. Last year it took about 10-15 minutes.
Possible breeding site, no nest found. DOC, Council and property owners informed.
This is an observation reported to the Birds Auckland Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/407737962618016/ by Anna Arrol. One of the fledged dotterels we banded here in Piha. According to her, first time she sees it in that location, where a flock of Banded Dotterel usually hang out. In her own words: "I go all the time to look at the Banded dots - and I noticed it straight away, it was very bossy."
Band: DP8201 ELF CLH
Bird originally banded in Piha https://inaturalist.nz/observations/9428447
Activity
The whole family feeding at North Piha during the morning low tide. The fledged chicks almost look like adults now. I think that's all for our Piha-based family, will start monitoring closely again next August-September.
One incubating, the other having a morning bath. No trace from the other two dotterels, haven't seen them in a few days.
Cute juvenile
This is tussock skink (Oligosoma chionochloescens). The iNaturalist doesn't have the this species on the list!