EXCITING times for bird watchers in the Myall.

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Dedicated twitcher Neil Fraser received a surprise when he visited the sand spit at Winda Woppa last week to check the site for the Little Tern.

What he discovered was a Pied Oystercatcher nest with two highly camouflaged eggs and their parents keeping guard close by.

“This is a significant discovery for Port Stephens,” Neil said.

“While around 150 Pied Oystercatchers are known to live here year round, there are no previous records of successful breeding in the Bay.”

The Pied Oystercatcher was classified endangered in 2008, with fewer than 200 breeding pairs in NSW.

“If this pair can successfully raise a chick it will help establish Port Stephens as one of the key sites for the species’ survival in NSW,” Neil said.

For anyone wishing to find out more information about the Pied Oystercatcher or the return of the Little Tern, an information meeting is being held in the Old Library, Booner Street, Hawks Nest on Tuesday 10 October at 2pm.

Representatives of National Parks and Wildlife Service and MidCoast Council will be on hand to advise volunteers on the best way to monitor and manage a Little Tern nesting sites to ensure maximum breeding success.

Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about Little Tern is welcome to attend.

For more details contact Neil Fraser on 0436 363 822 or Jill Madden on 0418 236 582.

By Margie TIERNEY