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        Special Topics 特別主題 >> Tern Conservation 燕鷗保育 >>  AFCD patrolling team on Tern Island 燕鷗島的自然護理員
        
(Message started by: HF_Cheung on Jun 7^th, 2006, 6:30pm)

Title: AFCD patrolling team on Tern Island 燕鷗島的自然護理員
Post by HF_Cheung on Jun 7^th, 2006, 6:30pm

AFCD has a team petrolling the Tern Island, to guard holiday fisherman against entering the chained area on Tern Island. I appreciate their effort in protecting the Terns.

ACD staff (two of them) built a canvas structure on the house above the pier. The top side of the canvas is quite silvery, good for reflecting sunlight. In strong wind, the canvas is waving up and down strongly. You may see it on this photo.
http://www.geocities.com/aphfcheung/IMG_8619P.jpg
HF Cheung

Title: Re: AFCD petrolling team on Tern Island
Post by KK Hui on Jun 7^th, 2006, 8:00pm

I remember seeing a lot of dummy terns dotted around some of the rocky islands in Mirs Bay this time last year. There were no real terns in sight at all then! Bad weather may be a factor but I came back with a feeling that too much human intervention of nature already in practice causing a steep decline of tern population in the area.

A sad story that we hopely may learn from it ... :'( :'( :'(

KK Hui FRPS
www.geocities.com/kkhui_001

Title: Re: AFCD petrolling team on Tern Island
Post by 鳥友Ａ(BWA) on Jun 7^th, 2006, 9:30pm

Well, to be fair with AFCD, stationing at Tern Island is no fun at all - who would like to stay on a rocky island in the middle of nowhere, and endure the hot sun, heavy rain and rough sea on Sundays? Since 2003, AFCD wardens have done a reasonable job in stopping disturbance to the terns there. Of course, they could do even better by making a simple improvement to the canvas.

Regarding the dummy terns, they were only placed at one island with no record of any significant tern population. The experiment with dummies has already ended. Perhaps we could make better use of the remains - by providing some explanations at the site to educate visitors. In fact, a tour operator has given the place an interesting name: 燕鷗迷城樂園 (~~Lost City of the~~ Terns Park).

I think human disturbance to breeding terns at Mirs Bay has been reduced in the last 2 years, at least at Tern Island. In addition to poor weather, I suspect that the recent decline could be related to other factors in the area - note that the Egretry at Ah Chau is deserted this year, and I heard fishermen saying that their catch has reduced (overfishing?).

Title: Re: AFCD patrolling team on Tern Island 燕鷗島的自
Post by KK Hui on Jun 8^th, 2006, 10:18am

Just curious ...
Could you remind us what that "experiment with dummies" does and its purpose?

Thanks!

KK Hui FRPS
www.geocities.com/kkhui_001

Title: Re: AFCD patrolling team on Tern Island 燕鷗島的自
Post by HF_Cheung on Jun 8^th, 2006, 11:04am

I try to answer KK's query here.

1. Several year ago, AFCD have a plan to attract more Terns to Mirs Bay. They have selected Chik Chau as the testing ground. Chik Chau is an island next to a major breeding ground in HK, but this island has not attracted significant number of Terns in the past. So AFCD put in several tens of dummy wooden Terns and artificial nests on the island. The idea is to let the incoming Terns feel secure on this island and hopefully they will choose to lay their eggs there. This has not worked out well. No Terns have come to artifcial nest at this site (that hill slope).

2. Artificial nests were also put in Tern Island, where about 400 Bridled Terns + smaller number of other Tern species bred starting about 10 years ago. AFCD claimed that the artificial nests on this island are very successful. A high % of the artificial nests were "used" by the breeding Terns.

Going back to data, this year the number of Bridled Tern on Tern Island is only 180 so far (4 June 2006), as compared to 350-400 last year this time. This is a very significant decrease. The possible reasons are:
1. Poor weather (typhoon and heavy rains).
2. Continual presence of Peregrine Falcon on the island.
3. Human disturbance (holiday fishermen, divers, photographers, etc).

It may not be easy to sort out the exact reason. Still, HKBWS's goal is to protect the island as much as possible against human disturbance on the breeding season. For a long time the HKBWS Tern Research Group has kept on suggesting to the government to put Tern Island a restricted area in the breeding season (May to September).

HF Cheung