NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service started program in 1999

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service started the program in 1999 due to a dramatic decrease in shorebird numbers.

The program aims to increase the size of the NSW population of three species in particular: the critically endangered Hooded Plover and the endangered Little Tern and Pied Oystercatcher.

Kaitlyn O'Brien, shorebird ranger with NSW NPWS, said the group's volunteers are out on the beach from about August identifying breeding pairs and counting their eggs.

"We monitor them weekly until they fledge their chicks," Ms O'Brien said.

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Little Terns migrate from SE Asia to NSW to breed so the program aims to give them their best chance.

"Their numbers are still declining even though we sometimes get a good result," she said.

Threats to the three species range from people accidentally stepping on their eggs and dogs disturbing them to predators like foxes, seagulls and domestic dogs.

"A lot of things will eat the eggs if they get the chance," Ms O'Brien said.

If nesting birds are disturbed, their eggs and chicks are more exposed to predators and over-heating.

This year's wet weather also caused problems.

"We lost a lot of nests to big swells because they nest close to the high tide mark."

While it takes time to analyse the great data that the volunteers collect, Ms O'Brien said rough numbers indicate there were 23 breeding pairs of Hooded Plovers in NSW which had around 20 fledglings.

"That isn't too bad given they have a lot more issues in wet years."

Of the most accessible Pied Oystercatchers that nest on beaches and estuary entries, there were almost 70 breeding pairs and 40 fledglings.

Little Terns move about so are particularly difficult to estimate.

"We think there were 250 breeding pairs and 200 fledglings so they didn't do too well down here with inundation and foxes," Ms O'Brien said.

To give the shorebirds their best chance people should walk on the wet sand below the high tide mark to avoid stepping on the eggs.

Also pay attention to the signs that the group puts up at breeding time to give them space, walk dogs on designated dog beaches on their leads during summer and pick up fishing lines.

"Birds get entangled in them and are hard to catch until they have been badly injured."

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