Wrybill nesting on beach at Coopers Lagoon (near Southbridge)

[Nick Allen]

There was a report of a Wrybill from Steve Attwood a few days ago at Coopers Lagoon in mid-Canterbury. I went there today to count the birds and on my way back along the beach found a female. She was a little agitated at my presence, then did a half-hearted broken wing display, which I thought was a bit odd. I looked around in the immediate area for eggs but no joy. The bird seemed to be trying to lure me away. So I walked away. Then I came back after a couple of minutes, looking for where she would appear from. That was from a nest with 2 eggs. Are there any other records that anyone knows about of the species nesting on an ocean beach?

The nest was right on the crown of the beach, and is just the same area that offroaders use to go up and down the beach, so I don't hold out much hope for the breeding attempt. I didn't see any male bird.

Over the lagoon there were 2 White-winged Terns in near complete breeding plumage - a bit distant hawking over the eastern half of the lagoon, mostly behind some raupō and dead willows, but both birds were perching on dead willows sometime[attachment=0]IMG_4475.JPG[/attachment][attachment=1]IMG_4474.JPG[/attachment][attachment=2]IMG_4473.JPG[/attachment]s.