A new water park is slated for construction in Bunbury in Western Australia, but local residents will have to wait a little bit longer for their splash park fun as a pair of nesting pied oystercatchers were discovered at the construction site.
Pied oystercatchers are small black and white birds with distinctive orange beaks. They are ground nesters, making their well-camouflaged nests especially vulnerable to human activity.
A statement from the City of Bunbury reads: “The feathered duo has taken up residence at the site until the impending birth of their chicks…Works will begin once the family has taken flight.”
This is a great example of how human activity can hold space for the natural world and also demonstrates the importance of thorough environmental assessments at potential construction sites.
