The Hooded Plover breeding season has well and truly started and for a change, we had a chick on the Port Phillip Bay side of the Mornington Peninsula. This quiet little beach has limited access by the general public and so a pair of Hooded Plovers successfully established a nest, laid eggs and cared for a chick for nearly 30 days or more . . . . but then, a dog was seen attacking the chick and killing it.

This is quite remarkable considering there is usually a very low chance of observing the death of a Hooded Plover chick, let alone seeing the deceased body but both of these events occurred on Point King beach.

Dogs have a predatory heritage and are designed to kill, which is why dogs are banned in National Parks. But not Parks Victoria. Whilst this beach is not a Parks Victoria reserve, Parks Victoria do allow dogs in the Mornington Peninsula National Park.

Well done Bill Jackson (CEO of Parks Victoria) for allowing dogs in a National Park so they can kill Hooded Plover chicks.