Mandurah is lucky enough to be home to the oldest recorded fairy tern.
At 23, the male bird with band number 040 - 78624 is now the longest lived fairy tern we know of, although it's yet to be officially confirmed.
The above photos were taken in 2016, 2018, and now in 2020.
But behind the achievement, the band information also tells a darker story of struggle and displacement for this little survivor and his flock.
040 - 78624 was banded by Dr Nic Dunlop on January 17, 1997 at Tern Island, Safety Bay as a nestling, along with others.
Tern Island no longer exists as a breeding site for these birds.
He was next observed in 2016 in Mandurah, where fairy terns were using a building site along Breakwater Parade as a nesting site.
In the past fairy terns had nested on sandy beaches at the mouth of the river, until the marina was built and nowhere was left except the lots earmarked for development.
I was able to photograph the bands on two birds, one male and one female, from the 1997 cohort.
The birds in Mandurah managed to raise several chicks to fledgling that year, until the rest were wiped out by a predator, most likely a cat.
The two banded birds became instant celebrities as they had proved fairy terns could survive the elements for 20 years.
In 2017 fairy terns attempted to nest at the edge of the estuary, but a storm and high tide washed the nests away.
They may have then relocated to Bunbury, where some were successful in raising chicks.
Two years later a fenced area by the breakwater had been established to provide a sanctuary for the fairy terns, which responded by settling in and over 100 pairs laying eggs, before repeated cat attacks drove them to abandon the area.
The same two banded birds were again photographed before they left, increasing the proven longevity to 22 years.
Only two chicks were able to fledge in Mandurah that season.
Last year a different bird with a leg band from 1997 was rescued by researcher Claire Greenwell.
The bird was injured and did not survive, but again set a record for longevity for the species.
This year fairy tern colonies attempting to nest have met with failure in one place after another, due to natural events such as wind and tide, and also due to human actions and feral animals.
The displaced birds have been trying to settle in at a beach south of the Dawesville Cut, where 040 - 78624 was again recorded.
Moments after the numbered band was photographed a dog rushing around the beach sent the 20-odd birds flying, and it is hard to know if they will succeeded in nesting at that location.
Although this bird has shown how much endurance these little seabirds have, living their lives along the ocean shore in all weather conditions (although they fly to warmer places in winter), the threats they face during the breeding season means their survival as a species is not assured, and we must make it possible for them to find safe places to breed.
I hope 040 - 78624 will be back, and that he and the others will raise their chicks in peace.
They deserve that.
- Cherilyn Corker is a local award-winning nature photographer and conservationist.
