The most endangered bird in New Zealand is getting help from an unlikely source in building safer nests.
There are just 40 fairy terns left in the world, and six of them nest on the beach at a bombing range in Kaipara Harbour.
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) uses the remote and exposed South Kaipara Head to test its weapons. Greg Smith has been the area warden for a decade.
"I still pick up that stuff that is unexploded, stuff that would rip your arm off," he says.
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The sand conceals unexploded grenades, shells and bits of mortars from weapons training. But any bombing is banned over summer because this place is also a crucial breeding spot for the fairy tern.
NZDF and the Department of Conservation (DoC) came together on Thursday to help the endangered birds build safer nesting areas.
"They're pretty special birds, they're unique here - so how could you not do something, how could you not try?" says biodiversity ranger Alex Wilson.
It's believed six fairy terns nest at Papakanui Spit, which is difficult to access by vehicle. Two DoC vehicles got stuck on the way over, but they're determined to keep the tern from extinction.
Although this area is out of bounds to the public, threats to the fairy terns still abound.
"The high tides which are washing over the nests at times, and the sand which you can see is blowing pretty wild at the moment - so what we're trying to do its raise a platform for them of solid shell to create a safer nesting area for them," explains Ms Wilson.
The tern is vulnerable due to its somewhat Spartan nesting habits; laying its eggs on a slight indent in the sand. DoC says there is the possibility of gently shifting the birds' nests if they fail to recognise the safety benefits of their man-made habitats.
In two months, the breeding season of the fairy tern will begin, and the handful of birds that nest at Papakanui Spit will return.
It's hoped they'll make use of the specially built mound, assuming it survives the windy conditions.
Newshub.
