FIELD TECHNIQUES IN STUDIES COURSE EYRE BIRD OBSERVATORY NOVEMBER 2016 ‐ REPORT AND SUMMARY OF RESULTS

The Field Techniques in Bird Studies course has been running for many years at Eyre Bird Observatory and always attracts an enthusiastic group of fledgling ornithologists keen to develop their birding skills. The 2016 brood was no different. Course leaders Tegan Douglas and Kelly Rayner were joined by Aaron Goldfinch, Alan Bewsher, Brooke Richardson, Caleb Newton, Heidi Nore, Merryn Pryor, and Natasha Brown. Two of these students were supported by generous grants from BirdLife WA. The weather was near perfect and there was abundant flora and fauna activity to liven up the observatory.

The first morning of the course was spent mist‐netting around the observatory, with nets set up near the Rope Walk and by the Beach Track. This gave everyone some close contact with the they would be encountering for the rest of the week, as well as familiarising everyone with the lay of the land. We banded 75 birds of 8 species, including 8 Singing, 7 Brown and 50 New Holland , 1 Spotted , 1 White‐browed Babbler, 2 Grey ‐thrush, 2 Silvereyes. Three Welcome Swallow nestlings, from a single nest in the shed, were also banded. Amongst the adult birds banded were a number of retrapped birds, carrying bands from previous mistnetting activities. While most of these were from the banding efforts of Wendy and Alan Pilkington during their caretaking stint in 2015, some older retraps were also caught, including a 5 year‐old Grey Shrike‐thrush, and 3, 4 and 6 year‐old New Holland Honeyeaters.

The wader count along Kanidal Beach recorded six transcontinental migrants, including Red‐ necked Stint (10), Sanderling (4), Ruddy Turnstone (4), Grey Plover (1), Lesser Sand Plover (1) and the Common Greenshank (1), on the beach. Of the more resident birds we recorded Red‐capped Plovers (64), Pied Oystercatchers (14) Caspian Tern (1), Pacific (4) and Silver (45) Gulls, Australian Pelican (5), Pied Cormorant (7). Other beach visitors included Emu (2), Nankeen Kestrel (2), White‐fronted Chat (2), Willie (2), (7) Welcome Swallows (4), Dusky Woodswallows (2) and Australian Pipit (4). A beachwashed Fairy Penguin, Green Turtle and a Sheep (!), as well as what proved later to be a Soft‐ Plumaged Petrel, added extra interest to the trip. Eagle‐eyed spotting later in the week by Natasha added another bird to the beach list – a Red‐necked Avocet!

The presence of so many waders allowed the students to conduct a behavioural key to the waders of Eyre. Waders can be difficult for the novice to identify on appearance alone, so constructing a behavioural key allowed participants to exercise their powers of observation to focus on how birds feed, use their and interact with other birds. While obviously not exhaustive, as it can only be constructed from the species recorded and behaviours seen at the time, it still provides an additional strategy for bird identification. This key is presented below.

In addition to bird identification exercises, we undertook several exercises to measure bird density and abundance around the observatory. These exercises have been conducted every year on this course, so compiling the results over the years gives us a long‐term picture of the changes in bird numbers around the observatory. We use several different methods, with point counts providing good data for mobile birds, and territory mapping giving good figures for resident, territorial species. Standardised survey techniques such as ABC surveys allow for comparisons between site, and account for survey effort. Comparisons between the counting methods usually show some agreement in trends, but comparing the results from the same method from previous years is best to get an idea of trends for individual species. Results of abundance data collected during the course have been published previously in Corella (2010) 34:1‐6.

Table 1: Results of Australian Bird Counts at Eyre Bird Here is a summary of the results of the Observatory in 2016, expressed as birds per hectare. various counts that we made at Eyre in ABC Survey Area Standard Rehab 2016. Australian Bird Counts (20 Total size of area searched 6 ha 4 ha minute, 2 hectare area searches) were Nankeen Kestrel 0.17 0 made in five areas – three areas of Brush Bronzewing 0.67 2 well‐established vegetation around Rainbow ‐eater 0.17 0 Blue‐breasted Fairy‐wren 0.33 2 the observatory and two recently Spotted Pardalote 0.33 0.75 rehabilitated areas on the dunes White‐browed Scrubwren 0.67 0 towards the beach (Table 1). Weebill 0.17 0 Spiny‐cheeked 0.33 0 While bird diversity in the well‐ 0.83 2.25 established vegetation was higher, White‐eared Honeyeater 0.17 0 some interesting comparisons showed New Holland Honeyeater 3.67 1.5 up. While some species (Brown Brown Honeyeater 0.67 0.75 Honeyeater, Grey Shrike‐thrush, Willie White‐browed Babbler 0 1.75 Wagtail) were found in equal Grey Shrike‐thrush 0.33 0.25 proportions in the two , some Golden Whistler 0.5 0 potentially favoured one over the Willie Wagtail 0.17 0.25 other. Where New Holland Grey Butcherbird 0.33 0 Honeyeaters were recorded at a Australian Raven 0.33 0.25 higher density in the remnant Welcome Swallow 0.5 0.5 vegetation, Blue‐breasted Fairy‐wrens, Silvereye 0.17 2 Singing Honeyeater, and Silvereye were recorded at higher densities in the younger vegetation. The White‐browed Babbler was the only bird recorded in the rehabilitated vegetation that wasn’t also recorded in the older vegetation.

Table 2: Density of birds (birds/ha) determined by Point Count Table 3: Bird densities determined by territory mapping a along the West Track in November 2016, with comparative 22.5ha grid around the observatory. Densities are shown as data from earlier years. ‘—‘ Denotes where birds were not birds per hectare, and ‘—‘ denotes where birds were not present in great enough numbers to run the analysis. present, or density was unable to be determined. Density (birds per ha) Density (birds per ha) Year 2014 2015 2016 Year 2014 2015 2016 Species Species Brush Bronzewing 0.74 ‐‐ 1.77 Blue‐breasted Fairy Wren 1.47 0.76 2.49 Fan‐tailed Cuckoo ‐‐ 0.21 ‐‐ Spotted Pardalote 1.29 0.71 0.44 Blue‐breasted Fairy‐wren 2.55 ‐‐ ‐‐ Striated Pardalote 0.49 ‐‐ ‐‐ Spotted Pardalote 6.37 3.50 2.48 Inland Thornbill 0.44 0.49 0.40 Striated Pardalote 0.64 ‐‐ ‐‐ White‐browed Scrubwren 0.71 0.89 0.98 Inland Thornbill 0.32 1.27 ‐‐ Weebill 0.53 1.11 1.16 White‐browed Scrubwren 0.64 6.05 9.55 Red Wattlebird ‐‐ 0.58 ‐‐ Weebill 3.82 5.09 1.77 White‐eared Honeyeater ‐‐ ‐‐ 0.18 Singing Honeyeater 2.23 0.64 2.48 Brown‐headed Honeyeater 0.98 0.04 0.53 White‐eared Honeyeater 7.32 ‐‐ ‐‐ Dusky Woodswallow 0.31 ‐‐ ‐‐ Brown Honeyeater 7.96 ‐‐ 1.77 White‐browed Babbler 1.64 0.71 1.56 New Holland Honeyeater 36.6 4.03 3.18 White‐winged Triller 0.09 ‐‐ ‐‐ Red Wattlebird 0.64 0.64 1.77 Golden Whistler 0.18 0.13 0.27 Grey Shrike‐thrush 0.42 0.22 0.24 Grey Shrike‐thrush 0.58 0.31 0.53 Grey Currawong 0.64 0.21 0.25 Grey Butcherbird ‐‐ 0.36 0.09 Australian Raven 0.23 0.32 ‐‐ Grey Currawong ‐‐ 0.44 0.31 Silvereye 22.9 20.6 18.4 Willie Wagtail 0.36 0.13 0.27

For the Point Counts along the West Track we calculated (by graphing and calculation) the densities of seventeen species. Comparing the figures with the previous years (Table 2), you can see some changes in them. For mapping around the observatory we obtained densities for seventeen species (Table 3). The densities from Point Counts are more realistic for non‐ territorial birds than the mapping figures. However, both methods show a general absence of Striated during the course over previous years, as well as a decline in Spotted Pardalotes. Point counts show number of Silvereyes remain high, and territory mapping suggests consist numbers of Inland Thornbills over the last three years.

In addition to our bird‐related activities, we recorded eight species of reptiles. From the pitfall traps we recorded Common Scaly‐foot (Pygopus lepidopodus); Marble‐faced Delma (Delma australis); Spotted Military Dragon (Ctenophorus maculatus); and (Ctenotus euclae). Opportunistic sightings included the Heath Monitor (Varanus rosenbergi); Common Thick‐ tailed (Underwoodisaurus milli); Dugite (Pseudonaja affinis); and Southern Death Adder (Acathophis antricticus).

While a thorough survey of the pygmy possum nest boxes yielded numerous and cockroaches, only one of the boxes contained pygmy possums. To the delight of all it contained four crèched young, fully furred, but with eyes barely open. They managed to steal the spotlight away from the birds for quite some time.

The week flew past, with days of new sightings and new accomplishments. The trip was made an absolute breeze due to the boundless enthusiasm of the course participants, and the delightful hospitality of our caretakers and hosts, Judy and Phillip Brace.

The 2017 Field Techniques in Bird Studies course is scheduled for 26th November – 2nd December 2017. Please contact Tegan at [email protected] for details.

Tegan Douglas and Kelly Rayner, January 2017.

Behavioural key to the waders of Eyre, November 2016

1.a) Observed in a group. 2. 1.b) Only solitary individuals seen. Grey Plover

2.a) Only seen in single species groups. 3. 2.b) Seen in mixed species groups. 4.

3.a) Individuals moved in a tight group. Ruddy Turnstone 3.b) Individuals moved in a looser group/independently. Pied Oystercatcher

4.a) Movement appeared sedate, never frantic. Lesser Sand Plover 4.b) Movement was frantic, often constant. 5.

5.a) Head bobbed frequently Red‐capped Plover 5.b) No head bobbing observed 6.

6.a) Foraged with bill at 45° angle. Sanderling 6.b) Foraged with bill at 90° angle. Red‐necked Stint

(back row left to right): Caleb, Aaron, Merryn. (front row left to right): Natasha, Heidi, Brooke, Kelly, Alan.

(left to right): Alan, Natasha, Merryn and Caleb.