Stilt 57 Apr 2010
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The JournalStilt for the East Asian-Australasian Flyway AWSG Number 57 • April 2010 Australasian Wader Studies Group Stilt 57 (2010) STATE CONSERVATION OFFICERS QUEENSLAND Joyce Harding, PO Box 1530, Cleveland Qld 4163. Email: [email protected] Sandra Harding, 336 Prout Road, Burbank QLD 4156 Email: [email protected] NEW SOUTH WALES Phil Straw, PO Box 2006, Rockdale Delivery Centre, Rockdale NSW 2216. Ph: (02) 9597 7765 Email: [email protected] Stilt TASMANIA ISSN 0726-1888 Eric Woehler (South Tas), 37 Parliament St, Sandy Bay Tas 7005. Ph: (03) 6223 1980 Email: [email protected] © AWSG Ralph Cooper (North Tas) 7 Beach Rd, Legana Tas 7277. Ph: MISSION STATEMENT (03) 6330 1255 Email: [email protected] To ensure the future of waders and their habitats in Australia through research and conservation programmes, and to SOUTH AUSTRALIA encourage and assist similar programmes in the rest of the Paul Wainwright Ph: 0408 954655 East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Email: [email protected] OBJECTIVES VICTORIA • To monitor wader populations through a programme of Doris Graham, 14 Falconer St, Fitzroy Vic 3068. counting and banding in order to collect data on Ph (03): 9482 2112 Email: [email protected] changes on a local, national and international basis. WESTERN AUSTRALIA • To study the migrations of waders through a Bill Rutherford (s. WA – cutoff Onslow), 199 Daglish St, programme of counting, banding, colour flagging and Wembly, Perth 6014. Email: [email protected] collection of biometric data. • To instigate and encourage other scientific studies of Chris Hassell (n. WA – cutoff Onslow), Global Flyway Network waders such as feeding and breeding studies. PO Box 3089, Broome, WA 6725. Ph: (08) 9192 8585 • To communicate the results of these studies to a wide Email: [email protected] audience through Stilt, the Tattler, other journals, the INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES internet, the media, conferences and lectures. NEW ZEALAND • To formulate and promote policies for the conservation North Island: of waders and their habitat, and to make available Adrian Riegen, 213 Forest Hill Rd, Waiatarua, Auckland 0612, information to local and national governmental New Zealand. Ph: (09) 814-9741 Email: [email protected] conservation bodies and other organisations to encourage and assist them in pursuing this objective. South Island: • To encourage and promote the involvement of a large Rob Schuckard, 4351 Croisilles French Pass Rd RD3, French band of amateurs, as well as professionals, to achieve Pass 7139, New Zealand. Ph: 35765371 these objectives. Email: [email protected] ASIA OFFICE BEARERS Doug Watkins, Manager Wetlands International – Oceania, PO Chairman: Ken Gosbell, 17 Banksia Ct, Heathmont Vic 3135, Box 4573, Kingston ACT 2604 AUSTRALIA. AUSTRALIA. Ph: (03) 9729 5524. Ph: +61 2 6260 8341. Email: [email protected]. Email: [email protected] Vice Chairman: Phil Straw, P.O. Box 2006, Rockdale Delivery Centre NSW 2216, AUSTRALIA. OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS Ph and fax: (02) 9597 7765. Maureen Christie, Peter Collins, Chris Hassell, David Milton, Email: [email protected] Clive Minton, Adrian Riegen, Jennifer Spencer, Paul Chair of Research Committee: Danny Rogers, 340 Ninks Rd, Wainwright and Doug Watkins. St Andrews Vic 3761, AUSTRALIA. Ph: (03) 9710 1345. Email: [email protected] MEMBERSHIP OF THE AUSTRALASIAN WADER Editorial: see inside back cover. STUDIES GROUP Liaison Officer: Hugo Phillipps, 20 Waterview Close, Membership of the AWSG is open to anyone interested in the Queenscliff Vic 3225, AUSTRALIA. conservation and research of waders (shorebirds) in the East Email: [email protected] Asian–Australasian Flyway. Members receive the twice yearly Secretary: Penny Johns, PO Box 227, Flinders Vic 3929, bulletin Stilt, and the quarterly newsletter The Tattler. Please AUSTRALIA. direct all membership enquiries to the Membership Manager at Ph: (03) 5989 0792. Email: [email protected] Birds Australia (RAOU) National Office, Suite 2-05, 60 Treasurer: Brian Speechley, 132a Wooloowara Rd, Burraneer Leicester St, Carlton Vic 3053, AUSTRALIA. NSW 2230, AUSTRALIA. Ph: (02) 9544 3430. Ph: 1300 730 075, fax: (03) 9347 9323. Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Conservation Officer: Ann Lindsey, 37 Long Cres, Shortland Annual Subscriptions: Australia & New Zealand A$35.00 NSW 2307, AUSTRALIA. Ph: (02) 4951 2008. Overseas A$40.00 Email: [email protected] Institutions A$45.00 AWSG WEB SITE: awsg.org.au Cover Illustration: Annie Rogers. Stilt 57 (2010) A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR put forward which aimed to improve collaboration between countries on monitoring, habitat and potential threats. This This year, 2010, is the International Year of Biodiversity will take time to develop but is an important step. with a theme of ‘Time for Action’. In a recent editorial Dr There is much to be done to address the ‘gaps’; we need Marco Lambertini, Chief Executive of Birdlife International, to find ways to get our message into the public and political said ’We are living in interesting times. On the one hand the arenas. This is an immediate challenge to the AWSG and all ‘value’ of natural systems has never been better recognized. who have a passion about waterbirds in general. The On the other hand the destruction of natural habitat has never Committee would like to hear member’s views on how this been faster and the threat to biodiversity greater.’ We are might be achieved. continually reminded that the majority of shorebird This is my last note to you as Chair; I am stepping down populations are in decline and/or face serious threats. from this role after 4 years and David Milton is taking up Fundamentally these trends are the result of wetlands, both this position. These have been challenging years but I think coastal and inland, being continuously squeezed by that the Group can be proud of its achievements in terms of economic development either for agricultural use or, in the its role and reputation in the flyway and within Australasia in case of tidal flats, reclaimed for industrial or recreational general. I would like to thank the Committee for their use. support and I wish David and the new Committee every Migrant waders need to cope with habitat changes on a success as they consider these critical issues. global scale; furthermore the ongoing health of a species in one habitat will be influenced by conditions in another which Ken Gosbell may be half a world away. Over the last 30 years we have Chair learnt an enormous amount about the biology and ecology of these birds but still many are in a state of critical decline. So what is the problem? A basic question to ask is how we get NEW AWSG COMMITTEE 2010 TO 2012 the knowledge that has been presented in publications such As a result of the recent call for nominations for the AWSG as Stilt and other journals worldwide, into the public arena to Committee I am pleased to advise the following results. In the extent that it influences political priorities. This was the accordance with our Rules the new Committee is appointed subject of a workshop at the IWSG meeting in Texel last for the period 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2012. The Committee year where the question of whether we have a will be: ‘communication gap’ between researchers and conservationists was addressed. To me, the wider gap is David Milton Chair Queensland between those who have the knowledge and the governments Phil Straw Vice – Chair NSW and their bureaucracies. At that meeting Dr Alan Baker of John Renowden Secretary Victoria Canada gave an inspiring talk on how research and Brian Speechley Treasurer NSW conservation groups should take concerted action Danny Rogers Chair, Scientific Victoria immediately. He emphasized that there is much greater need Committee for immediate conservation action than for early warning Roz Jessop Editor, Stilt Victoria systems and that essentially we already have sufficient Lisa Gale Editor, Tattler Queensland knowledge to implement conservation actions. Ann Lindsey Conservation Officer NSW Perhaps we need to revaluate our priorities to ensure we Ken Gosbell International Liaison Victoria focus on issues that address the critical state of shorebirds Maureen Christie Committee Member SA and their habitats in our flyway which is arguably one of the Chris Hassel Committee Member WA most severely affected globally. Already the AWSG and its Jon Coleman Committee Member Queensland members are making a number of contributions in this regard Clive Minton Committee Member Victoria including surveys of Red Knot at the threatened site of Cao Doug Watkins Committee Member ACT Feidian, supporting the initiatives that Miranda (NZ) Paul Wainwright Committee Member SA Arthur Keates Committee Member NT undertakes at Yalu Jiang, utilizing the results of the SSMP at Heather Gibbs Committee Member Victoria Saemangeum, Korea to demonstrate the disastrous impact of Adrian Riegen Committee Member New Zealand major tidal flat destruction. Much of the field work in Penny Johns Committee Member Victoria Australia contributes to the understanding of movements, and identifying hot spots in the flyway; the Shorebirds 2020 Roz has indicated that she would like to pass on the Editor of and MYSMA programs are highly regarded throughout the Stilt position but has agreed to continue to the end of 2010. flyway in their ability to identify early trends in key species. To assist with this role the Committee has agreed to appoint The use of geolocators on Ruddy Turnstone reported in this an Editorial team who will assist the Editor in this role. Phil volume is an example of the use of technology to identify Straw is currently putting this team together. hotspots for this species; there are several other species for To those leaving the Committee in June we say a sincere which we need this sort of information before we can thank you for your contribution to the committee in various propose conservation actions.