Decline of a Traditional Roost-Site for Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria Interpres, Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis Fulv

Australian Field Ornithology 2016, 33, 244–250 http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo33244250

Moorland Point: Decline of a traditional roost-site for Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres, Pacific Golden PloverPluvialis fulva and other shorebirds in northern Tasmania

Hazel A. Britton1* and James F. Hunter2

1P.O. Box 5054, Ulverstone TAS 7315, Australia. Email: [email protected] 2P.O. Box 129, Sheffield TAS 7306, Australia. Email: [email protected] *Corresponding author

Abstract. The Moorland Point area has been an important high-tide roost for certain migratory shorebird species on the central-north coast of Tasmania, where shorebirds are generally scarce. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres and Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva roost on a small rocky headland and adjacent piles of seaweed along with up to three Grey-tailed Tattlers Tringa brevipes (all mainly in summer), and Double-banded Plover Charadrius bicinctus roost above the high-tide mark 250 m to the east (mainly February–early August). More than 300 counts of shorebirds have been made at this site from 1985 to 2014. All these species have declined in recent years. Ruddy Turnstone, Pacific Golden Plover and Grey-tailed Tattler may have been affected by factors elsewhere in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, but local disturbance is also implicated and needs further management in addition to the recent initiative to block vehicles from the beach. The situation highlights some of the problems in conserving shorebird species that favour scattered small sites and may escape the attention given to sites supporting large numbers of more social shorebirds.

Introduction National surveys of shorebirds were initiated in the 1980s (Lane 1987), and these first made JH aware that Moorland Tasmania lies at the southern extremity of the East Point was an important site for the Ruddy Turnstone. Lane Asian–Australasian Flyway for migratory shorebirds, and listed the top 20 sites for the common migrants and this hence may be of special interest for monitoring changes site would have been number 8 for the Ruddy Turnstone if in numbers of shorebirds that arrive there each year from it had been known to him at the time. This paper provides an update on this small but special high-tide roost, their breeding areas in Arctic Siberia (or Alaska), including demonstrating its importance and showing how numbers Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres and Pacific Golden of shorebirds have changed (declined) since 1985–2000. Plover Pluvialis fulva. Although Boullanger Bay/Robbins Passage in north-western Tasmania is the premier area for migratory shorebirds in the state, very few migratory Methods shorebirds from the Northern Hemisphere are encountered on the central-north coast between East Inlet at Stanley Between 2000 and 2009, JH and Peter Britton (PB) and the north-eastern Arm of the Rubicon Estuary in and HB made many visits to Moorland Point: a total of Narawntapu National Park (20 km east of Devonport: 274 visits when birds were counted. All visits by PB and Figure 1). Several species are seen irregularly, mainly HB were at or near high tide, whereas those by JH were at passing through on migration and seldom remaining all stages of the tide. Between 2010 and 2014, observation throughout the austral summer. An exception is in the area effort was unavoidably reduced, but 42 more counts were between the Don River Estuary (41°9′S, 146°20′E; 3 km made by JH and HB. Maximum numbers of birds observed west of Devonport) and Rubicon Estuary (41°7′S, 146°33′E; in previous counts by JH (1985–2000) were also used to 19 km east of Devonport), where Ruddy Turnstones can determine trends over the longer 30-year period. regularly be seen feeding amongst the seaweed beds of the rocky shelf at low tide, along with two other migratory On each visit, all shorebirds were counted at or near the species (Pacific Golden Plover and Double-banded Plover Moorland Point roost-site, including a small site nearby Charadrius bicinctus). The Ruddy Turnstone is a species that was favoured by the Double-banded Plover (Figure that often avoids the open mudflat habitats favoured by the 1). On some occasions, birds leaving the roost-site when most numerous and diverse assemblages of shorebirds disturbed flew west to a subsidiary roost-site in East (at least in eastern Australia: Lane 1987; Higgins & Davies Devonport (Figure 1). Counts were made at both roost-sites 1996), and hence may be overlooked by shorebird surveys (Moorland Point and East Devonport) on three occasions that focus on mudflats. in 2008, within c. 15–30 minutes of each other. Mean and maximum counts of each species in each ‘summer’ period A high-tide roost at Moorland Point (41°9′S, 146°27′E; (October–March) and each ‘winter’ period (May–August) 10 km east of Devonport) has been known and regularly were tabulated for the three main species (Ruddy Turnstone, visited by volunteer counters for many years. The birds Pacific Golden Plover and Double-banded Plover). For roost here on a rocky point and among adjacent piles of the Ruddy Turnstone and Pacific Golden Plover, linear seaweed (Figure 2), and mostly feed on an extensive rock regressions were calculated for the summer maximum platform that is exposed at low tide. JH has been recording numbers from 1985 to 2014, using SPSS Statistics birds here since 1985 (Hunter 2002) and provided data v. 16. Maximum numbers were considered appropriate to from this site for a state-wide assessment (Bryant 2002). analyse, as on some counts it was clear that birds had Decline of shorebirds at Moorland Point, Tasmania 245

Kilometres Figure 1. Locations of high-tide shorebird roost-sites east of Devonport, northern Tasmania. Large grey circle = Moorland Point roost-site, medium black circle = East Devonport subsidiary roost-site, and small white circle = Double-banded Plover roost-site. Map source: Cradle Coast NRM

Victorian Wader Study Group in south-eastern Australia (compiled by Clive Minton, Roz Jessop and Chris Hassell, and reported in the Victorian Wader Study Group Bulletin).

Results

Maximum counts and seasonal means for 2000–2014 are shown in Table 1 for the Ruddy Turnstone, along with estimates of previous breeding success in the Arctic. Maximum counts and seasonal means are shown in Table 2 for the Pacific Golden Plover and Double-banded Plover (the latter a winter visitor from breeding grounds in New Zealand). Trends in maximum numbers are shown for Ruddy Turnstone (1985–2014) and Pacific Golden Plover (2000–2014) in Figures 3–4. Figure 2. Moorland Point, Tasmania, showing beach and main shorebird roost-site (seaweed beds on rocky shelf) Ruddy Turnstone and Pacific Golden Plover were most and recent stone placements to limit vehicle access. Photo: numerous from mid September to mid April each year, Hazel A. Britton as for most trans-equatorial migratory species. Small numbers of Ruddy Turnstones remained over winter moved away in response to unusual tides or disturbance in most years, but the Pacific Golden Plover was not from people. Counts in September were not used for recorded in winter. The Double-banded Plover consistently analyses of the two northern migrants (Ruddy Turnstone arrived in February (from New Zealand) and departed in and Pacific Golden Plover), as they may have included July/August. These species are considered individually new arrivals as well as birds that had spent the winter in below. Up to three Grey-tailed Tattlers Tringa brevipes Tasmania. Estimates of breeding success in the Arctic for were observed between September and April each year the Ruddy Turnstone the previous year were deduced from until 2012, with the last record being a single bird on the proportion of first-year birds in catches made by the 19 March 2012. One Tattler over-wintered in 2001. 246 Australian Field Ornithology H.A. Britton & J.F. Hunter

Table 1. Maximum (max.) and mean (with standard error) numbers of Ruddy Turnstones counted at Moorland Point, Tasmania, in ‘summer’ (October–March) and ‘winter’ (May–August), 2000–2014. Dates are recorded as day, month. Estimates of breeding success in the previous Arctic breeding season are taken from the percentage of juvenile birds in the total catch of Ruddy Turnstones in south-eastern Australia compiled by C.D.T. Minton, R. Jessop & C. Hassell, and reported in the Victorian Wader Study Group Bulletin annually; ratings: poor 0–10%, moderate/average 11–20%, good 21–30%, exceptional/ very good >30%; # = too few non-zero counts to make useful estimates of variance; – = no birds recorded.

Year Summer Estimated (Oct.–Apr.) Winter breeding success Max. Date of Mean Standard No. of Year Max. Date of Mean Standard No. of max. count error counts (May– max. count error counts Aug.) 2000–2001 240 20.12 151.6 16.41 14 2001 40 7.05 20.8 4.70 10 Good Moderate– 2001–2002 190 19.12 125.3 11.77 16 2002 13 23.06 5.0 1.80 7 poor 2002–2003 255 25.12 112.2 12.70 26 2003 20 17.06 16.9 5.20 8 Good 2003–2004 200 24.11 107.9 14.82 19 2004 10 25.08 1.6 0.97 9 Very poor 2004–2005 155 26.10, 30.12 109.9 5.74 27 2005 3 23.06 0.4 # 8 Average 2005–2006 320 5.11, 19.12 111.4 24.15 17 2006 56 28.08 21.9 6.75 10 Very good 2006–2007 200 4.10 86.1 12.22 17 2007 0 – 0.0 # 8 Poor 2007–2008 225 17.10 126.6 15.67 16 2008 18 16.07 6.0 # 3 Good 2008–2009 150 4.10 92.4 9.73 10 2009 2 20.06 0.5 # 4 Very poor 2009–2010 100 2.10, 3.02 75.5 8.88 11 2010 19 24.07 18.0 # 2 Good 2010–2011 98 17.02 57.6 17.20 5 2011 11 1.07 5.5 # 2 Very good 2011–2012 110 30.11 58.4 10.50 8 2012 10 6.06 10.0 # 1 Average 2012–2013 90 21.11 85.0 # 3 2013 5 27.06 5.0 # 1 Very poor

2013–2014 90 3.02 46.5 # 2 2014 13 24.08 7.5 # 2 Very good

Table 2. Maximum (max.) and seasonal mean (with standard error) numbers (see text for details) for the Pacific Golden Plover and Double-banded Plover at Moorland Point, Tasmania, 2000–2014. Each year is based on the year running from September the previous year to August in the nominated year. # = too few non-zero counts to make useful estimates of variance; * = record was not used in calculating the mean; – = no birds recorded.

Year Pacific Golden Plover Double-banded Plover Date of Summer Standard No. of Date of Winter Standard No. of Max. max. count mean error counts Max. max. count mean error counts 2001 2 Several 0.9 0.25 14 84 5.07 24.2 9.01 10 2002 2 Several 1.0 0.24 16 52 21.05 22.0 8.11 7 2003 3 Several 1.5 0.25 26 78 17.07 35.0 10.38 8 2004 5 Several 2.1 0.52 19 60 9.05 20.3 7.91 9 2005 12 27.11.04 3.9 0.73 27 44 23.06 8.8 5.36 8 2006 12 3.01.06 3.9 1.10 17 50 11.04 15.0 4.02 10 2007 13 8.1.07, 1.3.07 6.0 0.98 17 95 19.07 52.5 15.80 8 2008 6 29.11.07 3.8 0.57 16 47 28.03 25.7 # 3 2009 4 Several 2.4 0.52 10 45 20.06 11.3 # 4 2010 6 Several 4.7 0.49 11 50 6.04 0.0 # 2 2011 0 – 0 # 5 2 19.07 1.5 # 2 2012 5 22.09.2011* 0 # 8 25 19.03 0.0 # 1 2013 0 – 0 # 3 0 – 0.0 # 1 2014 0 – 0 # 2 0 – 0.0 # 2

Other migratory shorebirds were sometimes seen in Some non-migratory shorebirds were also seen the general area. The species seen most frequently was frequently at Moorland Point. Amongst these Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis, followed by Sharp- were up to 12 Australian Pied Oystercatchers tailed Sandpiper C. acuminata, with Curlew Sandpiper Haematopus longirostris, 18 Sooty Oystercatchers C. ferruginea and Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola H. fuliginosus, 160 Masked Lapwings Vanellus miles, 22 recorded on rare occasions (Table 3). The only Eastern Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus and 2 Hooded Curlew Numenius madagascariensis was a single bird on Plover Thinornis cucullatus. In addition, up to 18 Banded 15 August 1997. Lapwings V. tricolor have been seen in nearby paddocks. Decline of shorebirds at Moorland Point, Tasmania 247

Table 3. Annual maximum counts of migratory shorebirds at Moorland Point, Tasmania, 1985–2014, based on each year running from September in the previous year to August in the nominated year. No counts were made from October 1988 to April 1991. Other less common migratory species recorded since 2000 included Curlew Sandpiper (2, on 5.9.01), Grey Plover (6, on 29.11.07), and Eastern Curlew (1, on 15.8.97).

No.of Year Species counts Double- Ruddy Grey-tailed Red-necked Sharp-tailed Pacific banded Turnstone Tattler Stint Sandpiper Golden Plover Plover 1985 200 0 0 0 12 0 1 1986 200 0 0 0 30 0 1 1987 300 1 0 0 30 2 2 1988 200 0 0 0 50 2 3 1991 200 0 0 0 6 0 1 1992 200 0 0 0 7 0 1 1993 300 0 0 0 3 24 4 1994 300 1 0 2 20 50 6

1995 300 2 3 0 6 15 2 1996 250 2 3 0 6 40 3 1997 200 2 0 0 9 50 7 1998 300 2 7 0 5 50 6 1999 300 2 2 0 10 50 11 2000 200 2 10 0 4 36 82 2001 240 2 3 0 2 84 14 2002 190 2 7 0 2 52 18 2003 255 3 7 13 3 78 26 2004 200 2 2 9 5 60 19 2005 155 2 4 13 12 44 27 2006 320 2 0 1 12 50 17 2007 200 2 1 0 13 95 17 2008 225 2 1 0 6 47 16 2009 150 2 2 0 4 45 10 2010 100 1 0 0 6 50 11 2011 98 1 0 0 0 2 5 2012 110 1 1 0 5 25 8 2013 90 0 0 0 0 0 3 2014 90 0 0 0 0 0 2

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres A single Turnstone with a metal band on the right leg and white leg-flag on the left tibia and blue leg-flag on the Our records indicate that the summer population of left tarsus was seen on 5 days over four summer seasons Ruddy Turnstones roosting at Moorland Point has (21 Oct. 2004, 29 Dec. 2005, 16 Oct. 2006, 18 Mar. 2007 declined significantly, from 200–300 in 1985–2000 and and 4 Apr. 2008). It seems likely that this was the same 320 in 2006 to ~100 in 2009–2014 (Table 1, Figure 3). individual. When first reported in 2004, this was said to be Regression analysis suggests an annual decline of 2.0% the first instance of this species being flagged in Taiwan in the maximum summer count of this species from 1985 and reported in Australia (C.D.T. Minton pers. comm.). to 2014, with the decline appearing to get steeper from Significantly more Turnstones were recorded in winter c. 2007 (Figure 3). after Arctic breeding seasons classed as very good or Counts of this species at Moorland Point and East good (mean 13.8 ± 12.7) than after seasons classed as Devonport respectively were 142 and 105 on 13 January average (mean 5.1 ± 2.8), poor or very poor (mean 1.8 2008, 84 and 80 on 25 February 2008, and 43 and 8 on ± 1.1) (Table 1). In summer, the largest number of Turnstones 26 March 2008. The same individuals were probably recorded in the 30-year period was 320 (counted by PB & involved on the first two occasions, whereas on the third HB on 5 November and JH on 19 December 2005), and occasion displaced birds must have roosted elsewhere. it is presumably relevant that the Arctic breeding season 248 Australian Field Ornithology H.A. Britton & J.F. Hunter

350

300

250

200

150 No. of of birds No. y = -5.7028x + 11617 R² = 0.4031 100

50

0 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Year

Figure 3. Maximum summer counts of the Ruddy Turnstone at Moorland Point, Tasmania, 1985–2014.

100

90

80

70

60

50

No. of of birds No. 40

30 y = -5.3516x + 10789 20 R² = 0.5462 10

0 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 Year Figure 4. Maximum summer counts of the Pacific Golden Plover at Moorland Point, Tasmania, 2000–2014. that year was reported as very good. During the following Double-banded Plover Charadrius bicinctus May–August, we also recorded the highest number of wintering Turnstones (56, presumably first-year birds) This regular migrant from New Zealand is widespread in remaining during the 2006 Arctic breeding season. north-western Tasmania between February and August. It is regularly seen feeding along the beaches and rocky Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva shelf from Devonport to Port Sorell. A small high-tide roost-site at Moorland Point was separate, but very close Since the 1980s, the numbers of this species, which breeds (~50 m) to the east of the area used by the Ruddy Turnstone in the Arctic, have declined significantly, from 10–50 in (Figure 1). Counts of 30–95 Double-banded Plover were 1985–1995 to 0–13 in recent years (Figure 4). Regression often made in early years (1993–2010) but very few were analysis suggests an annual decline of 3.5% in the period seen from 2011–2014, except for counts of 16 and 25 in 1985 to 2014. March 2012 (Table 2). Since 2000, this species has been recorded regularly at This site has been even more vulnerable to disturbance the high-tide roost-site, with numbers varying between 2 than the area used by the Ruddy Turnstone, as it is a and 13 until April 2010. It was not recorded in September flattish sandy area close to a car-park. It is also subject to 2010–April 2011 or September 2012–April 2013. However, being covered by very high tides, and this species was not five birds were recorded in September 2011 and a single recorded roosting here in the Winter Shorebird Counts in bird in November 2014. Observations at another site to the 2012, 2013 or 2014. Julie Serafin (pers. comm.) recorded a east also show reduced numbers in recent years (HB & JH maximum of 20 Double-banded Plover at Moorland Beach pers. obs.). and 45 at Pardoe Beach farther west in 2014. Decline of shorebirds at Moorland Point, Tasmania 249

On 14 July 2014, when there were no Double-banded We recognise that many factors may affect populations Plover observed at Moorland Point, 50 were at the East of trans-equatorial migratory shorebirds as they migrate Devonport site, and recent visits have shown this to also between north-eastern Asia and southern Australia, be a regular small roost-site for this species. JH (2002, including massive habitat changes on the coasts of eastern p. 13) assessed this species as ‘being less consistent than Asia (e.g. Hansen et al. 2015; Clemens et al. 2016). the other migrants. They seem to change sites more often’. However, we have presented evidence that the roost-site in question declined in value for all three of its principal Discussion shorebird species, including one (Double-banded Plover) that migrates between New Zealand and Australia and does not visit Asia. This implicates local factors (perhaps Unlike many other species of shorebirds in the East Asian– in concert with factors operating elsewhere), including Australasian Flyway, trend data are very difficult to obtain as Ruddy Turnstones are often in small groups in sites that human disturbance as discussed below. are not included in general shorebird counts. Nevertheless, the Australia-wide annual decline of this species has been Recreational disturbance estimated as 3.3% (Clemens et al. 2016), and significant declines have been recognised in north-eastern Tasmania Moorland Point is in a Coastal Conservation Area (Cooper et al. 2012) and two major Victorian sites, Corner administered by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, Inlet (Minton et al. 2012) and Western Port (Hansen et al. and is close to urban East Devonport and Devonport 2015). The Pacific Golden Plover has also declined at these Airport. The sandy beach that runs west of it (Moorland sites, and the annual national decline of that species has Beach) has become very popular for recreation and been estimated as 2.8% (Clemens et al. 2016), compared dog-walking. Apart from the many recreational activities with 3.5% at Moorland Point in the present study. allowed here, prohibited activities (such as driving vehicles, including motorbikes and utilities towing horses, gathering Since 2007, much has been learnt about the annual seaweed etc.) are nonetheless common. migration and different routes taken by individual birds fitted Birds at the high-tide roost-site are often disturbed, and with leg-flags and geolocators, and the Ruddy Turnstone increasingly the flock of Ruddy Turnstones splits into small has been one of the main species studied (Minton et al. groups that fly off in various directions; some return to the 2010, 2011, 2013): almost all Turnstones made initial non- roost-site and others do not. We have occasionally seen stop flights to Asia (e.g. Taiwan, 7600 km) at the start of groups of up to 25 Turnstones at high tide in at least six their northward migration. Hence Minton et al. 2011 (p. 93) other locations between Don Heads and the Rubicon recognised that “it is vital that their non-breeding areas afford adequate feeding conditions to enable them to lay Estuary. It is good to know that there are alternative down the necessary pre migratory fat resources. They also locations, but this does not remove the need to ensure that need to be free from undue disturbance in the period prior key roost-sites along this coast remain relatively free from to their departure.” disturbance. It could be argued that the low maximum numbers After many attempts by us and others to initiate some observed in our study since 2009 were because of reduced protection for the roost-site, Cradle Coast Natural Resource numbers of counts. However, the main declines occurred Management Committee and the Tasmanian Parks and before that date, and were evident for mean values (which Wildlife Service placed large rocks along the beach to the are less sensitive to survey effort) as well as maximum west of the point and at the point itself, to restrict vehicle values (Tables 1–2). Counts as low as in recent years were access This is a big improvement, but the roost-site is still rarely encountered in high-tide counts in the early years of subject to considerable disturbance, which will need to be the survey (1985–2009). managed. Tasmanian populations have proven to be the ‘Canary in the Coalmine’ for other migratory shorebirds e.g. Eastern Acknowledgements Curlew (Close & Newman 1984; Reid & Park 2003; Britton We should like to thank the following who have been involved with et al. 2005), presumably because they are at the farthest these counts and are concerned for the future of this roost-site and extremity of the birds’ migratory range. The decline of the its shorebirds: Peter Atkinson, Mariamma Hunter, Patricia Ellison, Eastern Curlew in Tasmania happened a decade earlier Alison Parks, John & Shirley Tongue, Anthony Timmermans than at Western Port in Victoria (Hansen et al. 2015), a (Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Service) and Bobby Watts. Special major site for the species. The declines found in our study thanks go to Julie Serafin for allowing us to use her records and for might reflect possible larger-scale declines in Ruddy reading a draft of this article. We are indebted to Golo Maurer for Turnstones or local disturbance or both. It is likely that his encouragement, suggestions and kindly reading two previous Turnstones are very vulnerable to the cumulative impact of drafts, and the Victorian Wader Study Group for their estimates their widely distributed and under-protected sites becoming of Arctic breeding success for the Ruddy Turnstone. During the editing process, Richard Loyn has been particularly considerate unusable through developments or increased recreational and helpful. We also thank one anonymous reviewer and Ken disturbance. Unlike the major shorebird sites with large Gosbell, who not only made suggestions to improve the paper, populations of highly social shorebirds, smaller sites in but also prepared the two graphs (Figures 3 and 4), plotting the Australia receive very little protection or offsets when linear regression lines and equations. We thank Mark Wisniewski damaged through developments or rendered unusable from Cradle Coast NRM for preparing the map. We are grateful to through recreational disturbance. In this regard, the Ruddy Cradle Coast NRM and the Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Service Turnstone reflects issues encountered by resident coastal for their efforts to reduce disturbance at the Moorland Point high- species such as Australian Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers. tide roost-site. 250 Australian Field Ornithology H.A. Britton & J.F. Hunter

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