Assessment of Waterfowl Abundance and Wetland Condition in South-Eastern South Australia December 2018

Assessment of Waterfowl Abundance and Wetland Condition in south-eastern South Australia December 2018

Published by the Department for Environment and Water Government of South Australia December 2018

Head Office 81-95 Waymouth Street ADELAIDE SA 5000

Telephone +61 (8) 8204 9000 Facsimile +61 (8) 8204 9334 Internet: www.environment.sa.gov.au

Report prepared by: Conservation, Natural Resource Management & Protected Area Policy Branch Parks and Regions Department for Environment and Water

Copies of the report can be obtained from: T: +61 (8) 8207 7736 E: [email protected] www.environment.sa.gov.au

Contents

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6

2 INTRODUCTION 7

2.1 Study Brief 7

2.2 Climatic Conditions 7

2.3 2018 Eastern Australian Aerial Waterbird Survey (EAAWS) 8

3 METHODS 10

3.1 Site Selection 10

3.2 Observers 11

3.3 Survey Methods 11

4 RESULTS 12

4.1 Wetlands Surveyed and Water Coverage 12

4.2 Wetland Status 15

4.3 Overall Waterfowl Abundance 16

4.4 Analysis of distribution and abundance for game species from ground survey data 24

4.5 Duck species composition within each district 26

4.6 Waterfowl Density 36

5 CONCLUSIONS 37

6 REFERENCES 38

7 APPENDICES 39

7.1 Appendix 1: Example Waterfowl Survey Data Sheet 2018 39

7.2 Appendix 2: Historical waterfowl abundance data by SA region (2003-2018) 42

7.3 Appendix 3: South East Aerial Survey Data (2018) 43

Figures

Figure 1 Ten (10) aerial survey bands (each 30 km in width), every two degrees of latitude, crossing eastern Australia to monitor up to 2000 wetlands ...... 9

Figure 2 Average water coverage at survey sites by region (2003–2018) ...... 15

Figure 3 Number of dry survey sites by region (2003–2018) ...... 15

Figure 4 Trends in the annual abundance in duck game species, South Australian Surveys (2008–2018) ...... 16

Figure 5 Proportion of total abundance in games species from South Australian Surveys (2008-2018) ...... 17

Figure 6 Total duck count by SA survey region (2008-2018) ...... 17

Figure 7 Waterbird abundance (including ducks) across eastern Australia (1983-2018) (Porter et al., 2018) ...... 20

Figure 8 Comparison in total species counts of ducks from Eastern Australian Aerial Waterbird survey (2008-2018)...... 20

Figure 9 Wetland area index across eastern Australia (1983-2018) (Porter et al., 2018) ...... 21

Figure 10 Number of waterbird species breeding across eastern Australia (1983-2018) (Porter et al., 2018) ...... 21

Figure 11 Breeding index across eastern Australia (1983-2018) (Porter et al., 2018)...... 22

Figure 12 Number of waterbirds across eastern Australia in 2018 by survey transects (bands) (Porter et al., 2018) ...... 22

Figure 13 The breeding index of waterbirds across eastern Australia in 2018 by survey transects (bands) (Porter et al., 2018) ...... 23

Figure 14 Wetlands area index across eastern Australia in 2018 by survey transects (bands) (Porter et al., 2018) ...... 23

Figure 15 Trends in the nomadic species of duck (2004-2018)...... 24

Figure 16 Trends in the residential species of duck (2004-2018) ...... 25

Figure 17 Duck survey results, distribution by region 2018 ...... 26

Figure 18 Proportion of total game duck species observed by region for 2018 ...... 27

Figure 19 Murraylands survey count by duck species (2009–2018) ...... 29

Figure 20 Murraylands duck species composition (2009–2018) ...... 29

Figure 21 Fleurieu survey count by duck species (2009–2018) ...... 31

Figure 22 Fleurieu duck species composition (2009–2018) ...... 31

Figure 23 Coorong survey count by duck species (2009–2018) ...... 33

Figure 24 Coorong duck species composition (2009–2018) ...... 33

Figure 25 South East survey count by duck species (2009–2018) ...... 35

Figure 26 South East duck species composition (2009–2018) ...... 35

Figure 27 Density of total ducks (all species) in each survey district (2003–2018) ...... 36

Tables

Table 1 South Australia Surveyed Wetland Summary (2003-2018) ...... 13

Table 2 South Australian Surveyed Wetland Summary by Region (2008-2018) ...... 14

Table 3 South Australian surveys: game duck abundance totals (2003–2018) ...... 18

Table 4 South Australian surveys; Proportion (percentage) of all duck counted by species (2003–2018)...... 18

Table 5 Duck counts by species: Murraylands District (2003–2018) ...... 28

Table 6 Duck counts, by species: Fleurieu District (2003–2018) ...... 30

Table 7 Duck counts, by species: Coorong District (2003–2018) ...... 32

Table 8 Duck counts, by species: South East District (2003–2018)...... 34

1 Executive Summary

To provide a coordinated and consistent regional approach to waterfowl data collection and analysis, spring waterfowl (duck) and wetland surveys have been conducted annually in South Australia since 2003. The ground-based surveys sample a range of wetland habitats across south-eastern SA, providing an understanding of annual trends in wetland condition and waterfowl populations

This report presents the results of the 2018 waterfowl and wetland surveys in SA. A total of 81 wetland sites were surveyed at the end of October and early November 2018, across four districts of south-eastern SA: Murraylands, the Fleurieu Peninsula and greater metropolitan Adelaide, Coorong, and the South East. Sites were divided between those that are frequently hunted and those set aside purely for conservation. The surveys were coordinated by the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) (Conservation, Sustainability & Wildlife Management Unit), with the assistance of volunteers from a variety of stakeholder groups and individuals.

The 2018 waterfowl and wetland survey indicated the majority of the 81 sites surveyed (74%) were containing moderate to high water levels, 17% of wetlands had below moderate water levels, while the remaining 6% of wetlands were completely dry. The waterfowl abundance in South Australia increased in 2018 in the surveyed districts in comparison to the 2017 survey. The total number of ducks counted in the 2018 ground survey was 83,109 ducks as compared to 50,659 ducks in 2017. The total number of ducks counted was below the long-term average of 91,838 ducks considering the increased number of wetlands monitored this year. Signs of breeding were observed to be much lower as wetland habitat availability was moderate with the majority of sites with moderate water levels with lower rainfalls in late winter and early spring across South Australia.

In addition to the 2018 ground survey, aerial reconnaissance surveys of the Murraylands, Coorong and South East districts were again undertaken. Aerial counts from discrete wetlands were used to improve observations at some wetlands where access is difficult counting nearly 150,000 ducks. The majority of observed species abundance in the 2017 aerial survey was composed of Grey Teal at 76% (112,900 ducks), followed by the Mountain Ducks at 15% (22,174 ducks) while Wood Duck, Hard Head and Pin-eared combined each represented less than 1% (1497 ducks combined). The aerial counts did observe small numbers of other species.

At the continental scale, 2018 has been exceedingly dry. Year-to-date rainfall in the Murray-Darling Basin in 2018 has been seriously to severely deficient over much of the basin. Australian maximum temperatures for 2018 to date have been the second-warmest on record with an anomaly of +1.33°.

The 36th Eastern Australian Aerial Waterbird Survey (EAAWS), undertaken by the University of New South (UNSW), found that the total waterbird abundance (n=192,906) decreased considerably from 2017 and remains well below average: the 9th lowest in 36 years. Most of Cooper Creek wetlands in the Lake Eyre Basin, apart from Lake Dunn, were dry, including Lake Galilee. Other important wetlands in the Lake Eyre Basin including the Diamantina and Georgina rivers, supported low numbers of waterbirds. Lakes Torquinnie and Mumbleberry were dry. The Macquarie Marshes and Lowbidgee wetlands were partially flooded and supported moderate numbers of waterbirds with very low breeding. Most of the large lakes in the Menindee Lakes were dry or nearly dry with relatively few birds; the Tallywalka lakes system was dry. Waterbirds were concentrated in the southeast wetlands of South Australia.

2 Introduction

Spring waterfowl and wetland surveys have been conducted annually in SA since 2003 to provide a coordinated and consistent regional approach to waterfowl data collection and analysis. Data are obtained from ground and aerial surveys from the Eastern Australian Waterbirds Surveys conducted by the University of New South Wales, along with data from project-based activities. The collection of these data provides a broad understanding of the abundance and annual variation of waterfowl numbers in South Australia (SA).

For the most part, SA is a vast semi-arid expanse, too deficient in rainfall to support permanent habitat for waterfowl. The south-eastern corner of the state (protruding southward from 34 to 38 degrees of southerly latitude) is a zone that receives dependable annual rainfall and mild temperatures, where inundated wetland areas remain for many months through winter and into summer. Additionally, the water regulation of the Murray Darling Basin has resulted in areas of permanent wetland habitats along its course in addition to the permanent wetlands of the Lower Lakes (Alexandrina and Albert) and the Coorong.

The South Australian spring waterfowl and wetland surveys are a systematic ground-based assessment of waterfowl abundance and wetland condition, for application to the future hunting open season decision-making process. The annual survey aims to present a snapshot of waterfowl abundance, species composition and wetland condition at a point in time. Results over time will show trends, provided the same wetlands are surveyed accurately, employing the same methodology. There is no intention to extrapolate total abundance values for each duck species.

The 2018 waterfowl and wetland survey employed the methodology that was designed in March 2003 for the first ground- based waterfowl survey of this type. As such, it remains a volunteer-based survey with support from the DEW and other state government agencies.

2.1 Study Brief

Since 2003, a suite of wetlands and wetland complexes were selected for annual spring waterfowl surveys, across four districts of South-eastern Australia: Murraylands, Fleurieu Peninsula, Coorong, and South East. The surveys are designed to represent the range of habitats required to understand changes in wetland condition and waterfowl populations. The 2018 waterfowl survey was coordinated by the Conservation, Sustainability and Wildlife Management Unit in the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), with the assistance of volunteers from a variety of stakeholder groups. A total of 81 wetlands and wetland complexes were surveyed between 20 October and 4 November 2018. Aerial surveys were also completed over three days during the period of the ground surveys. Sites included those that are frequently hunted and those set aside purely for conservation.

2.2 Climatic Conditions

The 2018 spring waterfowl and wetlands survey followed 12 months (1 Nov 2017 – 31 October 2018) of rain across south Australia spanning four (4) seasons which are summarised as follows:

 Summer rainfall was slightly above average for South Australia as a whole, but it was much wetter than average in the west and drier than average for most of the eastern half of the State. Summer 2017/18  Rainfall totals were very much above average in the State's west, more than three times the summer average in areas west of Nullarbor.  Western districts were wetter than average in the summer months.

 Rainfall for South Australia was 66% below average in autumn whilst months from March to May were drier than average. Autumn 2018  The month of May saw more than 50 mm rainfall across much of the Lower Southeast and the Mount Lofty Ranges, with totals close to average.  Rainfall in winter was 24% below average across South Australia. Winter 2018  Much of eastern and northern South Australia had below average rainfall for winter whilst the Lower South East and West Coast districts had average to above average rainfalls.  Rainfall in spring was generally below average in eastern Agricultural districts, but above average in the west and across South Australia's northern border. Spring 2018  September was a very dry month across the whole State.  Rainfall in October was near-average overall, but it continued to be dry in eastern Agricultural districts.

2.3 2018 Eastern Australian Aerial Waterbird Survey (EAAWS)

The Eastern Australian Aerial Waterbird Survey (EAAWS) aims to monitor changes in the abundance and distribution indices of waterbird species in Australia. The EAAWS counts up to 50 species of waterbirds from up to 2000 wetlands and has been conducted annually in October since 1983. The information is valuable for examining trends over one-third of continental Australia over a long period and include:  An index of abundance of waterbirds and game ducks.  Information on the distribution of waterbird and game duck populations along the survey bands.  The extent and distribution of habitat along the survey bands.  Information on waterbird breeding.

The EAAWS provides a useful index of waterbird communities, allowing for comparisons over time and across different areas. By collecting information on habitat availability, the survey provides an indication of ecosystem health as characteristic biota generally reflect food resources in the wetland (i.e. large fish-eating bird abundances indicate high presence and availability of fish resources). The EAAWS is unique in that it provides a ‘census’ of an entire wetland including areas inaccessible by ground, is rapid – aerial surveys are up to 150 times faster than ground counts, permits large amounts of data to be collected on an entire waterbird community over a wetland, and provides best available access to large remote wetland systems that impossible to survey with ground based methods (e.g. Lake Eyre).

Critically, the EAAWS uses a reliable and repeatable methodology. Aerial surveys for monitoring vertebrate fauna have been used successfully for a wide variety of species across the world – including; waterbirds, deer, caiman, walruses, seals, polar bears, buffalo, kangaroos, horses, capybara, antelope and goats. The EAAWS is particularly suitable for broad scale monitoring, uses a methodology that can be standardised to limit bias and allow for temporal and spatial comparisons and permits surveillance of breeding effort (e.g. colonies) that can inform management.

While there are a number of strengths, the EAAWS requires specialised methods that requires experienced counters and pilot, can have lower precision and accuracy than some other methods (e.g. ground surveys, aerial photography), includes visibility bias for some species (e.g. diving ducks), has limits in differentiating among some species (e.g. migratory shorebirds) and has high variability in some heterogeneous wetlands (e.g. clumped distributions of birds). Most of these weaknesses are known and have limited impact on its use in understanding the dynamics of waterfowl at the continental scale.

Figure 1 Ten (10) aerial survey bands (each 30 km in width), every two degrees of latitude, crossing eastern Australia to monitor up to 2000 wetlands

3 Methods

Eighty one (81) distinct sites were ground surveyed between 20 October and 4 November 2018 in 2018. Spatial coverage across each district was a factor in the initial site selection along with wetland type, quality, size, ownership (public or private), and status (protected or open to hunting). Sites that have a current monitoring program or an existing waterfowl database were also prioritised for inclusion. Some wetlands were counted more than once by different volunteers. For these wetlands where multiple counts were undertaken, the data were combined to create a mean total count for that site. Similar results from the different surveys increase the validity of the surveys completed by volunteers.

The aerial surveys were conducted over 3 days (30 Oct - 1 Nov 2018) covering wetlands in the Murraylands, Coorong and South East Districts and some of these areas overlap the wetlands surveyed by ground observers/volunteers. All of these sites fall south of 34 degrees of latitude. North of this mark, rainfall is too deficient and mean daily temperatures are too hot for anything other than temporary wet areas after heavy rainfall events. Exceptions are the inland lakes in northern South Australia that are part of the Lake Eyre Basin, which respond to periodic rainfall in central Australia.

The survey area has been divided into four districts:

 Murraylands: A corridor following the River Murray from Murray Bridge to the South Australian/Victorian border, which includes floodplains.

 Fleurieu: The Fleurieu Peninsula, Greater Adelaide, and the coast north to Port Gawler Conservation Park.

 Coorong: The Lakes Alexandrina and Albert, Coorong and watercourses to the west of the Keith-Naracoorte Road.

 South East: The coast extending south from Kingston to the South Australian/Victorian border and inland to the south of Naracoorte.

3.1 Site Selection

In 2003, 94 sites were identified that form the core sites to be surveyed each year. The following criteria were used to select the survey sites:

Spatial Coverage: Where topography permitted, sites were selected to provide the best possible geographic coverage within each district. Coverage was considered to be the most important criterion during site selection.

Private /Public ownership: Many of the state’s large wetland areas are conserved and managed as ‘reserves’ under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. However, significant wetland areas, particularly reclaimed wetlands, are owned and managed by private organisations such as Wetlands and Wildlife and South Australian Field and Game. These private areas are significant, and are well represented in the survey.

Wetland Size: Wetlands were divided into sites larger or smaller than 100 hectares within each district and as far as practicable to have both sizes sampled equally. Some waterfowl species show a preference for wetland size. For example, Mountain Ducks are generally found in large open areas, and consequently both large and small wetlands are required to limit biases in the long-term understanding of trends in waterfowl populations.

Status (open or closed to hunting): A distinction was made between sites that are available for hunting and those that have been declared purely for waterfowl conservation. Duck hunters shoot either on public Game Reserves, unalienated crown lands or on private lands. Many of the popular hunting areas were selected as survey sites, as were significant conservation areas.

3.2 Observers

Observers included DEW staff and various volunteer groups and individuals. Many thanks are extended to those who gave up significant amounts of time and effort, listed below:

 Banrock Station  Natural Resources, SA Murray-Darling Basin  Birds SA  Jack and Pat Bourne  Friends of Parks  Maureen Christie  Barmera Moorook Field and Game  Pam Jones  Birdlife South East SA  Michael Dolan  Conservation and Hunting Alliance of SA  Sally Grundy  Hellenic Shooting Sports Association SA  Michelle Cornish  Loxton Field and Game  John Mullins  Field and Game Australia  Australian Landscape Trust  RMK Berri Field and Game  Pat Bourne  Wetlands and Wildlife  Ben Kester  Bruce and Betty Weir  Wendy Phillips  SA Water  All volunteers (too numerous to name)  DEW staff and rangers

3.3 Survey Methods

Potential observers were sent a list of the survey sites and asked to indicate which sites they were prepared to survey. Survey forms (see Appendix A) were circulated amongst volunteers and DEW staff. The ground-based waterfowl and wetland condition surveys were undertaken between 20 October and 4 November 2018. A total of 81 sites from the four districts in South-eastern South Australia were surveyed. Some sites were surveyed more than once by separate observers.

As far as possible, similar numbers of small (less than 100 ha) and large (greater than 100 ha) wetlands were surveyed. Smaller wetlands are more abundant and easier to survey. Large wetlands are logistically more difficult to count; they require a more intensive search effort, better observational equipment and access to the water at a number of locations.

Most participants surveyed from the land using an area search or point count technique. A few observers launched boats and surveyed from the water. Ducks were the focus of the surveys; however, some observers undertook a complete inventory of all waterbirds at their site. Each wetland survey involved a short assessment of wetland physical condition. Each observer answered four brief questions about water coverage, aquatic fauna and flora and the size of the area they surveyed. Most observers used binoculars to assist with their identification. Spotting scopes were used to improve identification along the Coorong and on the larger wetlands in the South East and Murraylands in particular. Survey data were analysed by DEW .

In addition to ground-based surveys, aerial surveys were undertaken in the Murraylands, South East and Coorong districts. These were undertaken on 30 Oct – 1 Nov 2018 in the Murraylands, Coorong and South-East.

4 RESULTS

4.1 Wetlands Surveyed and Water Coverage

A total of 81 sites from the four districts (Murraylands, Fleurieu, Coorong and South East) in south-eastern South Australia were surveyed. An overview comparison of the total wetlands surveyed in 2017 against previous years is provided in Table 1 and by region in Table 2. A summary of the water coverage in each district is provided below.

Murraylands: Many of the survey sites in the Murraylands are established lakes, swamps and lagoons, connected to the main channel of the River Murray at a comparable elevation. Many of the temporary Murraylands sites have high biodiversity value and support healthy waterfowl populations when inundated. A number of wetlands along the river corridor have benefitted firstly from weir pool manipulation using unregulated flows to the state from the Murray Darling Basin. In 2018, twenty one (21) wetlands were visited totalling approximately 2406 ha.

Fleurieu: The Fleurieu Peninsula supports a mosaic of small water storages, farm dams and spring fed wetlands across a highly fragmented landscape. Many of the region’s wetlands are regulated, and therefore do not necessarily reflect climate trends. Some water storages are artificially maintained at higher capacity and others are supplemented with water from the River Murray to support human use. Overall, rainfall in the district was average for the 12 months to November 2018 relative to the long-term average for the region. In 2018, Fifteen (15) wetlands were visited totalling approximately 316 ha.

Coorong: The Coorong region contains a significant number of large and small wetlands and watercourses that become seasonally inundated each winter. Some of the surveyed wetlands are dependent on discharges associated with the drainage scheme throughout the region. Rainfall in the region during 2018 were average rainfalls. In 2018, twenty (20) wetlands were visited covering an area of approximately 2902 ha.

South East: The South East district contains a broad suite of wetland types to functionally support a range of different waterfowl species. Extensive drainage networks influence wetland conditions, and due to substantial rainfall many of wetlands receive water from the drainage system, while during the drier months, many of these wetlands decrease in size with some being seasonally dry. In 2018, twenty five (25) wetlands were visited, covering an area approximately 8812 ha.

Table 1 South Australia Surveyed Wetland Summary (2003-2018)

Wetland No. of sites No. of No. of sites No. Area greater No. Hunted Year Wetlands less than Protected surveyed than or Sites Surveyed 100ha Sites (ha) =100ha 2003 88 12,535 62 26 41 47 2004 86 9,353 60 26 39 49 2005 86 8,134 56 33 39 47 2006 91 9,005 64 29 41 52 2007 91 9,862 48 44 42 50 2008 95 9,070 54 41 47 48 2009 91 9,234 49 42 46 45 2010 87 9,637 54 33 53 34 2011 77 11,940 42 35 42 35 2012 79 12,140 42 37 44 35 2013 49 11,817 21 28 26 23 2014 77 17,995 46 31 30 47 2015 79 13,040 47 32 39 40 2016 85 17,874 50 35 36 49 2017 61 10,896 39 22 33 25 2018 81 14,435 56 25 27 54 average 81 11,685 49 32 39 43

Table 2 South Australian Surveyed Wetland Summary by Region (2008-2018)

No. of Wetland No. of sites No. of sites No. No. Hunted Year Wetlands Area less than greater than Protected Sites Surveyed surveyed (ha) 100ha or =100ha Sites

2008 26 2,790 14 12 12 14 2009 24 2,750 13 11 11 13 2010 25 3,570 10 15 16 9 2011 19 2,970 8 11 10 9 2012 20 3,070 8 12 11 9 2013 13 2,670 4 9 7 6 2014 24 4,785 13 11 11 13

Murraylands 2015 23 3,744 12 11 10 13 2016 22 6,701 9 13 11 11 2017 31 4,304 23 8 14 5 2018 21 2,406 14 7 11 10 2008 14 562 12 2 1 13 2009 12 564 10 2 1 11 2010 14 466 13 1 3 11 2011 16 1,695 11 5 3 13 2012 16 1,695 11 5 3 13 2013 5 16 4 1 0 5 2014 12 307 11 1 0 12

Fleurieu 2015 13 3,990 11 2 0 13 2016 16 1,798 11 5 4 12 2017 14 4,082 10 4 6 8 2018 15 316 14 1 0 15 2008 27 3,100 10 17 19 8 2009 27 3,210 9 18 19 8 2010 22 3,405 11 11 16 6 2011 17 4,147 6 11 13 4 2012 18 4,247 6 12 14 4 2013 12 2,725 3 9 8 4 2014 19 5,680 10 9 9 10

Coorong 2015 20 3,009 8 12 15 5 2016 17 3,883 10 7 12 5 2017 15 3,088 7 8 10 8 2018 20 2,902 12 8 8 12 2008 28 2,618 18 10 15 13 2009 28 2,710 17 11 15 13 2010 26 2,196 20 6 18 8 2011 25 3,128 17 8 16 9 2012 25 3,128 17 8 16 9 2013 19 6,406 10 9 11 8 2014 22 7,223 12 10 10 12

South East South 2015 23 2,298 16 7 14 9 2016 30 5,492 20 10 9 21 2017 31 8,682 18 13 17 3 2018 25 8,812 16 9 8 17

4.2 Wetland Status

The average surveyed water capacity (%) in the wetlands in the 4 regions were between 43% and 60% in 2018, likely due to the drier winter and spring in comparison to 2017 where the average water capacity was much higher (between 40% and 68%). The highest average water capacity was recorded in the Coorong in 2014 at 89% (Figure 1). The dry sites in the 4 regions ranged from 0%-14%, with the highest being 14% in the Fleurieu Region whilst the Coorong had no dry wetlands (0%) (Figure 3).

Figure 2 Average water coverage at survey sites by region (2003–2018)

Figure 3 Number of dry survey sites by region (2003–2018)

4.3 Overall Waterfowl Abundance

Abundance information from the South Australian Waterbird Surveys

The 2018 South Australian waterfowl survey recorded 84,011 birds in the 4 regions compared to the 50,659 birds recorded in the 2017. This year’s bird population is 55% higher than the 2017 count. The present bird population count is close to the 2003 count which recorded 78,917 birds (Table 3). Figure 4 shows the trends in the annual abundance in duck game species in South Australia (2008-2018).

In 2018, 83,109 game birds and 902 protected species (Freckled Duck, Blue-billed Duck and Musk Duck) were observed for a total count of 84,011 birds. The total surveyed wetland area was approximately 14,435 hectares equating to 5.8 game ducks per hectare.

Table 3 shows the duck abundance totals from 2003-2018. In 2018, the duck species with the highest proportion (percentage) is the Grey Teal which makes up 65.8% of all counted ducks, followed by Chestnut Teal (13.4%), Black Duck (4.8%), Hard Head Duck (4.5), Mountain Duck (3.8%), Pink –eared Duck (3.6%), Blue-winged Shoveler (2.8%) and the least being Wood Duck at 0.9% (Table 4).

Figures 4 and 5 respectively depict the trends in the abundance and proportions of game duck species counted by the ground surveys across 4 regions in South Australia.

Figure 6 shows the relative number of species surveyed across the four districts. In 2018, the South East, followed by the Coorong, Murraylands and the least being Fleurieu region.

Figure 4 Trends in the annual abundance in duck game species, South Australian Surveys (2008–2018)

Figure 5 Proportion of total abundance in games species from South Australian Surveys (2008-2018)

Figure 6 Total duck count by SA survey region (2008-2018)

Table 3 South Australian surveys: game duck abundance totals (2003–2018)

Blue- Pink- Grey Chestnut Black Wood Mountain Hard Year winged eared Totals Teal Teal Duck Duck Duck Head Shoveler Duck

2003 43,948 3,177 2,801 1,389 1,102 1,428 8,126 16,946 78,917 2004 39,789 2,746 3,038 801 3,869 2,118 4,673 6,762 63,796 2005 27,339 1,848 7,824 522 4,583 1,956 3,190 1,292 48,554 2006 22,881 2,078 2,096 441 4,216 1,178 1,520 3,396 37,806 2007 22,594 2,055 1,709 501 4,537 908 1,792 1,589 35,685 2008 25,031 2,398 1,724 819 3,129 1,518 1,093 794 36,506 2009 39,626 3,232 2,955 724 3,539 1,364 7,084 2,088 60,612

2010 3,801 826 1,733 1,051 5,609 86 760 33 13,899

Total 2011 86,256 7,341 3,689 1,661 5,482 715 26,342 4,358 135,844 2012 127,695 5,734 5,311 1,686 11,422 2,331 13,434 7,472 175,085 2013 89,105 2,658 689 627 2,052 4,419 8,435 7,353 115,337 2014 130,353 5,084 2,982 613 10,730 2,634 2,967 15,915 171,277 2015 28,392 7,630 1,243 464 7,251 6,374 2,277 5,487 59,117 2016 2,200 401 997 724 6,112 87 83 107 10,709 2017 34,009 5,776 2,324 841 1,692 171 3,636 1,535 49,983

2018 54,663 11,945 3,839 671 3,082 2,074 3,809 3,027 83,109

Table 4 South Australian surveys; Proportion (percentage) of all duck counted by species (2003–2018)

Blue- Pink- Grey Chestnut Black Wood Mountain Hard Year winged eared Teal Teal Duck Duck Duck Head Shoveler Duck 2003 55.7 4.0 3.5 1.8 1.4 1.8 10.3 21.5 2004 62.4 4.3 4.8 1.3 6.1 3.3 7.3 10.6 2005 56.3 3.8 16.1 1.1 9.4 4.0 6.6 2.7 2006 60.5 5.5 5.5 1.2 11.2 3.1 4.0 9.0 2007 63.3 5.8 4.8 1.4 12.7 2.5 5.0 4.5 2008 68.6 6.6 4.7 2.2 8.6 4.2 3.0 2.2 2009 65.4 5.3 4.9 1.2 5.8 2.3 11.7 3.4 2010 27.3 5.9 12.5 7.6 40.4 0.6 5.5 0.2

Total 2011 63.5 5.4 2.7 1.2 4.0 0.5 19.4 3.2 2012 72.9 3.3 3.0 1.0 6.5 1.3 7.7 4.3 2013 77.3 2.3 0.6 0.5 1.8 3.8 7.3 6.4 2014 76.1 3.0 1.7 0.4 6.3 1.5 1.7 9.3 2015 48.0 12.9 2.1 0.8 12.3 10.8 3.9 9.3 2016 20.5 3.7 9.3 6.8 57.1 0.8 0.8 1.0 2017 68.0 11.6 4.6 1.7 3.4 0.3 7.3 3.1 2018 65.8 14.4 4.6 0.8 3.7 2.5 4.6 3.6

Summary of information from the Eastern Australian Aerial Waterbird Survey (EAAWS)

The summary of the 2018 EAAWS report is presented below:

1. 2018 has been exceptionally dry over the mainland southeast, with significant rainfall deficiencies continuing to affect large areas of eastern Australia. Year-to-date rainfall has been the third-lowest on record for the Murray– Darling Basin, fourth-lowest for New South Wales, and eighth-lowest for Victoria (BOM 2018). 2. Most of NSW (79%) is drought affected or in drought, with a further 20% experiencing intense drought (DPI 2018). More than 58% of Queensland is drought affected or in drought, across most of the Lake Eyre, Bulloo-Bancannia and Murray Darling river basins (Qld Dept of Agriculture & Fisheries 2018). Rainfall was below to very much below average for southeast South Australia, and most of Victoria where drought conditions have intensified. 3. As well as being very dry, 2018 has also been very warm. Australian maximum temperatures for the year to date have been the second warmest on record. New South Wales has experienced its warmest January–October period on record, while Victoria has tied for equal-warmest (with 2014; BOM 2018). 4. Total waterbird abundance (n=192,906) decreased considerably from 2017 and remains well below average: the 9th lowest in 36 years. Waterbirds were most abundant in bands 2 and 10 (Figs 7, 8, 12). 5. Breeding species’ richness, breeding abundance, and wetland area declined compared to the previous year. Despite some short-term increases, there were continued long term declines in total abundance, wetland area and breeding species richness (Figs. 7-11). Species functional response groups (feeding guilds) all showed significant long-term declines. 6. Wetland area index was well below the long-term average. Most Cooper Creek wetlands in the Lake Eyre Basin, apart from Lake Dunn, were dry, including Lake Galilee. Other important wetlands in the Lake Eyre Basin including the Diamantina and Georgina rivers, supported low numbers of waterbirds. Lakes Torquinnie and Mumbleberry were dry (Fig. 7). 7. The Macquarie Marshes and Lowbidgee wetlands were partially flooded with government funded Environmental Flow water and supported moderate numbers of waterbirds with very low breeding. Most of the large lakes in the Menindee Lakes were dry or nearly dry with relatively few birds; the Tallywalka lakes system was dry. Waterbirds were concentrated in the southeast wetlands of South Australia. 8. Waterbirds were less concentrated and more widely dispersed than in the previous year; Nine wetlands supported more than 5,000 waterbirds representing 47% of the total abundance. These areas were distributed across bands 2- 4 and 10 and generally supported high species diversity (Fig. 12). 9. Total breeding index of 200 (all species combined) declined from the previous year and remains well below the long-term average (Figs. 10-11). Breeding species’ richness was also low, with only two species recorded breeding: White Ibis (154) and Black Swan (46). 10. Most game species abundances were well below long term averages, in some cases by an order of magnitude; Six out of eight species continue to show significant long-term declines. Hardhead was an exception with total abundance slightly above the long-term average. 11. Across Eastern Australia overall abundance, breeding index and breeding species richness are positively related to available habitat (wetland area index). Conversely, declines in wetland area are likely to result in declines in waterbird abundance, breeding and breeding species richness.

Figure 7 Waterbird abundance (including ducks) across eastern Australia (1983-2018) (Porter et al., 2018)

Figure 8 Comparison in total species counts of ducks from Eastern Australian Aerial Waterbird survey (2008-2018)

The Wetland area index Figure 9 across eastern Australia in the 2018 survey dipped further, below the 2017 value as well as remaining below the long term mean for the index.

Figure 9 Wetland area index across eastern Australia (1983-2018) (Porter et al., 2018)

Figure 10 Number of waterbird species breeding across eastern Australia (1983-2018) (Porter et al., 2018)

The total breeding index was again lower than the long term average (Figure 11) which corresponds with the lower number of breeding bird species (Figure 10) observed across eastern Australia. Band 2, spanning across central Victoria (east to west) to the South East of South Australia, registering the highest waterbird counts followed by Band 10 spanning across from northern Queensland coast to Northern Territory (Figure 12). The Breeding Index showed the breeding birds to be located in Bands 1- 5, with the highest in Band 1 and lowest in Bands 4 and 5 (Figure 13) whilst Figure 14 depicts the Wetlands area index across eastern Australia in 2018 by survey transects (bands).

Figure 11 Breeding index across eastern Australia (1983-2018) (Porter et al., 2018)

Figure 12 Number of waterbirds across eastern Australia in 2018 by survey transects (bands) (Porter et al., 2018)

Figure 13 The breeding index of waterbirds across eastern Australia in 2018 by survey transects (bands) (Porter et al., 2018)

Figure 14 Wetlands area index across eastern Australia in 2018 by survey transects (bands) (Porter et al., 2018)

4.4 Analysis of distribution and abundance for game species from ground survey data

Nomadic Species

Figure 15 Trends in the nomadic species of duck (2004-2018)

Grey Teal Grey Teals are a highly abundant and strongly nomadic species that will exploit a range of aquatic habitats with varying food resources. In 2018, the Grey Teal was the most dominant specie representing 65.8% of the total duck counted at the surveyed sites in South Australia (Figure 5). The Grey Teal density is 3.8 ducks per hectare for the 2018 survey (Figure 15).

Hardhead Hardhead are aquatic ducks that show a preference for inland areas when wetland conditions are favourable. Hardhead abundance in 2018 accounted for 4.6% of the total game bird count with 3809 ducks recorded across the four regions (Figure 5). There was a decrease in the density (2.7 ducks/ha) of the Hard Head duck compared to the 2017 survey.

Pink-eared Duck Pink-eared Duck are extreme nomads that will often move vast distances in quick-time to find favourable conditions. They are generally regarded as birds of the interior but will adopt coastal areas when climatic conditions dictate. Since 2014, there has been a slightly decreasing trend in the Pink-eared Duck density per hectare ratio (Figure 15).

Residential Species

Figure 16 Trends in the residential species of duck (2004-2018)

Chestnut Teal Chestnut Teal are a relatively residential species. In 2018, the Chestnut Teal Duck recorded a light increase compared to the 2017 duck density. Similar increasing trends were observed in 2011 and 2015, respectively (Figure 16).

Mountain Duck The Mountain Duck density is steady compared to 2017 survey (Figure 16).

Pacific Black Duck The Pacific Black Duck density increased slightly to 0.3 ducks per ha density in the 2018 as compared to 0.2 per ha in the 2017 survey (Figure 16). Black Ducks are considered to be a much more widespread and abundant species than the survey results indicate as the annual survey potentially underestimates their abundance due to their preference to loaf in pairs or small groups and use vegetated wetlands quite secretively. The birds use tree hollows for nesting, at a time coinciding with the October survey, further reducing the probability of detection. However, given the survey methodology has been consistently applied since 2003, apparent trends in Black Duck numbers can be observed.

Wood Duck In 2018, the population of Wood Ducks observed was 671 birds, representing 0.8% of the total duck population surveyed. In the 2018 survey, the Wood Duck density was calculated at 0.05 ducks per ha (Figure 16). The abundance of Wood Duck is not truly reflected by the survey methodology. The species tends to congregate in small groups (commonly 2-12 birds) at farms, dams, tanks, farmhouses and amongst irrigated pasture.

Australasian Shoveler (Blue-winged Shoveler) Blue-winged Shoveler (listed as Rare in South Australia) constituted only 2.5% of the total duck population in the 2018 survey and the duck density was determined to be at 0.1 duck per ha (Figure 16) similar to the 2017 density. The Shoveler is an

invertebrate feeder requiring optimal water quantity and quality. Ninety three percent (93%) of the species recorded came from the South East district.

4.5 Duck species composition within each district

Of note in 2018 across all regions is the high proportion of the nomadic Grey Teal followed by the residential species; Chestnut Teal (Figure 17).

Figure 17 Duck survey results, distribution by region 2018

Figure 17 and Figure 18 illustrate the number of waterfowl observed by ground counts in each region in 2018, Grey Teals was the dominant species in all four regions, while the Chestnut Teals were dominant in South East and to a lesser extent in the Coorong. Most Pink-eared, Hard Head, Mountain and Pacific Black Ducks were distributed approximately evenly (in total) across the South East, the Coorong and Murraylands whilst the Blue-winged Shoveler was mainly found in the South East and in smaller numbers in the Coorong. Wood Ducks were found to be evenly distributed in smaller numbers across the four (4) regions.

Figure 18 Proportion of total game duck species observed by region for 2018

Murraylands

The Murraylands surveys in 2018 indicated that all duck species declined in abundance except for the Black Duck and Hard Head which showed slight increase in abundance. The 2018 abundance was similar to the one recorded in 2006. Grey Teals were the largest proportion with 10,931 birds counted representing approximately 72.4% of the region’s total count. The next two (2) populous species were the Pink-eared and Mountain Ducks with counts of 1,251 and 1,046 birds, respectively. Blue-winged Shoveler was the least abundant with a count of only four (4) birds in the region. Refer to Table 5 for summaries of counts for all other duck species. Figure 20 is a graphical representation of the survey counts and Figure 20 species composition.

Table 5 Duck counts by species: Murraylands District (2003–2018)

Blue- Pink- Grey Chestnut Black Wood Mountain Hard Year winged eared Totals Teal Teal Duck Duck Duck Head Shoveler Duck 2003 8,945 321 1,297 970 650 144 548 463 13,338 2004 6,366 60 361 456 534 45 221 175 8,218 2005 6,914 85 727 104 929 275 543 926 10,503 2006 9,170 75 741 247 1,711 338 1,043 2,517 15,842 2007 3,992 106 355 210 1,141 97 502 964 7,367 2008 2,525 67 352 526 660 21 77 109 4,337 2009 4,397 66 845 616 421 18 274 286 6,923 2010 2,641 269 748 435 1,918 19 618 26 6,674 2011 7,798 75 360 420 403 5 1,018 126 10,205

Murraylands 2012 11,828 34 813 598 1,172 5 1,278 1,431 17,159 2013 5,087 13 224 392 792 14 44 635 7,200 2014 10,195 295 1,119 295 1,414 458 146 2,764 16,684 2015 6,518 257 454 269 635 81 411 2,415 11,040 2016 584 0 198 173 477 9 14 66 1,521 2017 12,042 9 540 569 572 20 38 628 14,416 2018 10,931 41 605 311 1,046 4 903 1,251 15,090

Figure 19 Murraylands survey count by duck species (2009–2018)

Figure 20 Murraylands duck species composition (2009–2018)

Fleurieu

Mountain Duck was the least abundant duck species in the Fleurieu surveys in 2018, similar to observations made in 2003- 2007, 2013 and 2016 surveys. However, the Grey Teal was again the most abundant species in the Fleurieu region, registering a count of 410 birds, representing approximately 44% of the total ducks counted whilst the next abundant species was Wood Duck, representing 15% of the total ducks population. Refer to Table 6 for a summary of historical counts, Figure 21 for a graphical representation of the survey counts and Figure 22 for a representation of species composition.

Table 6 Duck counts, by species: Fleurieu District (2003–2018)

Blue- Pink- Grey Chestnut Black Wood Mountain Hard Year winged eared Totals Teal Teal Duck Duck Duck Head Shoveler Duck 2003 717 81 596 396 4 57 191 108 2,150 2004 1,334 48 501 298 6 146 302 128 2,763 2005 636 115 359 392 0 225 270 306 2,303 2006 653 67 281 192 32 135 325 452 2,137 2007 1,278 58 509 291 55 56 649 469 3,365 2008 2,923 130 563 203 101 29 432 293 4,674 2009 1,989 49 604 87 403 54 563 60 3,809

2010 225 25 676 559 30 39 0 0 1,554 2011 2,986 219 577 1,151 193 20 427 37 5,610

Fleurieu 2012 2,054 108 640 1,025 216 20 418 149 4,630 2013 245 29 78 78 0 9 81 0 520 2014 1,592 106 330 193 54 7 342 17 2,639 2015 1,427 174 206 132 374 51 121 491 2,976 2016 89 50 219 204 4 32 17 9 622 2017 2,552 83 262 157 56 9 120 30 3,268 2018 410 22 215 144 8 31 86 23 936

Figure 21 Fleurieu survey count by duck species (2009–2018)

Figure 22 Fleurieu duck species composition (2009–2018)

Coorong

The Coorong surveys in 2018 showed the duck abundance had increased by nearly 80% from the 2017 count to 30,647 ducks. Grey Teal was again the most abundant species this year with a count of 25,565 birds, representing 83% of the total ducks counted, followed by Chestnut Teal at 1,502 birds (4.9%) whilst the lowest abundant species was the Blue-winged Shoveler at 113 birds (0.4%). Refer to Table 7 for a summary of historical counts, Figure 23 for a graphical representation of the survey counts and Figure 24 for a representation of species composition.

Table 7 Duck counts, by species: Coorong District (2003–2018)

Blue- Pink- Grey Chestnut Black Wood Mountain Hard Year winged eared Totals Teal Teal Duck Duck Duck Head Shoveler Duck 2003 22,942 2,311 600 16 111 1,061 3,589 6,911 37,541 2004 18,699 842 1,029 38 1,457 778 3,292 6,051 32,186 2005 8,838 922 1,098 26 312 526 1,751 26 13,499 2006 9,972 943 462 0 1,802 659 78 420 14,336 2007 7,868 483 492 0 822 195 157 0 10,017 2008 13,555 607 468 20 629 86 177 342 15,884

2009 26,411 2,317 760 6 583 30 3,987 1,028 35,122 2010 513 167 88 21 880 5 59 6 1,739 2011 35,339 5,255 1,597 48 630 8 3,192 3,402 49,471

Coorong 2012 37,692 1,930 2,485 28 978 308 2,921 1,599 47,941 2013 63,839 1,363 280 100 108 147 3,564 6,705 76,106 2014 46,148 2,199 527 100 1,836 328 653 9,125 60,915 2015 14,271 2,878 478 0 1,524 299 1,604 2,051 23,104 2016 387 182 291 73 630 1 0 0 1,563 2017 11,298 2,423 570 69 327 108 2,598 715 18,108 2018 25,565 1,502 1,019 148 645 113 432 1,224 30,647

Figure 23 Coorong survey count by duck species (2009–2018)

Figure 24 Coorong duck species composition (2009–2018)

South East

The South-East surveys in 2018 showed Grey Teals were once again the most abundant species with a count of 17,759 birds or 48.7% of the surveyed population. The Chestnut Teals were the second most populous species with a population 10,381 birds, 28.5% of the total bird population in this region whilst the lowest abundant species was the Wood Duck with a count of only 69 birds. Refer to Table 8 for a summary of historical counts, Figure 25 for a graphical representation of the survey counts and Figure 26 for a representation of species composition.

Table 8 Duck counts, by species: South East District (2003–2018)

Blue- Pink- Grey Chestnut Black Wood Mountain Hard Year winged eared Totals Teal Teal Duck Duck Duck Head Shoveler Duck 2003 11,344 464 308 7 337 166 3,798 9,464 25,888 2004 13,390 1,796 1,147 9 1,872 1,149 858 408 20,629 2005 10,951 726 5,640 0 3,342 930 626 34 22,249 2006 3,086 993 612 2 671 46 74 7 5,491 2007 9,456 1,408 353 0 2,519 560 484 156 14,936 2008 6,028 1,594 341 70 1,739 1,382 407 50 11,611

2009 6,829 800 746 15 2,132 1,262 2,260 714 14,758 2010 422 365 221 36 2,781 23 83 1 3,932 2011 40,133 1,792 1,155 42 4,256 682 21,705 793 70,558

South East South 2012 76,121 3,662 1,373 35 9,056 1,998 8,817 4,293 105,355 2013 19,934 1,253 107 57 1,152 4,249 4,746 13 31,511 2014 72,419 2,485 1,006 26 7,427 1,842 1,826 4,009 91,039 2015 6,178 4,321 104 63 4,718 5,943 142 530 21,998 2016 1,140 169 290 274 5,001 45 52 32 7,003 2017 8,118 3,261 953 46 737 35 880 162 14,192 2018 17,759 10,381 2,000 69 1,383 1,928 2,388 530 36,436

Figure 25 South East survey count by duck species (2009–2018)

Figure 26 South East duck species composition (2009–2018)

4.6 Waterfowl Density

Waterfowl density is calculated by dividing the number of waterfowl counted in each district by the wetland area surveyed. There are many variables that affect the accuracy of this figure. Each year the survey effort, survey area, number of replicate counts and survey expertise varies. The derived figures are considered to be an indicative trend only.

The average density of ducks from all wetlands in 2018 was 5.8 ducks per hectare. This compares with the following historical data from 2010:

 4.6 ducks per hectare in 2017  0.6 ducks per hectare in 2016  4.5 ducks per hectare in 2015  9.5 ducks per hectare in 2014  9.8 ducks per hectare in 2013  14.5 ducks per hectare in 2012  11.4 ducks per hectare in 2011  1.4 ducks per hectare in 2010.

At the regional scale, waterfowl densities were near, or slightly above, the previous 12 months in all surveyed regions (Figure 27).

Figure 27 Density of total ducks (all species) in each survey district (2003–2018)

5 CONCLUSIONS

The spring 2018 waterfowl survey confirmed the expected condition of many of the state’s important wetland areas and provided DEW with a good understanding of the presence and abundance of waterfowl at sites in south-eastern South Australia. This survey was not designed to accurately measure total abundance of duck species at a regional scale. The selected sites are a representative sample of wetland area in each district. From these areas we learn about the composition of species, ratio of one species to another and abundance at a particular site at a specific time.

Wetland conditions in all districts is dry to moderate based on rainfall in all regions. At the continental scale, 2018 has been an exceptionally dry year over the mainland southeast, with significant rainfall deficiencies continuing to affect large areas of eastern Australia. Year to date rainfall has been the third lowest on record for the Murray-Darling Basin, fourth lowest for New South Wales and eight lowest in Victoria.

In 2018, approximately 84,000 ducks were counted from on-ground surveys of wetlands with an area of 14,435 hectares in SA, resulting in an average density of 5.8 ducks per hectare.

The duck species with the highest abundance is the Grey Teal duck comprising of 65.8% of all game species observed, followed by Chestnut Teal accounting for 14.4% of the total population of ducks. The non-game duck species (Freckled, Blue-billed and Musk Duck) were observed only in limited numbers (902 ducks in total compared to the 676 ducks in 2017).

Volunteers helped support the collection of the waterfowl and wetland data and we are very grateful for their enthusiasm and ongoing support of the project. Some have a strong connection with local wetlands and are keen to survey them on an ongoing basis.

At the continental scale, 2018 has been a dry year. The 36th Eastern Australian Aerial Waterbird Survey (EAAWS) confirms that waterbird numbers have decreased drastically compared to 2017 and continues to be below long-term averages with waterbirds potentially being concentrated in the wetlands in the South East and Coorong in SA, southern Victoria, southern coast of New South Wales and northern Queensland. The decrease in the wetlands due to the extreme dry weather in 2018 correlated with the negative decrease in the numbers of species breeding and waterbird breeding index values trending below the long-term means. The number of bird species (abundance) found in the bands corresponds with the wetland area index bands indicating a higher proportion of birds being concentrated in suitable wetlands across the transect bands for breeding.

6 References

Bureau of Meteorology (2018), accessed 24 Nov – 4 December 2018, http://www.bom.gov.au

Porter JL, Kingsford RT and Kate B (2018). Aerial Survey of Wetland Birds in Eastern Australia – November 2018 Annual Summary Report.

7 Appendices

7.1 Appendix 1: Example Waterfowl Survey Data Sheet 2018

Please return data sheet to: Post: Email: [email protected] Attention: Dr. Suresh Kumar Tel: 08 8207 7731 Conservation, Sustainability & Wildlife Management Unit, DEW GPO Box 1047, Adelaide, SA, 5001

Please ensure all details are completed before submitting these sheets.

Waterfowl surveys are being undertaken to enable us to learn more about the abundance, species composition and location of ducks throughout wetlands in the southern bio-regions of South Australia. Data collected during October/November 2017 will assist the decision-making process relating to the 2018 Duck and Quail hunting season.

Survey Methods The purpose of the survey:  To accurately count the number of individuals of each duck species, at the time of your survey.  To conduct a simple wetland assessment, following the table provided.

It is important that you count the number of each duck species accurately within the area you have chosen. The technique you use will depend on the type of wetland being surveyed. Ducks are the focus of this survey, but feel free to count other species if time and inclination prevail.

Area search – Appropriate for parts of a wetland where visibility is unobstructed and a wide open area can be scanned using a spotting scope or binoculars. Birds should be identified and counted until all individuals within the field of view have been tallied.

Point Count – Best suited to sites where visibility is obstructed. Species either seen or heard are counted from a series of fixed points. Usually no points should be closer than 200m (to avoid double-counting). In some situations you may want to walk along a transect (for example, a wetland edge) and do a series of point counts along the way.

There is no specified time limit for each wetland survey. Survey duration will be dependent on wetland size and waterfowl abundance.

Date: ______Survey Location: GOOLWA EFFLUENT PONDS

Time Survey began: ______Time Survey concluded: ______

What is the approximate size of the area you surveyed (hectares)? ______(1 hectare = 100m x 100m)

Organisation/Agency represented: ______Number of Observers: ______

Observer Names: ______

Wind Strength: Still  Slight breeze  Moderate wind  Strong wind

Cloud Cover: 0/8 (No cloud) 2/8 4/8 6/8 8/8 (100% cloud) 

Approximate Temperature: ______C

Number of individuals sighted Signs of Scope / Duck Species on the water overhead breeding? binoculars Adult Immature Adult Immature used? Grey Teal

Chestnut Teal

Pacific Black Duck

Wood Duck

Mountain Duck

Blue-winged Shoveler

Hard head

Pink-eared duck

Freckled duck

Blue-billed duck

Musk duck

Wetlands physical assessment

1. Estimate the current water holding capacity of the wetland.  No Water (0) the wetland is completely dry  Low (1) isolated shallow pools drying back within the wetland  Moderate (3) water level is noticeably lower than the top of the banks  High (5) water is high on the banks, possibility of water spilling outside the normal boundaries of the wetland.

Score______(0-5)

2. Is there a water depth marker at the survey site? If yes, how deep is the water? Yes ______No

3. Aquatic Fauna: is a subjective score according to the abundance and diversity of invertebrates, fish and birds located on or within the body of water.  Low (1) refers to no fish or birds with little or no invertebrate presence  Moderate (3) refers to some bird presence and good invertebrate abundance, fish usually are not present  High (5) indicates good bird and invertebrate diversity and abundance with the presence of fish

Score______(1-5)

4. Aquatic Flora: records the abundance and diversity of aquatic vegetation  Low (1) indicates little or no aquatic vegetation  Moderate (3) indicates some aquatic vegetation cover, either in the form of floating or rooted vegetation  High (5) indicates good diversity of aquatic vegetation with a range of rooted vegetation such as reeds and rushes and floating vegetation such as water ribbons.

Score ______(1-5)

GOOLWA EFFLUENT PONDS

Please indicate the approximate location(s) of your survey on the above map

7.2 Appendix 2: Historical waterfowl abundance data by SA region (2003-2018)

District Year Grey Teal Chestnut Teal Black Duck Wood Duck Mountain Duck Blue-winged Shoveler Hard Head Pink-eared Duck Totals # ducks (inc. FDU, BBD. MUD) Murraylands 2003 8945 321 1297 970 650 144 548 463 13338 13338 Murraylands 2004 6366 60 361 456 534 45 221 175 8218 8218 Murraylands 2005 6914 85 727 104 929 275 543 926 10503 10503 Murraylands 2006 9170 75 741 247 1711 338 1043 2517 15842 15842 Murraylands 2007 3992 106 355 210 1141 97 502 964 7367 7367 Murraylands 2008 2525 67 352 526 660 21 77 109 4337 4337 Murraylands 2009 4397 66 845 616 421 18 274 286 6923 6923 Murraylands 2010 2641 269 748 435 1918 19 618 26 6674 6674 Murraylands 2011 7798 75 360 420 403 5 1018 126 10205 10212 Murraylands 2012 11828 34 813 598 1172 5 1278 1431 17159 17184 Murraylands 2013 5087 13 224 392 792 14 44 635 7200 7235 Murraylands 2014 10195 295 1119 295 1414 458 146 2764 16684 16744 Murraylands 2015 6518 257 454 269 635 81 411 2415 11040 11209 Murraylands 2016 584 0 198 173 477 9 14 66 1521 1566 Murraylands 2017 12042 9 540 569 572 20 38 628 14416 14471 Murraylands 2018 10931 41 605 311 1046 4 903 1251 15090 15158 Fleurieu 2003 717 81 596 396 4 57 191 108 2150 2150 Fleurieu 2004 1334 48 501 298 6 146 302 128 2763 2763 Fleurieu 2005 636 115 359 392 0 225 270 306 2303 2303 Fleurieu 2006 653 67 281 192 32 135 325 452 2137 2137 Fleurieu 2007 1278 58 509 291 55 56 649 469 3365 3365 Fleurieu 2008 2923 130 563 203 101 29 432 293 4674 4674 Fleurieu 2009 1989 49 604 87 403 54 563 60 3809 3879 Fleurieu 2010 225 25 676 559 30 39 0 0 1554 1554 Fleurieu 2011 2986 219 577 1151 193 20 427 37 5610 5635 Fleurieu 2012 2054 108 640 1025 216 20 418 149 4630 4671 Fleurieu 2013 245 29 78 78 0 9 81 0 520 520 Fleurieu 2014 1592 106 330 193 54 7 342 17 2639 2643 Fleurieu 2015 1427 174 206 132 374 51 121 491 2976 3337 Fleurieu 2016 89 50 219 204 4 32 17 9 622 647 Fleurieu 2017 2552 83 262 157 56 9 120 30 3268 3300 Fleurieu 2018 410 22 215 144 8 31 86 23 936 947 Coorong 2003 22942 2311 600 16 111 1061 3589 6911 37541 37541 Coorong 2004 18699 842 1029 38 1457 778 3292 6051 32186 32186 Coorong 2005 8838 922 1098 26 312 526 1751 26 13499 13499 Coorong 2006 9972 943 462 0 1802 659 78 420 14336 14336 Coorong 2007 7868 483 492 0 822 195 157 0 10017 10017 Coorong 2008 13555 607 468 20 629 86 177 342 15884 15884 Coorong 2009 26411 2317 760 6 583 30 3987 1028 35122 35122 Coorong 2010 513 167 88 21 880 5 59 6 1739 1739 Coorong 2011 35339 5255 1597 48 630 8 3192 3402 49471 49531 Coorong 2012 37692 1930 2485 28 978 308 2921 1599 47941 47970 Coorong 2013 63839 1363 280 100 108 147 3564 6705 76106 76126 Coorong 2014 46148 2199 527 100 1836 328 653 9125 60915 61130 Coorong 2015 14271 2878 478 0 1524 299 1604 2051 23104 23121 Coorong 2016 387 182 291 73 630 1 0 0 1563 1569 Coorong 2017 11298 2423 570 69 327 108 2598 715 18108 18108 Coorong 2018 25565 1502 1019 148 645 113 432 1224 30647 30797 South East 2003 11344 464 308 7 337 166 3798 9464 25888 25888 South East 2004 13390 1796 1147 9 1872 1149 858 408 20629 20629 South East 2005 10951 726 5640 0 3342 930 626 34 22249 22249 South East 2006 3086 993 612 2 671 46 74 7 5491 5491 South East 2007 9456 1408 353 0 2519 560 484 156 14936 14936 South East 2008 6028 1594 341 70 1739 1382 407 50 11611 11611 South East 2009 6829 800 746 15 2132 1262 2260 714 14758 14758 South East 2010 422 365 221 36 2781 23 83 1 3932 3932 South East 2011 40133 1792 1155 42 4256 682 21705 793 70558 70736 South East 2012 76121 3662 1373 35 9056 1998 8817 4293 105355 105956 South East 2013 19934 1253 107 57 1152 4249 4746 13 31511 31875 South East 2014 72419 2485 1006 26 7427 1842 1826 4009 91039 92285 South East 2015 6178 4321 104 63 4718 5943 142 530 21998 22270 South East 2016 1140 169 290 274 5001 45 52 32 7003 7074 South East 2017 8118 3261 953 46 737 35 880 162 14192 14781 South East 2018 17759 10381 2000 69 1383 1928 2388 530 36436 37110 Total 2003 43948 3177 2801 1389 1102 1428 8126 16946 78917 78917 Total 2004 39789 2746 3038 801 3869 2118 4673 6762 63796 63796 Total 2005 27339 1848 7824 522 4583 1956 3190 1292 48554 48554 Total 2006 22881 2078 2096 441 4216 1178 1520 3396 37806 37806 Total 2007 22594 2055 1709 501 4537 908 1792 1589 35685 35685 Total 2008 25031 2398 1724 819 3129 1518 1093 794 36506 36506 Total 2009 39626 3232 2955 724 3539 1364 7084 2088 60612 60682 Total 2010 3801 826 1733 1051 5609 86 760 33 13899 13899 Total 2011 86256 7341 3689 1661 5482 715 26342 4358 135844 136114 Total 2012 127695 5734 5311 1686 11422 2331 13434 7472 175085 175781 Total 2013 89105 2658 689 627 2052 4419 8435 7353 115337 115337 Total 2014 130353 5084 2982 613 10730 2634 2967 15915 171277 171277 Total 2015 28392 7630 1243 464 7251 6374 2277 5487 59117 59938 Total 2016 2200 401 997 724 6112 87 83 107 10709 10856 Total 2017 34009 5776 2324 841 1692 171 3636 1535 49983 50659 Total 2018 54663 11945 3839 671 3082 2074 3809 3027 83109 84011

7.3 Appendix 3: South East Aerial Survey Data (2018)

Blue- # ducks (inc. Chestnut Wood Mountain Pink-eared District Grey Teal Black Duck winged Hard Head TOTALS FDU, BBD. Teal Duck Duck Duck Shoveler MUD) SA: Murraylands 8,941 180 1,877 280 1,759 - 70 250 13,357 13,373 SA: South East and Coorong 103,959 5,150 231 20 20,415 5,338 857 20 135,990 135,990

SA Aerial Total 112,900 5,330 2,108 300 22,174 5,338 927 270 149,347 149,363