WA South Coast Shorebird Network newsletter c/- PO Box 577 Denmark WA 6333 ph 08 98483310 Issue 9 – Feb 2015 Email [email protected] Introduction Inside this issue: Welcome to the ninth newsletter linking Introduction 1 people within the Natural Resource Call for submissions 2 Management (NRM) sector to shorebird conservation issues on the South Coast. Upcoming events: Regional Shorebird Survey 2 Thanks to the WA Shorebird 2020 program, the Third Annual Festival of Birds 4 Australasian Wader Study Group and BirdLife Australia, shorebird conservation has an Albany Pelagic Trips 7 international and national focus. The aim here is to Recent events: support their efforts by raising networking support Nic Dunlop & Mike Bamford visit Albany 8 for shorebird conservation locally amongst NRM Salty Summers 9 groups and individuals on WA’s south coast. Effective networking is vital if we are to conserve Current issues and works: our precious migratory and resident shorebirds. Wilson Inlet water level management 10 The idea of a local network grew out of the Living New signage installation 11 Lakes Network, an international web of NGOs Wilson Inlet dog exercise management 12 working to protect wetlands and estuaries. Alarm bells ring for flyway wader sites in 13 This newsletter focuses on shorebird initiatives across the South Coast NRM region. Asia—SE Asia study tour report This newsletter forms part of the 2015 South Coast Coastal Terns 16 shorebird and Festival of Bird program supported by Unusual sightings 17 Lotterywest, City of Albany, Coastwest (WA Dept of Planning), WA Department of Parks and Wildlife, BirdLife Photographic report—Osprey nest 18 Australia, Green Skills, The overall program is also supported by Albany Bird Group, South Coat NRM, Further resources and links 19 South Coast Management Group, the Australian Government’s Caring for Our Country Program, Esperance Bird Observers Group, WA Museum– Albany, WA Conservation Council, other community groups and many individuals. For the Australian Shorebird 2020 website and newsletter www.shorebirds.org.au Call for photographic submissions for newsletter 10 Geoff Taylor has kindly contributed this newsletter’s cover photograph, of Great Knots at ??, and has also contributed cover images for several past editions of this newsletter, as well as photos accompa- nying articles. Many other photographs have been provided by the authors of articles and the organis- ers of events reported in this newsletter. We would now like to invite photographic submissions for the next newsletter. This is a wonderful way of sharing your images, together if you wish with their stories, with an audience of like-minded shorebird enthusiasts! Please email your submissions to Basil Schur at [email protected]. We would like to include a selection of photographs as a regular feature of future newsletters. Call for article submissions for newsletter 10 This edition of the WA South Coast Shorebird Network Newsletter includes articles reporting on cur- rent conservation issues in Denmark’s Wilson Inlet and overseas locations within the East Asian- Australasian Flyway (EAAF). We at Green Skills Denmark would like to invite members of our South Coast Shorebird Network to share their stories relating to conservation challenges, actions and suc- cesses, or shorebird related stories like breeding attempts or unusual sightings, in your local or inter- est area. Concise, interesting articles accompanied by photos are particularly valued. Please email your submissions to Basil Schur at [email protected]. We would like to include a selection of stories and articles as a regular feature of future newsletters. Newslflash! Shorebirds on social media! We’d love to tell you what the shorebirds have been tweeting, but to date the shorebirds of Australia have not signed up for Twitter! Nevertheless, all you social-media users out there can now find both Birding South West, the South West birdwatching tour business of Peter Taylor, the consulting orni- thologist who prepares our Regional Shorebird Survey Reports, and Shorebirds 2020, the shorebird arm of BirdLife Australia, on Facebook. Here are the links: https://www.facebook.com/BirdingSouthWest https://www.facebook.com/groups/1418257811799491/ Upcoming events—Regional Shorebird Survey and Hooded Plover Survey The annual Summer Shorebird counts are upon us again! The surveys include the annual national Summer Shorebird count, the Hooded Plover Survey, the South Coast Regional Shorebird Survey, and the additional site management survey introduced last year. Tern, and especially Fairy Tern sightings will be a focus in order to contribute vital data to Nic Dunlop’s South West Fairy Tern project. The dates for this year’s count are 7-8 February 2015. All forms are available from Basil or your local or- ganizer.These surveys are vital for monitoring local and regional trends in shorebird numbers across estuaries, beaches and wetland shores, to assist with conservation planning and capacity building. Our south coast data will, once again, be collated and reported on by Peter Taylor based on his first report completed in 2011 (see http://www.greenskills.org.au/pub/sb/sb.html). The 2014 report is available at http://www.greenskills.org.au/pub/sbr5/sb.html If you are participating in the surveys, please check EAAF Flagging Protocols for Shorebirds and other Waterbirds, available at http://eaaflyway.net/documents/Protocol_birds%20marking.pdf. Please report ALL flagged and colour banded birds sighted i.e. species, where sighted (GPS if possible), 2 continued on next page Upcoming events—Regional Shorebird Survey and Hooded Plover Survey weather conditions, which leg and whether upper and or lower, and other species around the flagged/ banded bird. This is for ALL Shorebirds, waders and seabirds – gulls, terns etc. If you are entering your data direct to the Shorebird database, when finished please put the survey ID number that will be given on top of the form. Then please fax or post, or scan and email to Basil Schur, Green Skills, [email protected] (P.O.Box 577 Denmark WA 6333 Fax 9848 3455 This survey is made possible by volunteers, and thanks to support from South Coast NRM, through the Australian Government’s Caring for Our Country Pro- gram, WA State Government through Coastwest, and through the South Coast Management Group, there is financial support available to assist volunteers across the region with costs associated with participating in this regional survey. To register for participation and/or apply for financial assistance, please contact Basil Schur at Green Skills Denmark on 98483310, 0429481019 or at [email protected]. These partner groups and Photos: Top—Anderson Lake with Fred Bondin organizers may also be contacted with enquiries about by Anne Bondin, Feb 2014; Bottom—Brad the surveys and to register for participation: Kneebone at Lake Martagallup by Geoff Tay- lor, Feb 2014. BirdLife Australia/Albany Bird Group: Anne Bondin [email protected]; Brad Kneebone 98452233 or [email protected] Bremer Bay: Anne Gadsby 9837 4063 or 0427812106 or [email protected] Dept of Parks and Wildlife, Walpole: 9840 0400 Dept of Parks and Wildlife, Esperance: 9083 2100 Esperance Bird Observers Group: Ken Read 9071 2280 or [email protected] The BirdLife Australia website is an excellent source of resources for those participant who need to brush up their identification skills prior to the survey. Check out ID sheets you can print out to take with you: www.birdlife.org.au/documents/SB-IDsheetsALL.pdf, and ID tips in the article “How to be sure about shorebirds” by Shorebirds 2020 Project Manager Golo Maurer. http://www.birdlife.org.au/ documents/SB-how-to-be-sure-shorebirds.pdf. Posters and booklets can also be ordered via the BirdLife Australia website, and a shorebird ID app (for iPhone or Android) can be downloaded. See http://www.birdlife.org.au/projects/shorebirds-2020/counter-resources. 3 Upcoming events—Third annual Festival of Birds Green Skills and BirdLife Australia are busy planning and preparing the third annual South Coast Fes- tival of Birds, with popular events from previous years to be repeated, and exciting new events added to this years program. See below and on the following page for details of those events which have been confirmed, and check the Festival of Birds website: http://www.birdfestival.greenskills.org.au/ which will be updated as events are added or details are amended. For any enquiries use the contact details alongside the event details, or get in touch with Basil on 98483310 or 0429481019 or email [email protected] Participation and feedback from the birding community has ensured the success of previous Festivals and helped improve this year’s Festival and your continuing input will be appreciated. Invitation to contribute—The Wonderful World of Birds Exhibition One of the main events of this year’s South Coast Festival of Birds will be an exhibition which will be held at the Albany Town Hall from Friday 20th to Tuesday 31st of March, free and open daily to the public from 10-4. This central location will ensure great exposure for the Festival as well as the photos and art exhibited. Voluntary staff will be needed to man the exhibition, please volunteer if you can. If you have mounted or framed bird photographs or bird art which you would like to share with the greater South Coast Community, please consider lending them to Green Skills for The Wonderful World of Birds Photographic and Art Exhibition. Please contact Basil on 98483310 or 0429481019 or email [email protected] if you would like to volunteer or submit any pieces. Include a caption card if possible or provide details of the subject, photographer/artist, where and when taken/created. Albany Bird Kite Fiesta—21-22March 2015 Green Skills will hold the fourth annual Kite Fiesta for Albany on the weekend of the 21-22 March, 2015.