Review of long-term shorebird monitoring in north Western Australia D.I. Rogers, M.P. Scroggie and C.J. Hassell July 2020 Arthur Rylah InstituteCatfish for Environmental release Mullinmur Research Technical Report Series No. 313 Acknowledgment We acknowledge and respect Victorian Traditional Owners as the original custodians of Victoria’s land and waters, their unique ability to care for Country and deep spiritual connection to it. We honour Elders past and present whose knowledge and wisdom has ensured the continuation of culture and traditional practices. We are committed to genuinely partner, and meaningfully engage, with Victoria’s Traditional Owners and Aboriginal communities to support the protection of Country, the maintenance of spiritual and cultural practices and their broader aspirations in the 21st century and beyond. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning PO Box 137 Heidelberg, Victoria 3084 Phone (03) 9450 8600 Website: www.ari.vic.gov.au Technical Report for: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Western Australia. Citation: Rogers, D.I., Scroggie, M.P. and Hassell, C.J. (2020). Review of long-term shorebird monitoring in north Western Australia. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Technical Report Series No. 313. Front cover photo: Shorebird flock on Eighty Mile Beach (Jan van de Kam). © The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning 2020 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence. You are free to re-use the work under that licence, on the condition that you credit the State of Victoria as author. The licence does not apply to any images, photographs or branding, including the Victorian Coat of Arms, the Victorian Government logo, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning logo Printed by Melbourne Polytechnic, Preston. ISSN 1835-3827 (print) ISSN 1835-3835 (pdf)) ISBN 978-1-76105-157-9 (Print) ISBN 978-1-76105-158-6 (pdf/online/MS word) Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Accessibility If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format, please telephone the DELWP Customer Service Centre on 136 186, email customer. [email protected] or contact us via the National Relay Service on 133 677 or www.relayservice.com.au. This document is also available on the internet at www.delwp.vic.gov.au Review of long-term shorebird monitoring in north Western Australia Danny I. Rogers1, Michael P. Scroggie1 and Chris J. Hassell2 1 Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research 123 Brown St, Heidelberg VIC 3084 2 Global Flyway Network and Australasian Wader Studies Group. PO Box 3084, Broome, WA 6725 Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Technical Report Series No. 313 Shorebird monitoring in north Western Australia i Acknowledgements The report was commissioned by the Department of but prominent figures have included Rob Clemens, Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA). John Graff, Connie Grohmann, Kerry Hadley, Maarten We thank Chris Nutt, Naomi Findlay and Andy Hulzebosch, Nigel Jackett, Arthur Keates, Nyal Halford of DBCA for help during report preparation. Khwaja, Emelia Lai, Jan Lewis, Amanda Lilleyman, Grace Maglio, Clare and Grant Morton, Jo Oldland, The Australasian Wader Studies Group (ASWG) and Franky O’Connor, Maurice O’Connor, Kim Onton, Birdlife Australia have long supported the Monitoring Margot Ooerbeek, Ken Rogers, Liz Rosenberg, Yellow Sea Migrants in Australia (MYSMA) project Matt Slaymaker, Andrea Spencer, Jane Taylor, Ray which generated most of the count data on which Turnbull, Nick Ward, and Hazel Watson. this report is based. Funding for the MYSMA program over the years has come from a number of agencies, The report also considers data from demographic including DBCA, the Commonwealth Government monitoring projects. We thank the Global Flyway (through the Department of Environment and Network for access to their publications and results; Heritage, 2004-2006), Woodside Energy, the Western Theunis Piersma and Ying Chi (Ginny) Chan also Australian Marine Science Institute, Monash provided satellite tag tracks. We thank the AWSG for University and Birdlife Australia. Logistic support has access to their banding data and satellite-tagging been provided by DBCA, Broome Bird Observatory, tracks from north-western Australia; access to this Birdlife Australia, the Stoate family of Anna Plains data was facilitated by Clive Minton, Joris Driessens Station and John and Trish Grey of Thangoo Station. and Katherine Leung. Amanda Lilleyman provided We acknowledge the Yawuru People via the offices summaries of Eastern Curlew remote tracking data of Nyamba Buru Yawuru Limited for permission from the National Environment Science Program to monitor shorebirds on the shores of Roebuck Threatened Species Recovery Hub research project Bay, traditional lands of the Yawuru people. We ‘Strategic planning for the Far Eastern Curlew’ (a acknowledge the Karajarri and Nyangumarta people project also supported by Darwin Port, Charles for permission to survey birds on the shores of 80 Darwin University, Larrakia Rangers and the Mile Beach, traditional lands of the Karajarri and University of Queensland). Nyangumarta people. The report was improved by discussion or comments We are indebted to the many volunteers who have from Ben Fanson, Peter Menkhorst, Clive Minton and made the MYSMA counts possible. An especially Chris Nutt. prominent role has been played by Adrian Boyle, George Swann and staff of Broome Bird Observatory, We thank Rebekah Kington for help with formatting who have collectively been part of all surveys. It is and presentation of the report. not possible to name all other participants here, ii Shorebird monitoring in north Western Australia Contents Summary 1 Background ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Context ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Aims ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Methods ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Results .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Conclusions and implications .............................................................................................................................................................................................2 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Scope of this report ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................3 1.2 Why monitor shorebirds in north Western Australia? ..............................................................................................................................3 1.3 Requirements for long-term shorebird monitoring in north Western Australia....................................................................4 2 Overview of current monitoring 8 2.1 Shorebird counts ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 2.2 Demographic monitoring: age ratios ..................................................................................................................................................................12 2.3 Demographic monitoring: Annual survival .................................................................................................................................................... 13 2.4 Monitoring disturbance ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 2.5 Shorebird monitoring practices in other sites ............................................................................................................................................. 16 3 Complete shorebird counts of north Western Australian coastline 19 3.1 Complete surveys of Eighty Mile Beach ..........................................................................................................................................................