EUNGELLA BIRD WEEK 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020 Eungella Bird Week 2020 CONTENTS page SUMMARY 3 INTRODUCTION 4 GOALS OF EUNGELLA BIRD WEEK 5 ACTIVITIES 6 PARTICIPANTS 8 SCHOOL ACTIVITIES 9 RESULTS OF CITIZEN SCIENCE BIRD SURVEYS 9 FURTHER RESEARCH 10 ACHIEVEMENT OF GOALS 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 12 RECOMMENDATIONS 13 CONCLUSION 13 APPENDICIES 1. List and Map of Data Points 2. Results of Surveys 3. Results of Surveys combined 4. List of All Bird Species seen during Eungella Bird Week 2020 5. Incidental Wildlife Observations during Eungella Bird Week 2020 6. Eungella Bird Week 2020 Program 7. List of Illustrations This report is dedicated to the memory of Marj Andrews, a passionate and energetic supporter of the birds of Eungella and Mackay. Her work contributed greatly to the recognition of the importance and diversity of the birds of the region, especially the Eungella Honeyeater. Page 2 Eungella Bird Week 2020 SUMMARY Building on the success of Eungella Bird Weeks since 2017, Birdlife Mackay organised a program of citizen science surveys, informal birding, and social events to appeal to bird lovers from all over Australia, to raise awareness of the uniqueness and value of the endemic Eungella birds, and to bring some economic benefit to Eungella and Mackay. Eungella Bird Week 2020 was advertised Australia-wide, and, despite the restrictions imposed by Covid 19, attracted participants from all over Queensland and even from New South Wales. Volunteers from Birdlife Mackay provided transport, guiding and some catering during the week. The participants gathered reliable scientific data with bird surveys at specified sites each day. Other bird and wildlife observation outings were held at a variety of locations in the Eungella District, with a total of 133 different bird species observed, as well as platypus, koalas, pademelons and reptiles. The activities of Eungella Bird Week centred around the Eungella Community Hall – the Hub, which Birdlife Mackay hired for the week. Participants and volunteers stayed in a range of accommodation for the week, at commercial accommodation in the Chalet, in cabins and in houses, or camped on the Oval which was approved by the Mackay Regional Council for the event. A very enjoyable Bird Week Dinner was held at the Eungella Chalet, and the Eungella Progress Association cooked up a storm for the Farewell Dinner in the Hub. The Eungella School held an art competition with a bird theme in conjunction with Bird Week and Birdlife Mackay arranged a tree planting and BBQ at the School as part of the activities. Eungella Bird Week 2020 successfully showcased Eungella and Mackay, gathered vital research data about the Eungella Honeyeater and other birds endemic the area, brought some economic benefit and raised awareness of the value and uniqueness of the birds and habitat of the Eungella Highlands. Page 3 Eungella Bird Week 2020 INTRODUCTION Eungella is a very special place, not the least for its birds. The Eungella Honeyeater is unique to the Eungella area of the Mackay Region, not occurring anywhere else in the world. As well, there are the subspecies of two other birds that only live in Eungella, other birds not seen outside North Queensland, plus many other interesting birds. To celebrate this special place and its birds, Birdlife Mackay organised Eungella Bird Week from 14th to 18th September 2020. In 2019, Birds Southern Queensland and Protect the Bush Alliance undertook a program to gather data into the abundance and distribution of the Eungella Honeyeater to lend scientific support to the bird’s vulnerability listing under the various governments legislation. In 2017 and 2018, Wildmob Inc conducted combined Birding, Wildlife and Bushwalking programs to celebrate the diversity of the Eungella District. In 2020, Birdlife Mackay combined both aspects to make Eungella Birdweek 2020 an opportunity for citizen scientists to gather further reliable data on the birds of Eungella, especially the Eungella Honeyeater, and to celebrate and partake in the wider birding opportunities that the Eungella District offers. The Covid 19 pandemic initially caused some uncertainty, and reduced the ability of interstate birders to participate, but with effective Covid Safe Plans in place, the event was a success. Rainforest near Chelmans Road Yellow Robin at Chelmans Rd Page 4 Eungella Bird Week 2020 GOALS OF EUNGELLA BIRD WEEK Birdlife Mackay had five goals for Eungella Bird Week 2020 1. EUNGELLA HONEYEATER DATA a. Collect useful scientific data on range and abundance of the Eungella Honeyeater b. Collect useful scientific data on range and abundance of other birds, especially the Eungella Brown Gerygone, and the Eungella White Throated Treecreeper. 2. MACKAY AS A BIRDING DESTINATION a. Raise awareness within the Australia-wide Birding Community of the attractiveness of Mackay and Eungella as a Birding Destination 3. THE LOCAL EUNGELLA COMMUNITY AND THE EUNGELLA HONEYEATER a. Raise awareness within the local community of the uniqueness and value of the Eungella Honeyeater and through this awareness increase protection of the habitat. 4. ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO EUNGELLA DISTRICT a. To bring economic benefit to the Eungella district businesses b. Link this benefit directly to the presence of the Eungella Honeyeater 5. MACKAY REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE EUNGELLA HONEYEATER a. Raise awareness of the uniqueness and value of the Eungella Honeyeater with the Mackay Regional Council 6. PARTICIPANTS AND VOLUNTEERS ENJOY THE WEEK. a. Participants and volunteers enjoy an interesting and stimulating week. Page 5 Eungella Bird Week 2020 ACTVITIES All activities in Eungella Bird Week 2020 were under a Covid-safe Plan. All participants and volunteers were registered and provided a Covid declaration. Eungella Bird Week 2020 included both scientific surveys and more relaxed outings for the range of participants. Multiple citizen science surveys in accordance with Birdlife Australia best practice were organised at eight designated sites over three days. Teams of eight observers conducted at least two surveys each per day. These were added to the Birdlife Australia Database for use by all researchers. During Eungella Bird Week 2019, the eight survey sites were identified, and detailed surveys of the flora at each site were carried out, as well as bird observation surveys. The report of the 2019 Eungella Bird Week, which includes a comprehensive analysis of the abundance and distribution of the Eungella Honeyeater from historic data, the surveys of the flora of each site, as well as the bird observations from that year, is available. (Julien, P., Moran, A., & Gillman, S. 2019, Eungella Survey Report 2020. Protect the Bush Alliance, Brisbane.) For copies of this report, please contact Protect the Bush Alliance at [email protected]. These survey sites are now established as Shared Sites in Birdlife Australia’s Database (Birdata), were used for surveys in 2020 and will be used into the future. A list of these and a map of their locations are attached in Appendix 1. More relaxed, broader birding and wildlife viewing outings were organised in the Eungella District, at Crediton Hall, Chelmans Road, Broken River and Eungella Dam. An evening spotlighting was held at Broken River. From these excursions, an overall Birdlist for the Week was compiled. One of the highlights of the Week was watching David Braithwaite from JT Coleman’s Long Term Bird Banding Project, trapping, measuring, banding and releasing birds. To the delight of Bird Week participants, David banded four Eungella Honeyeaters, among other birds. David later gave the Keynote Address at the Farewell Dinner, outlining the importance of bird banding programs in understanding the movement and longevity of birds and the potential of the Eungella banding sites to add important information about the Eungella Honeyeater. Birdlife Mackay organised social occasions: the Welcome Dinner by Birdlife Mackay volunteers, a very enjoyable Bird Week Dinner at the Eungella Chalet, the Farewell Dinner catered for by the Eungella Progress Association, a BBQ lunch at Eungella Dam, and other lunches and morning teas. A copy of the Eungella Bird Week 2020 Program is attached in Appendix 6. All activities centred around the Eungella Community Hall, ‘the Hub’. The Hub was hired by Birdlife Mackay for the week, and used as a meeting place, for catering preparation, for formal and informal meals, and as the administration centre for Bird Week. The Hub is a vital resource for Eungella Bird Week. The Hub in the early morning mist. Page 6 Eungella Bird Week 2020 Early morning bird survey Afternoon birding at Crediton Hall Looking for the nesting Brolgas And yes we found them and sometimes you just have to wait for the Eungella Honeyeater to come along. Page 7 Eungella Bird Week 2020 PARTICIPANTS It was an early goal of the week to attract participants from across Australia to Eungella Bird Week 2020. Prior to the Covid restrictions, Birdlife Mackay set about to make as many people aware of Eungella Birdweek 2020 as possible, especially those within the Australian birding community. Advertisements were placed in Australian Birdlife magazine, which is distributed to every Birdlife Australia member each quarter. Birdlife Australia placed information about the Week on its Social Media platforms, and, as Covid restrictions tightened, Birdlife Mackay sent direct emails to the Queensland Branches of Birdlife Australia. Mackay Regional Council very generously gave Birdlife Mackay a grant to help with the costs of this advertising. Eungella Birdweek 2020 was attended by twenty participants, from SE Queensland, from Childers, Capricornia, Townsville, Innisfail, and one from northern NSW. A Victorian from Warrnambool was booked to participate, but had to withdraw due to Covid related border closures. Volunteers from Birdlife Mackay transported and guided the participants, catered for the morning teas, lunches and the Welcome Dinner, took photographs to record the event and managed the data gathered. Fifteen members were involved. Participants and volunteers arranged their own accommodation for the week.