AWSG Field Activities
The AWSG heads up conservation programs for the Threatened Hooded Plover. © 2008 Glenn Ehmke. Press image for enlargement.
Many of the regular field activities in Australia are organised by the State Wader Study Groups. The AWSG runs regular cannon netting expeditions to NW Australia, organises regular counts of Hooded Plovers, and counts to monitor wader numbers at core sites in February and June each year. There are other surveys in Australia, and training programs and surveys undertaken in Asia.
Opportunities to take part the field work organised by the AWSG will be posted here. However any individual at any time can help the AWSG with field work quite simply by searching for flagged waders, and by making counts of waders anywhere. In particular large parts of the interior of Australia have still been little counted. There are also huge opportunities for counting throughout the Flyway, where in many places the coverage is still poor or non-existent.
Population Monitoring Project
Since 1981, 23 core sites have been monitored every February and June. In recent years more sites have joined the scheme. This program of monitoring is currently being expanded and the methods improved. We want to hear from anyone with an interest in shorebirds and shorebird conservation, or who would like to learn more about these amazing birds. In particular we are looking for volunteers to assist with biannual national population monitoring counts at sites throughout Australia. People with limited shorebird experience need not feel daunted as we will be supporting counters with a shorebird identification toolkit, workshops and regional mentors.
To become involved please contact Jo Oldland or Rob Clemens at the Birds Australia National Office on (03) 9347 0757.
Counting Waders
On a dry continent wader numbers can vary greatly. Regular counting helps to match fluctuations to other events which can improve our understanding. © 2007 Glenn Ehmke. Press image for enlargement.
Waders have been counted for in Australia since 1981, especially during the period 1981 to 1985 when a national count program was conducted, and from 1985 to 1990 when selected sites were counted at monthly intervals and twice yearly since. The Shorebirds 2020 program has now reinvigorated population monitoring in Australia with the involvement of full time staff.
The implications of the Environment Protection and Conservation Act 1999 means that the approval of planning permission at sites containing migratory waders in numbers of international importance has become the responsibility of the Commonwealth, rather than the States. The implications of the Act are that we will in the future need a much better knowledge of our wader distributions and how they use the key sites.
The Population Monitoring Project is to be expanded. This means there will be a considerable increase in the AWSG counting activity in the future.
New counter instructions and count report forms are being developed and will be available on this site in future.
Volunteers Needed
A variety of activities which are undertaken each year the require self funding volunteers within Australia as well as within the migration routes of the Asia Pacific Region. These include the north west of Australia, the Arctic tundra in the Russian Far East, South Korea and China. Although the AWSG are not directly involved in organising expeditions we are maintaining a Register of Volunteers who might be available to take part in such expeditions.
If you are interested, contact Phil Straw and request a copy of the registration form.
China & Yellow Sea surveys & Training Program
The Australasian Wader Studies Group, in conjunction with Wetlands International – China, has just completed the eighth year of training, surveying and shorebird counting activities in the Chinese part of the Yellow Sea during northward migration. This year we revisited Yalu Jiang National Nature Reserve, and then moved on to survey new regions in northern Jiangsu and Shandong Provinces
The activities were carried out as part of the Asia-Pacific Shorebird Action Plan funded by the Australian Department of Environment and Heritage. Brief count results and observations follow:
YALU JIANG NNR (39d 50m N; 123d 48m E) – 20 to 25 April 2004.
Complete coastline of the Nature Reserve – 55 km - adjacent to the border with North Korea: 166,471 shorebirds of 32 species, including internationally important numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit (66,134), Eurasian Curlew (13,136), Eastern Curlew (3,874), Great Knot (32,880), Dunlin (34,841) and Grey Plover (4,628).
N JIANGSU (34d 42m N; 119d 14m E) – 29 April to 2 May 2004.
Saltworks east and west of Lianyungang, and 20 km of coastline N to Shandong border: 33,628 shorebirds of 27 species, including internationally important numbers of Spotted Redshank (1,054), Marsh Sandpiper (1,010), Great Knot (6,700), Red-necked Stint (8,041) and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (1,653).
JIAOZHOU WAN (36d 12m N; 120d 09m E) – 3 to 4 May 2004.
In Shandong Province, near Qingdao – 40 km of coastline plus saltworks: 19,286 shorebirds of 19 species, including internationally important numbers of Spotted Redshank (960), Marsh Sandpiper (1,283), Curlew Sandpiper (2,512) and Red-necked Stint (7,570).
LAIZHOU WAN (37d 12m N; 119d 10m E) – 6 to 10 May 2004.
In Shandong Province, S of Yellow River delta – 100 km of coastline plus saltworks: 53,463 shorebirds of 20 species, including internationally important numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit (25,961), Grey Plover (5,801) and Lesser Sand Plover (877).
Observations
The Yalu Jiang count was the third, and highest, conducted to date – all at different times during northward migration. Of particular interest in this year's results were the very large numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit. It was estimated that more than 95% were of the baueri subspecies, implying that in excess of 50% of the breeding population of this subspecies was present in the Reserve during the survey. Similarly, more than 50% of the breeding population of the orientalis subspecies of the Eurasian Curlew was also present. We found a large flock of Little Curlew (1,180) – only the third large concentration of this species yet discovered on northward migration in China
Counts in the saltworks in N Jiangsu and Jiaozhou Wan confirmed the great importance of these man-made habitats for species such as Spotted Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
The large numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit found in Laizhou Wan appeared to be mainly of the menzbieri subspecies. We also encountered in this area some of the largest concentrations of Lesser Sand Plovers seen so far in China
We believe the Yalu Jiang shorebird count accurately estimated numbers present, whilst those in N Jiangsu, Jiaozhou Wan and Laizhou Wan were probably significant underestimates of shorebird numbers in these regions.