Yellow ThroatThe newsletter of BirdLife Tasmania

a branch of BirdLife AustraliaNumber 88, July 2016

General MeetingLife Sciences Building, UTas, Thursday, 14 July, 7.30 p.m.The speakers at the July General Meeting will be three postgraduate students: James Pay, Wedge-tailed Eagle; Lauren Roman, marine debris ingestion in seabirds; Alexandra Noyman, heavy metal contaminants in Short-tailed Shearwater. Short statements of their biographies and fields of study follow.Meeting venue: Life Sciences Lecture Theatre 1, Life Sciences Building, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay. Access and parking are from College Road or from the parking area outside the University Centre via the pedestrian bridge over Churchill Avenue.

James Pay‘The behavioural ecology and response to anthropogenic disturbance of the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax fleayi)’I have focused my research on the behavioural ecology of birds, completing research positions throughout Europe in which I studied foraging and breeding behaviour of both endangered and common species. My experience in animal behaviour has led to an interest in how ethological studies can aid conservation, which will be valuable to improving the conservation management of the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle.

Lauren Roman‘Researching marine debris ingestion in Australasia’s seabirds’I am a PhD student at UTas IMAS, studying the population-level effects of marine debris ingestion in seabirds. I have been studying marine debris ingestion in birds since 2013, when I undertook a survey of such ingestion as an honours research project at the University of Queensland, and I have since moved to Tasmania, following the Southern Ocean seabirds.

Alexandra Noyman‘A comparison of heavy metal contaminants and diet in breeding and wintering Short-tailed Shearwater’.

I am a current student at IMAS. With an undergraduate degree in Zoology, I am advancing my studies with a degree in Marine Science (Hons), in which I am inves-tigating the influence of heavy metal contaminants on top predators such as the Short-tailed Shearwater.

New photo tool and map to record King tidesMara Bun, Green Cross Australia, 1 June 2016

Just a quick note to say that a new tool just went live that lets you snap one or several photos using a smart phone and upload them on a new geospatially accurate map.

Here is the background:http://www.greencrossaustralia.org/our-work/climate-adaptation/witness-king-tides.aspx

Just open http://photos.witnesskingtides.org/ using a phone, and check it out! The tool links to all BoM tidal gauges so people can find out timetables and self-organise photo shoots.

Over coming months, high tides will hit Tasmania according to these dates:Hobart 3/07/16 18:48Granville Harbour 5/07/16 15:53

Mark Gibbs (QUT, ex-CSIRO and AECOM) is Chair of the Board of Green Cross Australia and will be working with the Australian Coastal Society and other research and community groups to get the word out. Jeremy Mansfield, another Green Cross Australia Director, is leading the Twitter and Facebook campaign over coming weeks and months.

Mark and Jeremy may well reach out to you as take-up grows, and as we start to connect with the many local councils and State governments who have participated in the project over the years.

Radio National is interested in covering the project given we already have over 5,400 photos uploaded, including from the Torres Strait, Auckland and PNG.

I hope you will come out and take some pics, and help us get the word out. These days I’m just a Green Cross volunteer, working with others to build resilience to climate impacts however possible. We look forward to as many people and organisations as possible using the new tool and raising awareness of challenges ahead.

Migration of the Arctic TernReproduced from Hunter Birding Digest No.2306

A tiny bird from the Farne Islands off Northumberland has clocked up the longest migration ever recorded. The Arctic Tern’s meandering journey to Antarctica and back saw it clock up 59,650 miles, more than twice the circumference of the planet.

The bird, which weighs just 100 g, left its breeding grounds last July and flew down the west coast of Africa, rounded the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean and arrived in Antarctica in November. Its mammoth trek was recorded by a tiny, chewing-gum sized geolocator tagged on the bird’s leg to track location by recording light levels and time; the geolocator weighs 0.7 g — too little to affect its flight.

‘It’s really quite humbling to see these tiny birds return when you consider the huge 1

distances they’ve had to travel and how they’ve battled to survive,’ said Richard Bevan at Newcastle University, who is part of the tracking team.

Arctic Tern, Sterna paradisaea. © Benjamin Van Doren, Warblings blogsite, https://warblings.wordpress.com

The birds survive the vast journey by dipping down to the sea surface to catch fish and other food as they travel. They live in the fast lane all the time, constantly on the move, said Bevan. They have to flap all the time. It is an incredibly energetic lifestyle.

Like all migratory animals, the birds travel to take advantage of food that is available in particular seasons. Arctic Terns perform the longest migrations, but another bird, the Bar-tailed Godwit, completes its marathon from the Arctic to New Zealand in eight days straight, without stopping to feed. Whales undertake the longest mammal migrations and Leatherback Turtles and some dragonflies also travel over 15,000 km.

More than 2,000 pairs of Arctic Terns breed on the Farne Islands, where they feed on sand eels in the sea. The terns are not globally threatened but are thought to be declining in number.

Colonies in the Shetlands and Outer Hebrides have been producing far fewer chicks than normal, possibly because the sand eels are moving northwards as climate change warms the oceans. Terns are incredibly sensitive to changes in the marine environment, said Bevan. They are the classic canary of the seas.

Scientists attached tags to 29 birds and 20 are known to have returned. Some may have died or it may be that the terns do not return every year to the UK to breed. Further analysis of the data from these trackers will allow us to get a better understanding of how the Arctic Terns organise their migration and how global climate change may affect their routes, said Bevan.

Arctic Terns can live for 15 to 30 years, meaning the the record-breaking tern could fly as far as 3,000,000 km over its lifetime, the rough equivalent of four round trips to the moon. We are just scratching the surface about this bird and its capabilities, said

Bevan.The study was partly funded by the BBC programme Springwatch, which featured the

Arctic Tern migration on Tuesday 7 June.

More on the request for Brown Falcon recordsNick Mooney

Following a request I made through Birdlife Tasmania a month or more ago, many people have been kind enough to send reports of Brown Falcons, Falco berigora (aka ‘Brownies’, coincidentally my favourite bird). I gave a brief explanation with the request and I will expand on that here.

Some readers will remember the national bird of prey survey from some years ago called BOP Watch. That was a survey hatched mainly by my old friend David Baker-Gabb of the fledgling (no pun intended) Australasian Raptor Association, a specialist subgroup of the then RAOU (now Birdlife Australia). It was a road count, much the same as is carried out in many countries, which produced indices of abundance that could be used to compare raptor abundance over time and between places. It had simple rules, kicked off in the 1980s, and produced some great baseline data. The data usually made sense and survive a basic test — recording known seasonal changes in both numbers and prevalence of different aged birds of different species; it’s a legitimate method. Being at naturally low densities, many raptors have low counts (and many zero scores), which risks high variance in consequent statistics, and so large distances are best, preferably much repeated.

By chance, when Nigel Brothers and I started our raptor research in Tasmania in the early 1970s, we did road counts in a style directly comparable to the not-yet invented

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BOP Watch. Road counts seemed the obvious thing to do at the time and I’m thankful we did just that. Although BOP Watch came and went, I continued counting and now have over 400,000 km of my own counts in Tasmania and many thousands from elsewhere.

Over the years, abundances measured by this method have varied for most Tasmanian species. However, several years ago, I noted a steady decline of the most often counted species (= the most reliably measured), i.e. Brownies. This was so marked that earlier this year when I drove several laps of the State (for various reasons), I saw only 1 on one 900 km trip and 2 on the other, whereas I expected many more. This, of course, can be due to chance and various factors, but it jolted me nonetheless.

Then I asked others for records of Brownies through Birdlife Tasmania so that I could check distribution and general status. I found that they seem to be in their old haunts, but most who commented further said they were rarer than before. I then thought to check the legitimacy of my own counts (i.e. my powers of observation), by asking those competent to do so to carry out road counts of all raptors using my method. Comparing those to my own counts through the same periods and places should allow me to judge the usefulness of my previous counts. So far so good, but I want to continue for a few months to see if we pick up migrations, courtship and some demographic nuances.

If the apparent decreases are significant it will then be a matter of trying to decide why — perhaps it’s just ‘time and tide’, but there is the potential for chemicals such as rodenticides to have widespread impacts. Perhaps breeding has diminished. We shall just have to see.

In the interests of not creating an expectation of what might be counted, I will not yet present the available data, and hope readers understand.

I very much thank those who are participating and encourage others wanting to do so to contact me to discuss the prospect: nickjmooney@gmail.com.

A bevy of Banded StiltsSeveral flocks of Banded Stilts have arrived and settled in south-east Tasmania over the last month or so, with the largest flock at Lauderdale comprising 23 birds (as of 21 June). A smaller flock has been spotted on the Marion Bay wetlands, and, at the moment, some 40 stilts are known to be present, which is the highest number recorded for south-east Tasmania. Both flocks have increased in size since first reported, and it is unknown how long the birds will remain in Tasmania.

Previously the largest groups on record were about 2000 on Flinders Island in the summer and autumn of 2012–13. Some of the birds trickled down the coast to the south-east, with a maximum of 9 reaching the Neck on Bruny Island in May. There are no other documented double-digit records for south-east Tasmania aside from 10 in July 1977, so this is easily the highest numerical record for the south-east.

Meredith River SanctuaryGlamorgan Spring Bay Council are placing a sign at the mouth of the Meredith river at Swansea to inform the public about the values that are being protected by the Meredith River Bird Sanctuary and how visitors can help maintain those conservation principles. The sign is reproduced on page 25, at the back of the newsletter.

Let’s hope that all visitors take careful note of it!3

Yellow Wattlebird antics on King IslandMargaret Bennett

Last summer, like Peter Ronald and his wife in north-east Tasmania, I also observed an unusual antic of the Yellow Wattlebird in a private forest reserve at Nugara, on the Old Grassy Road. A pair of Yellow Wattlebird breed in the same area every summer, on the edge of a patch of dense King Island scrub. No doubt this breeding pair is constantly on the lookout for predators, such as the Forest Ravens that fly past at regular intervals. Now Forest Ravens, as with all other birds, take pride in keeping their feathers neat and tidy. On this occasion, late in the day, I noticed a Forest Raven fly past me with tail feathers that were tatty, bent and torn — they certainly looked out of place. I didn’t have to wait long to discover the reason. As the raven flew past the place where the Yellow Wattlebirds nest, one of the wattlebirds dashed out of the bush in hot pursuit, caught up and latched onto the tail feathers. The wattlebird, through use of its beak, hung on and got a free ride until well clear of the breeding area.

Yellow Wattlebird. © Bob Holderness-Roddam

The Forest Raven definitely didn’t like this and flew up and down, as well as sideways, trying to dislodge the unwelcome passenger, but to no avail until it was well

clear of the nesting area. When the Yellow Wattlebird finally released the raven it had lost a few more tail feathers, which drifted gently to the ground. How many times this happened I don’t know, but clearly the raven was a slow learner. A different flight path would have been much less stressful, but it appears to have been an ongoing challenge for both parties for some time. This chance observation explains the Forest Raven’s tatty plumage. I have seen Yellow Wattlebirds chase other species away, but I’ve not seen them actually latching onto another bird like I saw on this occasion.

Duck huntingAndrew Darby and Eric Woehler

Among the most contentious threats still facing native birds in Tasmania is the annual duck season, during which tens of thousands of waterfowl are shot.

BirdLife Tasmania is moving, along with BirdLife Australia’s national policy, to campaign against a hunt that we believe does not kill many ducks instantly, and illegally takes some species, many of which are protected. Recreational waterfowl hunting has already been banned in the States of New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT.

We are in the early stages of developing the policy foundation in Tasmania for this campaign, which we recognise is likely to be long term and to encounter significant resistance.

As part of this, we are asking our members and the general public to give us their feedback on duck shooting, particularly if they have knowledge of its effects on their local wetlands and the birds that depend upon them.

We would also like to acknowledge the long-standing efforts that have been made by other community groups, who have worked for years against the odds to end the hunt on our islands.

A rare Freckled Duck, Stictonetta naevosa, a prohibited species. © Jason Graham4

Last year, an estimated 50,529 duck were shot by more than 1,000 hunters, according to the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment.

The Department’s Wildlife Branch relies on self-reporting by hunters to reach its annual estimates. These say that Pacific Black Duck was the most commonly shot, followed by Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Australian Wood Duck and Australian Shelduck.

Another seven species of duck are prohibited, and hunters must pass a Waterfowl Identification Test before they can obtain a licence for the April–June season.

No official information has come to light yet about mis-identification of birds, or numbers of birds injured but not killed outright.

Shooting occurs all the way around the state, but most pressure is on wetland birds in the north-east, including the Ramsar-listed Moulting Lagoon, and on the Central Plateau. (Read more in DPIPWE’s annual Game Tracks publication at: http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/management-of-wildlife/game-management/publications-and-other-resources.)

With Australia having signed the international Ramsar Convention for the protection of wetlands, we believe the Tasmanian Government should move to integrate waterfowl protection in key wetlands such as Moulting Lagoon.

Despite many hunters’ claims of ‘tradition’ and efficacy, BirdLife Tasmania believes that native duck hunting is socially unacceptable and ecologically unsustainable in the Twenty-First Century.

Please join us in developing and supporting our campaign to end the duck hunt. We look forward to hearing your views.

Update from the Raptor RefugeAnthea Wallhead

The Raptor Refuge held a special series of events on Wednesday, 8 June, organised by Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Services’ Interpretation and Education Officer, Ingrid Albion. Activities included a presentation to students by PWS Discovery Rangers, filming to publicise the educational program and the release of a Brown Goshawk. In addition, photographs were taken to mark the partnership between PWS and the refuge. In the afternoon, a workshop was held for Discovery Rangers and Raptor Refuge volunteers to discuss lesson plans for students of all ages.

The morning began with the arrival of several PWS Discovery Rangers and a Wildschool volunteer who were training to become presenters at the Raptor Refuge, along with other PWS staff. Then 22 Grade 7 students from St Aloysius School in Kingston arrived with three teachers. Four Raptor Refuge volunteers who were also interested in taking classes and giving private talks to visitors also attended.

Once inside the Education Centre, Ingrid introduced Fiona Hume, a Discovery Ranger familiar with taking classes at the Refuge. Fiona showed the students a dramatic video of an owl approaching its prey and then went on to discuss the characteristics of raptors. Watching proceedings was Montgomery, the first Masked Owl born from the Refuge’s two resident owls that are unable to be rehabilitated back into the wild. Craig is training Montgomery to become used to appearing in public, so visitors were asked to talk quietly to prevent him from becoming distressed.

Montgomery the Masked Owl and friends. © Raptor Refuge

Ingrid described and grouped the 12 raptors in Tasmania and explained their specific features so that students could more easily recognise them at the refuge and in the wild. Photos of raptors were then distributed amongst the students who were asked to find out more about specific birds when being shown over the aviaries.

Craig Webb talking with students of St Aloysius and PWS staff. © Raptor Refuge5

Craig Webb took the group outside to the large flight aviary, which currently houses four Wedge-tailed Eagles. These raptors will not be released because their injuries prevent them from surviving in the wild. He explained the reasons for eagles and other raptors needing rehabilitation at the refuge after injuries from power lines and windfarms, poisoning, shooting and collisions with cars. At the same time Craig was talking to the students, one of the wild Wedge-tailed Eagles paid a visit, soaring around the aviaries, checking that no raptors were invading its territory.

Fiona then led the students to the front slatted aviary, where smaller raptors, also permanent residents, were housed. She explained the various reasons for their ongoing care. After a visit to the owls, where Craig described and showed the students the owl’s silent flight across the aviary, students went inside the Education Centre again to find out more about raptors, their wings, talons and beaks, as well as to watch live raptors filmed by the cameras installed in the front aviaries and rehabilitation aviaries.

Meanwhile, a news crew from WIN Television had arrived to observe the educational activities, interview Craig and film the release of a Brown Goshawk that had crashed into a window and had to receive stitches, before being rehabilitated at the refuge. Craig’s son, Ziggy, who was part of the Grade 7 class from St Aloysius, was responsible for the release of the Brown Goshawk, which flew off and perched on the closest gum tree.

Ziggy Webb releases the now healthy Brown Goshawk. © Raptor Refuge

Cat controlLindsay Young

I wanted to let Birdlife Tasmania members know about this project; it has fabulous implications for cat control across the State, which will make birds lives so much safer.

Click on this link to find out more;https://experiment.com/projects/is-the-felixer-cat-trap-safe-for-native-carnivores?s=search

Rowena Hamer is one of five PhD students doing ecological work on animals in the Midlands. She does cats, quolls and devils, and other things including birds, potoroos, bandicoots, bettongs, owls, bats and the inevitable statistics associated with her studies.

We (Rae and Lindsay Young) are farmers in the Midlands and all the students stay with us on Lewisham while they undertake their field work.

Southern Fulmar at StrahanFiona Hume

On Sunday 8 May 2016, I received a phone call from Adam Harper, a fisherman. Adam has worked in the Tasmanian fishing industry for 25 years in trawling, crayfishing, scalloping and, most recently, fish farming. On this particular day, Adam was working in Macquarie Harbour, and, while feeding fish at a salmon farm, he noticed an unusual bird that he had never seen before amongst the flocks of Silver Gulls. Adam idled over to the gull-like creature to take a closer look.

The bird swam around his boat and Adam, concerned that it may be injured, scooped it up in a net to have a closer look (see the two photos here and on page 7). After taking several photographs and contacting the Parks and Wildlife Service to have the bird identified, Adam released the bird, a Southern Fulmar, back into Macquarie Harbour.

Southern Fulmar taking the waters of Macquarie Harbour. © Adam Harper

The Southern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides) is a medium sized petrel that breeds in 6

steep rocky habitat along the Antarctic coast and on peri-antarctic islands (Marchant and Higgins 1990, HANZAB Volume 1). Fulmars feed on euphausiid crustaceans, squid and fish. In summer, adult birds are distributed predominantly over Antarctic waters, but occasionally farther north. Wintering adults and nonbreeding birds range farther afield, as far as temperate and even tropical latitudes.

In Australia, the Southern Fulmar has been recorded most often in the south-east between the New South Wales–Victorian border and the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. A beach-cast bird was found at Eyre Bird Observatory in October 1984 (HANZAB).

In Tasmania, there are approximately 100 records of Southern Fulmars from around the entire Tasmanian coastline, including King and Flinders Islands (see the following map). These records comprise observations of live birds close to shore, to observations well offshore over oceanic waters, and beach-washed carcasses. Most reports were made in September to November inclusive, with more than 65 records from all years occurring in these three months. A similar number of records have been made from around Macquarie Island (BirdLife Tasmania, unpublished data).

The Southern Fulmar on board Adam’s boat. © Adam Harper

Saltmarsh focusIn conjunction with Vishnu Prahalad from the University of Tasmania, BirdLife Tasmania has undertaken several saltmarsh events for community groups. A saltmarsh walk and talk was held at the mouth of the Carlton River on 15 May, with more than 30 attendees despite the very windy conditions. A second event on the site will be held later in the year. These outings are aimed at introducing attendees to efforts in monitoring (vegetation, birds and threats) using a dedicated free smartphone app, Tasmanian Saltmarsh Surveys App, available for iOS and Android.

Senate inquiry, World Heritage bushfiresWith the Double Dissolution, the Senate Inquiry into the Tasmanian Bushfires ceased and inquiries that were not completed have lapsed. All submissions, including that of BirdLife Tasmania are available at: h t t p : / / w w w. a p h . g o v. a u / P a r l i a m e n t a r y _ B u s i n e s s / C o m m i t t e e s / S e n a t e /Environment_and_Communications/Tasmanian_Bushfires/Submissions.

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Migratory shorebird populationsMike Newman and Eric Woehler have contributed to a national effort to update population estimates for 37 species of migratory shorebirds that use the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF). The Federal Government contracted BirdLife Australia to update the population estimates based on current survey data for Australia and the other countries within the Flyway. Two 2-day workshops were held in Melbourne and extensive data analyses were required before new estimates were obtained. It is expected that the final report will be available once the Federal Government releases it. Mike and Eric are currently preparing a paper for the Tasmanian Bird Report to detail the Tasmanian population estimates. These estimates complement the existing efforts to establish population estimates for our resident shorebirds in Tasmania.

A flock of Bar-tailed Godwit in flight, Tasmania.

Winter Gull Count 2016The annual Winter Gull Count was held on 12 June in generally suitable conditions. Not all data have been received at the time of writing, so no analyses have been completed yet.

RACT expansion in Freycinet National ParkBirdLife Tasmania was one of the groups that opposed the proposed expansion of the RACT’s Freycinet Lodge in the Freycinet National Park. Representatives from a number of environmental groups, including BirdLife Tasmania, recently met with the RACT’s

CEO and members of the RACT Board to discuss concerns about the proposed expansion. A significant number of members of RACT also opposed the expansion and RACT has recently announced that, in light of community opposition, it is withdrawing plans to increase the size of the footprint of the resort in the National Park. Thanks are due to all members of Birdlife Tasmania who worked on submissions to RACT and signed the petition raised by concerned members of RACT. RACT should be praised for its readiness to work with community groups.

NRM South funding supportBirdLife Tasmania thanks NRM South for their continued support of BirdLife Tasmania’s activities. We were recently successful in an application for a ‘Bite-sized Grant’ of $500 that will be used to purchase shorebird interpretive materials for engaging with school students, and a larger Sponsorship Grant of $2000 that will assist our efforts on Bruny Island for the 2016 Bird Festival. We will also be buying more ‘wet sand walker’ dog leads for our efforts to reduce the threats to beach-nesting shorebirds from errant dogs.

Joint ABC–BBC radio seriesDr Ann Jones, producer of the ABC’s Off Track show has produced a 4-part radio series on the migratory shorebirds of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. The series is a co-production with the BBC and is garnering international attention on the plight of our migratory shorebirds. In conjunction with the radio series, she has also produced a long form feature article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-17/flying-for-your-life-ann-jones/7459288. The entire radio series is available at: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/features/flying-for-your-life/.

The series started in south-east Tasmania when Ann visited Orielton Lagoon in October looking for Eastern Curlews. She was unsuccessful — due largely to the more than 90% decrease in their numbers in south-east Tasmania since the 1960s.

Another aspect of the investigation led to finding that, with many East Asian intertidal zones under threat, shorebirds are flocking to one of the region’s last bucolic patches: the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea. Ann Jones speaks with the New Zealand ornithologists on a unique form of cultural exchange:http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/north-korea-unlikely-oasis-threatened-species-shorebirds/7550494.

Shy Albatross releaseA juvenile Shy Albatross was successfully released off Eaglehawk Neck following a brief rehabilitation. The bird was discovered on the foreshore of the Tamar River close to Launceston where it was rescued and eventually found its way to Bonorong. A few days of care and the bird was ready for release. A video of the release is at: http://bonorong.com.au/shy-albatross-poatina-tasman-peninsula/.

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Unusual weather brings unusual speciesThe very strong and persistent low pressure systems in late May and early June brought a number of tropical birds southward to Tasmania and beyond. A number of records of two species of frigatebirds were made, and there were several records of Sooty Terns from the north of the state, but perhaps the most extreme case reported to date is the arrival of two Sooty Terns on subantarctic Macquarie Island, at 54°S (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-21/tropical-birds-found-on-sub-antarctic-macquarie-island/7528416). All records are being assessed before they can be added to the Tasmanian list, and a report is being prepared for the Tasmanian Bird Report.

Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscata, Rodrigues Island, Indian Ocean. © Giorgio Minguzzi, from Wikimedia Commons

National Landcare Conference 2016For the second time since 2009, BirdLife Tasmania is a national finalist for its work on protecting Tasmania’s shorebirds. BirdLife Tasmania is a partner in the South-East Regional Shorebird Alliance (SERSA), formed by NRM South, Glamorgan Spring Bay, Tasman, Sorell, Clarence, Kingborough, Huon Valley Councils and Crown Land Services, with Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service.

SERSA is working on collaborative regional awareness raising and engagement activities, on-ground strategies including continual monitoring of shorebirds, interpretive signage, fencing around breeding areas, dog exclusion areas, vehicle access restrictions and pest animal monitoring and control. SERSA has worked together in a regional collaboration for two years. BirdLife Tasmania’s statewide surveying of all soft-sand

environments around Tasmania have provided extensive knowledge and data that support strategies for SERSA partners.

This won the Government Partnerships with Landcare award at the Tasmanian Landcare Conference and Awards in October 2015. SERSA will represent Tasmania as finalists in National Landcare awards for this category in Melbourne in September. More information on SERSA is at http://www.nrmsouth.org.au/south-east-regbirds-alliance/

Donation of books and slidesThe Executive Committee wishes to thank Peter Wall, son of the late Leonard and Marjorie Wall, for his generous donation of books and slides to BirdLife Tasmania. With many original slides in the collection, these historical images will be a valuable addition to our reference collection.

Six more migratory shorebirds listedIn early May the Federal Government added six taxa of migratory shorebirds to the EPBC list of threatened species. They are: Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica (ssp.) baueri, and Greater Sand Plover, Charadrius leschenaultii, as Vulnerable; Red Knot, Calidris canutus, and Lesser Sand Plover, Charadrius mongolus, as Endangered; Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica (ssp.) menzbieri, and Great Knot, Calidris tenuirostris, as Critically Endangered. In addition to their threatened species status, they remain listed ‘migratory’ and ‘marine’ under EPBC. BirdLife Tasmania made detailed submissions on Bar-tailed Godwit (ssp. baueri) and Red Knot, Calidris canutus, as the south-east Tasmania dataset is the longest time series for migratory shorebirds in Australia, and south-east Tasmania is seen as an early indicator for migratory shorebirds elsewhere in Australia.

Red Knot in nonbreeding plumage. © Dick Daniels, from Wikimedia Commons9

Volunteer opportunitiesGlen Bain

Project descriptionIn the Tasmanian Midlands, wildlife is increasingly threatened by agricultural intensifi-cation, habitat loss and predation by introduced predators. The University of Tasmania, Greening Australia, the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and Bush Heritage Australia have partnered to restore degraded landscapes in the Midlands Biodiversity Hotspot. As part of the project, 5 PhD candidates are studying movement and habitat use in a range of fauna (e.g., quolls, Tasmanian Devils, feral cats, bettongs, bandicoots and bats). This project will focus on how both habitat structure and predators influence the foraging and nesting decisions of woodland birds.

Volunteers will:1. Assist in conducting foraging experiments over the coming winter period.

This will involve placing feeding trays out for ground-foraging birds, setting up cameras and watching footage.

2. Help conduct nest searches for Brown Thornbills and Superb Fairy-wrens over the 2016–17 breeding season (end of July to March).This will involve observations of nest building and nestling feeding, setting up remote sensing cameras and conducting habitat surveys.

Requirements• Being comfortable with early morning starts and long periods spent outdoors.• Reasonable fitness levels. (Some equipment must be carried on foot.)• Experience in observing bird behaviour and nest searching would be a huge plus but

is not strictly necessary.• Must be available for at least three days at a time. Each trip may be up to a week.There will be opportunities to learn or hone your bird ID skills, see areas of Tasmania that are not open to the public, learn all about the unique behaviours of Australia’s favourite bird (the Superb Fairy-wren) and use some of the most cutting-edge scientific methods (e.g., hand-held LiDAR).

All accommodation, food and travel costs are covered. We will be staying at a field house near Campbell Town with a full kitchen, a bathroom and a warm fireplace.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or to express your interest:Glen BainThe University of TasmaniaSchool of Biological SciencesEmail: glen.bain@utas.edu.auPhone: 0405 063 230

Grant Dixon, mountaineer & wilderness photographer,

presents photo stories featuring the four seasons in the mountains:

Mountain Seasons

Tickets at the door

$15 individuals, $25 families, $12 TNPA members, $8 concession

In lieu of the usual supper we’ll be selling raffl e tickets (great prizes to be won!)

All enquiries to Catharine ErreyPhone 0418 276 896 or email catherrey@gmail.com

Baffi n Spring – ski mountaineering expeditions in the Canadian Arctic.

Fiordland Summer – journeys through New Zealand’s wildest mountain country.

Hokkaido Autumn – walking amongst the volcanic peaks of Japan’s northernmost island.

Tasmanian Winter – cool times in Tasmania’s distinctive mountains

TASMANIAN NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATIONGPO Box 2188 Hobart TAS 7001 · 0427854684

info@tnpa.asn.au · www.tnpa.asn.au

PUBLIC EVENT & FUNDR AISER

6:30pm Thursday 11TH AUGUST 2016

Arts Lecture Th eatre, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay

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Excursion reportsMaureen Duffy

Burton's Reserve, Cygnet 21 March 2016We arrived at the reserve to find the usual feral ducks and geese foraging on the grass. We walked along the side of the creek to the west and saw a White-faced Heron hunting in the shallows. When we followed the creek out to the edge of the saltmarsh, we could see several Chestnut Teal and Pied Oystercatchers in the bay.

Continuing around to the east, we crossed over the small bridge and onto the road. We walked along the edge of the road beside Eucalypt trees that were alive with bush birds including several honeyeaters — New Holland, Black-headed, Strong-billed, Yellow-throated and Yellow Wattlebirds. A lone female Scarlet Robin was spotted on a low bush and a small flock of Green Rosellas flew by. The highlight of the day was seeing a Grey Goshawk perched in a tree behind a house. It thoughtfully sat there for some time so we could all have a good look. This was a very enjoyable morning with a final bird count of 30.Bird list: Feral duck, Feral white geese, Masked Lapwing, Common Blackbird, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Yellow Wattlebird, Tasmanian Native-hen, Forest Raven, White-faced Heron, Silver Gull, Chestnut Teal, Pied Oystercatcher, Little Pied Cormorant, Superb Fairy-wren, Common Starling, New Holland Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Brown Thornbill, House Sparrow, Laughing Kookaburra, Green Rosella, Grey Goshawk (white morph), Striated Pardalote, Strong-billed Honeyeater, Black-headed Honeyeater, Spotted Pardalote, Kelp Gull, Common Greenfinch, Scarlet Robin.

Female Scarlet Robin. © Jason Graham

Tynwald Park, New Norfolk 27 March 2016It was a cool but pleasant day at New Norfolk, a little overcast. We began by walking along the dirt road behind the Oast House. The trees form a canopy here that is always rich with bush birds. There were several Silvereyes and Grey Fantails along with Spotted Pardalotes, New Holland Honeyeaters and Brown Thornbills, and we spotted four Grey Teal in the creek. The road turns a corner and starts going uphill, where the eucalypts are replaced by low wattles.

New Holland Honeyeater in Coastal Banksia.

At the top of the hill was a pine tree covered in Dusky Woodswallows that appeared to be digging into the bark after food. When we retraced our steps back to the parking area we passed a Grey Shrike-thrush on the path past the sewage ponds. On the first pond we found Mallard hybrids, Chestnut Teal and Pacific Black Duck. On the edges of the second pond we saw Purple Swamphen and more ducks. We continued back to the cars around behind the ponds, finding European Goldfinches, Brown Thornbills and Superb Fairy-wrens in the bushes.Bird list: Masked Lapwing, Australian Magpie, Common Blackbird, Silvereye, Grey Fantail, Green Rosella, Grey Teal, Brown Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, New Holland Honeyeater, Yellow Wattlebird, Forest Raven, Grey Currawong, Dusky Woodswallow, Grey Shrike-thrush, Mallard hybrids, Pacific Black Duck, Chestnut Teal, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Wattlebird, Purple Swamphen, European Goldfinch, Silver gull, Superb fairy-wren.

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Eaglehawk Neck 10 April 2016Rainforest on the hill above the neck: It was cool and overcast but we were protected here from the strong winds blowing everywhere else. There were Grey Currawongs and Forest Ravens passing by; we could clearly hear the calls of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos and Crescent Honeyeaters, but were never able to see them. We did catch sight of a male Golden Whistler. Always wonderful to see.Blowhole: Leaving the rainforest, we drove on to the blowhole where the winds were gale force. A seal was swimming and catching fish next to the jetty and appeared to be attracting gulls, while Crested Tern were diving nearby. There were Crescent Honey-eaters in the bushes as we walked out to the lookout where we could see Shy Albatross on the horizon.Ruth’s Place: from the blowhole we drove back to the neck to Ruth Brozak’s place on Jetty Road where she gave us a tour of her two-hectare property. There were Superb Fairy-wrens hopping around near the back door and Green Rosellas eating apples in the orchard behind the house, while Silvereyes and Eastern Spinebills were foraging in the bushes. This was a great end to a great day.Bird list: Rainforest — Grey Currawong, Forest Raven, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Crescent Honeyeater, Brown Thornbill, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Golden Whistler, Grey Fantail, Spotted Pardalote.Blowhole — Kelp Gull, Silver Gull, White-faced Heron, Green Rosella, Grey Fantail, Crested Tern, Pacific Gull, Black-faced Cormorant, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Common Starling, Forest Raven, Shy Albatross, Crescent Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra.

Black-faced Cormorant launching off on a fishing expedition.

Ruth’s Place — Superb Fairy-wren, Brown Thornbill, Green Rosella, Common Black-bird, Eastern Spinebill, Grey Fantail, Little Wattlebird, Silvereye, Black Currawong.

Caution: Lapwings on roadMargaret Morgan, Coles Bay, via Sue Drake

Last Friday night we arrived home after a day in Hobart, just as dusk fell. On a series of vacant blocks of land and a small recreation area a couple of hundred metres from home we always see (and hear) lots of Masked Lapwings, day or evening. Although there are about 50 birds in all, they are usually in pairs, or maybe groups of 4–6, feeding busily. On Friday night they were all in one big group right on the road, their colour almost merging into the tarmac. Because wallabies often leap out onto Hazards View Drive from dusk onwards I was driving extremely slowly and managed to stop. They didn’t fly away, simply moved sideways to let me through. Not a single bird took off in their normal slightly demented fashion. Has anyone seen similar behaviour before? Does anyone have any idea why they were there or what they might have been doing? I’m hoping someone can shed some light on this occurrence. Maybe my query could go into Yellow Throat?

Indeed it could, and if anyone has seen similar occurrences, perhaps they could contact Margaret and Alan at <sheoaks.bandb@bigpond.com>. The Masked Lapwing, Vanellus miles, is described in detail, along with its behaviour, in HANZAB Volume 2: Raptors to Lapwings, Editors S. Marchant and P.J. Higgins, pp. 943–56.

Ways to spread the word...When Eric Woehler, the Convenor of Birdlife Tasmania, was in Melbourne in May for the Group Meeting of all the branches of Birdlife Australia, he talked with Allan Briggs, the secretary of Birdlife Capricornia, Queensland. The Capricorn region has just one endemic species and that is the local subspecies of Yellow Chat, the Capricorn Yellow Chat, Epthianura crocea macgregori. What Allan has to say about the chat and Birdlife Capricornia’s puppet show that publicises the bird’s plight and bird conservation generally appears on page 13 (the image of the show is courtesy Birdlife Capricornia):

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The Capricorn Yellow Chat is a Critically Endangered species with less than 250 left in several small populations. It is also the only endemic species that we have here so we have put in a considerable effort to educate local people and make them aware of the lovely little yellow bird that lives in their own back yard. To do that we developed a puppet show so that we could tell the story in an engaging and entertaining way. We have delivered the show to well over 1000 school children in 30-odd schools across the region, as well having presented the show at many community events. We have also developed a brochure that we give out at the end of the show that the kids take home with them and show their parents. At community events kids love the show and, of course, their parents come along with them so we get the message across to the parents at the same time. It has also been a good hook for getting media coverage.The guy in the funny hat is Rod Elder, who we introduce as Bird Brain, and I am behind the puppet theatre manipulating the puppets. We get the kids to sing a song to the tune of Click Go the Shears but we have changed it to Clack Go the Trains and they love that.I have attached a photo of the bird itself so that, when you travel up here from Tasmania, you will know just what to look for.

Juvenile Capricorn Yellow Chat, just a few months old. © Allan Briggs

Dr Woehler commented that such a show could readily be adapted to showcase shore-birds or some of our threatened woodland birds — Swift Parrots, Orange-bellied Parrots and Forty-spotted Pardalotes immediately spring to mind.

OBP summer monitoringfrom Andrew Walter

The Friends of the Orange-bellied Parrot are calling for expressions of interest from volunteers to monitor the wild population of this critically endangered parrot over the coming breeding season.

Wildcare members are invited to apply, as couples, to spend two weeks at Melaleuca during the season from 29 September 2016 to 10 May 2017. Couples need not be life partners.

Please read through the following Statement of Duties. If you are interested, contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Debbie Searle, by email to debbieswirling@outlook.com or by phone to 0438 609 980.

Please reply by 9 August 2016.

Statement of dutiesRequirements• Able to live in a remote SW Tasmanian environment with limited communication.• Able to accurately identify Tasmanian bird species.• Able to accurately record data on datasheets.• Have good eyesight and be able to use a spotting scope.• Have full colour vision.• Be reasonably physically fit.• Able to walk up steps and on uneven ground.• Able to carry up to 7 kg.• Be trained in Workplace Level 2 First Aid.• If hut or house accommodation is unavailable, be able to camp, potentially in bad

weather conditions.• Be prepared to adhere to the State Service Code of Conduct and Principles, as

contained in the State Service Act 2000.Major dutiesApproximately  6  hours  of  work  each  day,  including:• 2 X 2-hour sessions of observing and recording birds through a scope from a hide.• 1.5 hours of cleaning feed tables with water, detergent and bleach.• Monitoring and changing batteries and SD cards in remote cameras.• Walking up to 6 km per day between accommodation and hides.• Measuring and distributing bird seed.• Entering monitoring data into datasheets.• Daily verbal reporting to DPIPWE OBP staff.

LinksSo, we have arrived at that section of Yellow Throat where I collect a ragbag of bits and pieces that you can look up on the net. Some of these articles are important, some are

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merely entertaining. Some of them are things I’ve come across, some come from other Committee members who’ve thought that others may be interested. If you come across an article that you think we will miss otherwise, please email the link to me at: wynnew1@bigpond.com.From the ABC comes a story about rising sea levels in the Pacific:www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-07/rising-sea-levels-blamed-for-wiping-out-five-islands/7392986.Then, a couple from the Guardian (I am putting these in rough chronological order from early May to the present). First about the proposed Carmichael coal mine:http://gu.com/p/47z4x/sbl.And then ‘Australia quietly adds 49 species to threatened and endangered lists:http://gu.com/p/4tqnx/sbl.EcoCheck, the Conversation, ‘Can the Brigalow Belt bounce back?’:https://theconversation.com/ecocheck-can-the-brigalow-belt-bounce-back-57128.From Birdlife Australia on Twitter is Clarke and Dawe’s farewell to the migratory birds:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUFjk3nfnE0.This suite of programmes from the BBC is lovely fun. They travel under the collective heading, ‘Attenborough at 90’, and so you know that you’re going to have fun:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03rm66z.The ABC ran a story on Latham’s Snipe: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-12/latham-snipe-migration-project-takes-flight/7408292.A wonderful story on YouTube about ‘pop-up’ wetlands:https://youtu.be/jWxl1Z34les.BirdLife International has this sad story to tell: http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9d038fec22941c8c91b775879&id=813404a0b0&e=c5a90a0d2b.The link to Ann Jones’ ABC story ‘Flying for your life’ is here in part: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/flying-for-your-life-1/7461802.And here, in full: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-17/flying-for-your-life-ann-jones/7459288.Next is a trailer for a Pixar short film about Piper, a baby sandpiper:h t t p : / / p i x a r . w i k i a . c o m / w i k i / P i p e r ? f i l e = P i p e r _ – _ F i r s t _ L o o k _ –_Official_Disney_Pixar_HD.Robb Blakers from Wild Island has set up a photography workshop. For that and other Wild Island events, visit: http://www.wildislandtas.com.au/event/tasman-peninsula-wildlife-landscape-night-sky-photography-workshop/.Amanda Blakney emailed me to say, ‘I’m enjoying the Facebook posts about the piping plover so thought I would share. I’m not sure how they manage impacts from disturbance with the publicity and photos, but they have stable, increasing population of plovers now: https://www.facebook.com/ploverlovers/.Excitingly, this came to my attention: http://www.birdlife.org/americas/news/spix%E2%80%99s-macaw-reappears-brazil.

Finally, from Amanda Blakney again on 5 July: http://www.heritage-expeditions.com/captains-blog/unknown-breeding-ground-spoonbilled-sandpiper-located-expedition/.She says, ‘I will never ever forget the presentation at the shorebird conference in 2003 about the Spoonbilled Sandpiper and the photos of the fluff-ball chicks with little mini-spoonbills sticking out from the fluff. One of the loveliest things I have ever seen. Birds Tasmania sent me to that conference as a student!!

Gull count curiosityAmanda Blakney

This is from a newspaper dated January 1893! I was looking at my family history and just came across this; we might get some interesting results but I don’t know if we will make the paper!

SEAGULLS ASHORE. — A curious sight was to be seen in the Domain yesterday morning, just above the Railway Station, some hundred or more of seagulls quietly picking about on the grass after the manner of land birds. They presented a pretty spectacle, with their pure white and grey plumage, and seemed quite at home and enjoying the change. This unusual appearance was no doubt connected with the heavy rain storm, and probably indicative of further stormy weather.

Silver Gull in balletic pose (OK, so it’s preening, but it looks balletic). © Judy Bills14

Grey Plovers travelling and at their breeding groundsThe following emails and articles have been reproduced almost exactly as they have come in to Dr Eric Woehler from members of the Victorian Wader Study Group and the South Australian organisation, Friends of Shorebirds SE, and disseminated through Birdlife Australia. They plot the highs and lows of tracking several Grey Plovers from where we left them in the last issue of Yellow Throat to the breeding grounds in Siberia.

AWSG Grey Plover update No. 6, 4 May 2016Yellow Sea is for sure the main stop-overBoth Nad (LLJ) and Charlie (LLK) are now in the Yellow Sea area.

Nad has been stationary in southern Bohai Bay since its arrival on 25th April. It has, however, been actively roaming around the mudflat and aquaculture ponds in that area, presumably using the extensive ponds along the coast as high-tide roosting sites. We anticipate it could start migrating again at any moment after stopping-over for 10 days.

Figure 1: Nad’s local movement in southern Bohai Bay.

Charlie is now only 360 km south-east of Nad. In the past 2 days it has made a 930km due north migration from Zhejiang and is now in Qingdao City, Shandong Province in the Yellow Sea area. From satellite image, the stop-over location doesn’t look too good a feeding site for a Grey Plover as it is a container port. Hopefully Charlie will be able to find a good piece of wetland in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the two Grey Plover carrying satellite transmitters put on by Maureen

Christie in South Australia (CYA and CYB) are also still in the Yellow Sea area. It will be interesting to see if they leave the Yellow Sea first to continue their northward migration before the birds from Broome, as they have arrived in the area some two to three weeks earlier.

Figure 2 (top): Charlie’s stop-over at Qingdao; and Figure 3 (above): Locations of Broome and South Australian Grey Plover in the Yellow Sea area.

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The migration route of our birds is shown in the map below:

Figure 4: Ecosure (white), Mymi (red), Nad (blue) and Charlie (orange).

Distance travelled by our Grey Plover since departing Broome:

Name Leg  Flag Distance  travelled

Ecosure LLA 4650  km

Mymi LLH 4300  km

Nad LLJ 6800  km

Charlie LLK 6350  km

The Grey Plover project team: Katherine Leung; Clive Minton; Ken Gosbell; Chris Hassell; Grace Maglio; Inka Veltheim; Maureen Christie.

AWSG Grey Plover update No. 8, 15 May 2016

Charlie is ahead of the gameIn the past few days, Charlie has migrated 340 km further north. Now Charlie and Nad are both in Bohai Bay, while Charlie is now at a location even further north than Nad, who has been at Bohai for more than 20 days.

It is of interest to study the following table (right-hand column, top) and compare the migration journeys of Nad and Charlie.

Nad Charlie

Date  of  DeparCng  Broome 11  April  (night) 12  April  (midnight)

Date  arriving  China 16  April 16  AprilNo.  of  days  spent  in  1st  stop-­‐over  site

2  (inland) 5  (coastal)

No.  of  days  spent  in  2nd  stop-­‐over  site

1  (inland) 4  (coastal)

No.  of  days  spent  in  3rd  stop-­‐over  site

1  (coastal) 3  (coastal)

Date  arriving  Yellow  Sea 23rd  Apr   4th  MayNo.  of  days  spent  in  4th  stop-­‐over  site

21  (coastal)5  (coastal)

No.  of  days  spent  in  current  loca?on

21  (coastal)2  (coastal)

Distance  travelled 6810  km 6720  kmDisplacement  from  Broome 6280  km 6350  km

Figure 1: Charlie on the release day in Broome. © Nigel Jackett16

Looks like Nad had used a ‘quick moving strategy’ to get to the Yellow Sea area as soon as possible, while Charlie spent a bit longer time fuelling up before moving to the next stop. We can see although it has taken more time for Charlie to arrive at its current location in Bohai Bay, it has actually travelled a shorter distance than Nad but made a greater displacement from their starting point in Broome. What will be their next move?

Figure 2 (top): Nad’s and Charlie’s migration routes in China; and Figure 3 (above): Map of migration routes — Ecosure (white), Mymi (red), Nad (blue) and Charlie (orange)

Distance travelled by our Grey Plover since departing Broome:

Name Leg  Flag Distance  travelled

Ecosure LLA 4650  km

Mymi LLH 4300  km

Nad LLJ 6810  km

Charlie LLK 6720  km

The Grey Plover project team: Katherine Leung; Clive Minton; Ken Gosbell; Chris Hassell; Grace Maglio; Inka Veltheim; Maureen Christie.

AWSG Grey Plover update No. 10, 30 May 2016

Check-in at the Arctic Circle!Nad and Charlie are both in the Arctic Circle!

Figure 1: Nad’s and Charlie’s migration route to the Arctic Circle.

Nad has made an additional 2690 km flight in the past 2 days reaching the north-east part of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic in Russia. It has been travelling quite fast with average speed of 52 km/h, which could possibly be as a result of getting a favourable wind direction.Figure 2 (see top of page 18): Nad’s landing location in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia.

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A closer look at Nad’s landing location suggests that it is an area with streams leading from mountains in the west to a main river in the east.

On the other hand, Charlie has made another 600 km move over the past 48 hours and landed in an area surrounded by lakes.

Figure 3: Charlie’s landing location.

We are yet to know whether these two locations are Nad’s and Charlie’s final breeding sites. In the coming days when we have received enough data to observe their ‘local movement’ patterns, we’ll be able to confirm whether they are nesting or not.

The migration route of our birds is shown in the map in figure 4.

Figure 4: Ecosure (white), Mymi (red), Nad (blue) and Charlie (orange).

Distance travelled by our Grey Plover since departing Broome:

Name Leg  Flag Distance  travelled

Ecosure LLA 4650  km

Mymi LLH 4  300  km

Nad LLJ 10325  km

Charlie LLK 10405  km

The Grey Plover project team: Katherine Leung; Clive Minton; Ken Gosbell; Chris Hassell; Grace Maglio; Inka Veltheim; Maureen Christie.

Update on SA Grey Plovers CYA and CYB, 7 June 2016Both plovers on Wrangel IslandGREY PLOVER CYAGrey Plover CYA has flown some 1330 km east from its last position, south-east of Yana Bay (received 4 June) to reach Wrangel Island on 6 June.

CYA left its mainland Chinese stopover site offshore of Jiangsu province, mainland 18

China, about 180 km north of Shanghai after 28 May.This bird had previously spent over fifty days on the extensive tidal flats offshore of

Jiangsu province, mainland China, about 180 km north of Shanghai, after making an initial landfall in Taiwan. In the lead up to its departure, storm systems in the South China Sea may have created unfavourable easterly winds. As this storm system cleared, south-westerlies appear to have provided more favourable conditions for migration.

Since leaving Thompson Beach in South Australia on 14 March 2016, Plover CYA has travelled over 14,510 km, with its longest non-stop flight being 7270 km over seven days from Thompson Beach to Taiwan.

Figure 1: Positions of Grey Plovers CYA and CYB on Wrangel Island, 7 June 2016.

GREY PLOVER CYB As of positions received on 5 June, Grey Plover CYB has made a 730 km flight to Wrangel Island in the in the Arctic Ocean. After reaching the Siberian Coast on 3 June, CYB appears to have made only a brief stay of up to seven hours in the Kolyma Gulf near Nizhnekolymskiy u. Sakha Republic of Russia, 86 km west of Ambarchik.

CYB has travelled over 4835 km since leaving its last major stop-over in northern Bohai Bay, China, on 27 May. The plover had a significant stop-over of at least 43 days in northern Bohai Bay.

Since leaving Thompson Beach in South Australia on 24 March 2016, Plover CYB has travelled over 13,595 km, with its longest non-stop flight being 7090 km over at least 9 days from Thompson Beach to Fujian province in mainland China.

Figure 2: Detailed view of CYA’s and CYB’s positions, 7 June 2016.

Summary of migration from Thompson BeachGREY PLOVER CYB (Probably female, DNA sampling inconclusive)Departed Thompson Beach 24 March.

From Thompson Beach, the bird tracked north-west over the Australian central deserts and on the afternoon of the 26 March was just west of Bathurst Island, west of Darwin, headed north and, as of evening of 28 March, was just east of Luzon Island in the Philippines.

First Landfall: After a 7090 km non-stop flight, arrived Chinese mainland after 2 April, in estuary near Ningde, on the north-eastern coast of Fujian province. CYB stayed at this location up to 3 days.

Second Stop: 5 April after a 440 km flight, located Hangzhou; Bay departed after 7 April. Stayed at this location up to 2 days.

Third Stop: Travelled 775 km across the Shandong Peninsula and on 9 April was located in the Laizhou Bay, Bohai Sea, near Changyi, a county-level city of Weifang in the north-west corner of Shandong Province. Bohai Bay is a key staging area for shorebirds prior to their continuing their migration to the arctic breeding grounds. Stayed at this location at least 2 days, departing sometime after 11 April.

Fourth Stop: On 16 April was near tidal flats and fish farms in the north of Bohai Sea at Liaodong Bay about 35 km south-east of the city of Jinzhou in Liaoning Province after

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flying 445 km north-north-east across Bohai Bay. This stop-over was located about 35 km south-east of the city of Jinzhou in Liaoning Province. Stayed at this location at least 43 days.

China to Russia Flight: CYB left northern Bohai Bay 27 May, flying in a north-easterly direction inland over the steppes.

Fifth Stop, Russian Landfall: By 3 June, some 7 days after departing Bohai Bay in China, CYB had flown 3572 km to reach the Russian Coast in the Kolyma Gulf of the East Siberian Sea near Nizhnekolymskiy u. Sakha Republic Russia, 86 km west of Ambarchik. CYB appears to have made only a brief stay of up to seven hours.

Current Location: As of positions received on 5 June, Grey Plover CYB has made a 730 km flight from Kolyma Bay to Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean.

Approximate distance travelled to date = 13,595 km from Thompson Beach since 24 March 2016.

Longest Non-stop Flight: Thompson Beach to Fujian province = 7090 km over at least 9 days.

Next Destination: Arctic bound to the breeding grounds.China to Russia Flight: CYB has travelled over 4835 km since leaving its last major

stop-over in northern Bohai Bay to reach Wrangel Island in the East Siberian Sea.Longest Stop-over since Thompson Beach: At least 43 days in northern Bohai Bay,

China.Next Destination: Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean may be CYB’s breeding

location.

GREY PLOVER CYA (Female from DNA testing of feather)Departed Thompson Beach 14 March.

From Thompson Beach flew north-north-west across Australia, passing over the central deserts, and then turned north, passing east of Kununurra in Western Australia and out over the Timor, Banda and Molucca Seas over Indonesia and continued flying over the Philippine islands of Mindanao, Samar, Catanduanes and east of Luzon.

First Landfall: Arrived in Taiwan on 20 March after a long-haul 7340 km flight. Stop-over near the Beigang River north of Dongshi township. The Beigang Estuary is a Taiwanese wetland of national importance. Departed Taiwan after 2 April. Stayed at this location 14 days.

Second Stop: After a 1035 km flight, arrived mainland China by 5 April on the Jiangsu coast of the Yellow Sea, on the extensive tidal flats offshore of Dongtai city in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, about 180 km north of Shanghai. Still in this location. Has been in this location 54 days as of 28 May.

Current Location: Left China after 28 May, flying in a north-north-easterly direction and then may have rested for a short period some 290 km south-east of Yana Bay in the Laptev Sea. CYA then headed east 1335 km to Wrangel Island, arriving after 6 June.

Grey Plover CYA has flown some 6140 km from her last major stop-over in China.Approximate Distance Travelled to Date: Over 14,510 km from Thompson Beach on

14 March 2016.Longest Non-stop Flight: Thompson Beach to Taiwan = 7270 km.

Next Destination: Wrangel Island, Arctic Ocean, may be CYB’s breeding location.

Figure 3: Path of the full migration flights to 7 June 2016 of Grey Plovers CYA and CYB.

Map data courtesy Victorian Wader Study Group & Friends of Shorebirds SE.http://www.vwsg.org.au/Grey-Plover-tracking.html

Update 10 June 2016Clive Minton, Maureen Christie, Katherine Leung, on behalf of the Grey Plover Satellite Transmitter Project Teams of the Australasian Wader Studies Group (Broome Birds) and

the FOSSE team (South Australian birds)This is one of the most memorable days in forty years of wader migration studies. All four of the remaining satellite-tagged Grey Plovers have reached their breeding grounds in Siberia! Who would have believed this successful outcome was possible just a few weeks ago when we were losing contact with several birds as they reached China?

Over the last few days all four individuals — two from South Australia and two from NW Australia — have flown virtually non-stop some 3000 km from stop-over locations in the Yellow Sea to breeding locations in Arctic Siberia. The two birds from Broome have finished up close to the coast at locations about 500 km apart close to the north coast of Yakutia.

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Figure 1: Broome birds’ breeding locations in northern Yakutia.

Figure 2: Charlie’s likely nesting location (circled in red) in Northern Yakutia.

The two birds from South Australia initially touched down in the same areas but then, after a short stop, both proceeded to fly out over the Arctic Ocean to Wrangel Island —71 degrees north, some 200 km north of the Chukotka Peninsula in north-east Siberia.

These are the first birds of any species from Australia that have been known to visit this remote Arctic island.

Figure 3: Track of the South Australian birds to Wrangel Island via the Yellow Sea.

It is interesting that quite a number of species of waterfowl (e.g. Snow Geese) and waders breeding on Wrangel Island are known to migrate to Alaska and the North American continent. In many ways, therefore, Wrangel Island has more affinities ornithologically with Alaska than with Siberia. On the other hand, it is well known as an important breeding area for Grey Plovers, and these two records indicate that at least some of these come from nonbreeding areas in Australasia. It is also particularly interesting that, in a paper published nearly twenty years ago analysing the biometrics of Australasian Grey Plover, it was speculated that birds wintering in south-east Australia

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may well come from breeding grounds on Wrangel Island! (Minton, C.D.T. & L. Serra, 2001, ‘Biometrics and moult of Grey Plovers, Pluvialis squatarola, in Australia’, Emu, 101:13–18.)

Figure 4: Breeding Locations of SA Grey Plovers on Wrangel Island.

Figure 5 (bottom left): Grey Plover on Wrangel Island. Courtesy of State Nature Reserve, Wrangel Island.

Figure 6: Wrangel Island in June (summer). © Robert Mock

So now, after weeks of nail-biting as the Grey Plover carrying satellite transmitters migrated northwards from Australia to, and through, the Yellow Sea, we finally have the principal answers we wanted from this project. We know the breeding locations of four birds and we now also know that the migration route to these from the Yellow Sea was directly across Siberia and achieved without any significant intermediate stop-overs. With all four birds having reached their breeding locations in the first week of June they are well placed for a successful breeding season should local weather and feeding conditions permit this.

It is also interesting that the birds with the most southerly nonbreeding area (the South Australian birds) finished up at the northernmost breeding locations. This ‘leap-frog’ migration pattern is recorded quite commonly in waders (and many other species).

We can now expect a period of several weeks with no further significant movements of these birds. Let us hope that their satellite transmitters continue to operate and that we are ultimately able to obtain similar detailed information on the birds’ southward migration.

Thank you again enormously to all those who have contributed to these Grey Plover satellite transmitter projects over the past year (two years in South Australia). It is really pleasing that your efforts and perseverance have now paid off so handsomely. Thank you

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also to those who have provided funding (at $5000 for each satellite transmitter + $1000–2000 for Argus satellite downloading time for each unit). The funding for the South Australian Project was provided by Tony Flaherty, Manager, Coast and Marine, Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges, and the funding for the Broome birds came from many individuals through a Birdlife Australia crowd-funding project, from the NWA 2016 Wader Expedition and from another generous individual donor.

AWSG Grey Plover Update No. 11, 11 June 2016Breeding locations confirmed!Over the past week, both Nad and Charlie have settled down near the northern coast of Sakha (Yakutia) Republic and we could now finally confirm that they are at their breeding sites.

Figure 1: Nad’s breeding location near Lake Bustakh in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia.

Nad’s breeding location is just 35 km from the north coast of Sakha Republic, very close to a large freshwater lake called Lake Bustakh.

About 600 km away, Charlie is breeding at a relatively more inland location about 75 km from the coast. The breeding site is surrounded by three small lakes with areas less than 1 sq. km close to a river about 3 km to the west.

They are likely to stay around the breeding location with no significant movements in several weeks time. We hope that the transmitters will continue to operate and show us their southward migration journey.

On the other hand we have also received good news from CYA and CYB, the South Australian Grey Plover carrying satellite transmitters put on by Maureen Christie and the

FoSSE team. Although they spent their nonbreeding season further south than Nad and Charlie in South Australia, CYA and CYB are now breeding further north on Wrangel Island, sharing the area with Snow Goose, Reindeer and many other arctic wildlife. (See figure 4, 10 June update, page 22.)

Figure 2: Charlie’s breeding location in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia.

AWSG Grey Plover Update No. 12, 19 June 2016Missing Nad…Euphoria doesn’t last long! Our champagne glasses were barely dry when we stopped receiving new signals from Nad’s satellite transmitter. We don’t know whether some harm has come to the bird on the breeding grounds or whether it is another case of the mysterious cessation of a satellite transmitter soon after the completion of a long-leg of the migratory journey. It is even possible that mating of the Grey Plover on the breeding grounds has led to some displacement of the transmitter...

Nevertheless, Nad has already brought us lots of valuable information about the migration journey of its kind and we can well say that it is a ‘mission completed’. Thank you Nad!

While Charlie’s transmitter continues to send back high accuracy signals, as the quantity of data increases through time, we can eventually pinpoint the exact nesting location. The accuracy of each signal can be graded from lower to higher accuracy. After overlapping the ‘potential area’ covered by the signals, we can locate the nesting area.

In the next update, we will bring you a summary reviewing the journey of both Nad and Charlie. Stay tuned!

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BirdLife Tasmania Directory 2016–17GPO Box 68, Hobart 7001

www.birdlife.org.au/tasmania

Chair Dr Eric Woehler <eric.woehler@gmail.com> 0438204565Secretary Sue Drake <secretary.birdlife.tasmania@gmail.com> 62391468 and 0402741399Treasurer Allan Patman <allor04@gmail.com> 62663673 and 0448429204Excursions M. Duffy 62750832 <maurdy@intas.net.au>, J. Holmes,

M. McKerracher; L. Znidersic <lizzie_z@hotmail.com> 0409123322Shorebird Count CoordinatorsSouth-east S. Drake <tasmania@birdlife.org.au> 62391468 and 0402741399

Dr E. Woehler <eric.woehler@gmail.com> 0438204565East L. Znidersic <lizzie_z@hotmail.com> 0409123322North and NE R. Cooper <rabacooper@bigpond.com> 63301255North-west H. Britton <hazpet@bigpond.com> 64252785Database c/- The Secretary, GPO Box 68, Hobart 7001

<tasmania@birdlife.org.au>Systematic Report 2014–15 to be compiled by committee chaired by Mike Newman.Editor Wynne Webber <wynnew1@bigpond.com> 62674963 (Yellow Throat

and Tasmanian Bird Report)Library c/- The Secretary, GPO Box 68, Hobart 7001Equipment c/- The Secretary, GPO Box 68, Hobart 7001

Yellow Throat is produced every alternate month beginning in January. Contributions, including articles, sightings, bird-watching sites, letters and news, are welcome, and will be published subject to space and interest or relevance to BirdLife Tasmania members, at the Editor’s discretion. Views expressed in Yellow Throat are not necessarily those of BirdLife Tasmania, or of the Editor, unless explicitly stated.All images that appear in Yellow Throat are, unless acknowledged otherwise, © Dr Eric J Woehler, and remain his property.

Maps drawn from the BirdLife Tasmania database remain © BirdLife Tasmania.Please make use of our material, but we ask that you acknowledge BirdLife Tasmania

as the source.

We thank the office of Mr Andrew Wilkie, MHR, for assisting in the production of Yellow Throat 88.

BirdLife Tasmania is a regional branch of BirdLife Australia.

TASMANIA

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Meredith River Bird SanctuaryMeredith River Bird Sanctuary

TASMANIA

Shorebirds live on most of the beaches in and around Dolphin Sands and Swansea. One particularly important area for the shorebirds is the Meredith River mouth area, which you can see, just south of where you are standing now.

Programme

Great Oyster Bay

MeredithRiver

SwanseaSHAW STREET

TASMAN HIGHWAY

Meredith Bridge

Meredith RiverBird Sanctuary

You are here

Many different species of breeding resident and migratory shorebirds feed in the Meredith River Bird Sanctuary area, including the following threatened species; Curlew Sandpiper, Eastern Curlew, Fairy Tern and Hooded Plover.Shorebirds can breed from October to March so this is when you can help them. During the breeding season, people walking and riding bikes, dogs, horses and cats can disturb the breeding shorebirds, damage their eggs and kill their chicks. YOU CAN HELP TO PREVENT THIS BY REMEMBERING:• To walk and ride on the wet sand so as not disturb the breeding

birds on the upper part of the beach.

A changing river mouthThe landscape of the Meredith River Bird Sanctuary area often changes due to tides and weather events such as floods.

• To keep your pet cat inside, don’t let it wander.• The Meredith River Bird Sanctuary is a Dog Prohibited Area

as per the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council Dog Management Policy, meaning dogs are prohibited at all times. However, dogs can be walked on a lead along the tideline in front of the Meredith River Bird Sanctuary to enable access between Nine Mile Beach and Swansea.

Photographs © Eric Woehler, BirdLife Tasmania Glamorgan Spring Bay Council is a member of the South East Regional Shorebird Alliance

Hooded Plover egg and chicks

Hooded Plovers

Pied Oystercatcher with chick

WATCH YOUR STEP during breeding season. Shorebird eggs and chicks are well camouflaged with their surroundings. Birds nest on the dry sand above the high tide line, this is why it is important to walk and ride on the wet sand.

DOGS OFF LEAD CAN DISTURB SHOREBIRDSAND TAKE EGGS AND CHICKS.

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Birdlife Tasmania Excursions — Southern Tasmania, 2016

All excursions take from 2 to 3 hours unless otherwise stated.

Sunday, 17/07/2016 Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens — meet at main entrance, 8.30 a.m. Ring Maureen on 6275 0832 or 0409 253 834.

Saturday, 20/08/2016 Goulds Lagoon — meet at lagoon car park, 8.30 a.m. Ring Maureen on 6275 0832 or 0409 253 834.

Saturday, 10/09/2016 Inverawe Gardens ($10.00 entry fee) — meet at car park next to Margate Train, 8.30 a.m. Ring Maureen beforehand on 6275 0832 or 0409 253 834 for an idea of numbers.

Sunday, 25/09/2016 Coningham Nature Reserve — meet at Denison Street car park, Kingston, 8.30 a.m. to car pool. Ring Andrew on 6229 6609.

Saturday, 08/10/2016 Peter Murrell Reserve — meet at Huntingfield Avenue entrance, 8.30 a.m. Ring Denis on 6223 1221.

Sunday, 23/10/2016 Kaoota Tramway — meet at Denison Street car park, Kingston, 8.30 a.m. to car pool. Ring Andrew on 6229 6609.

Saturday, 05/11/2016 Calverts and Clear Lagoons — meet at car park opposite Sorell Police Station at 8.30 a.m. to car pool. Ring Maureen on 6275 0832 or 0409 253 834.

Sunday, 20/11/2016 Lake Dulverton, Oatlands — meet at Granton Reserve car park at 8.30 a.m. to car pool. Ring Maureen on 6275 0832 or 0409 253 834.

Saturday, 05/12/2016 Peter Murrell Reserve — meet at Huntingfield Avenue entrance car park, 8.30 a.m. Ring Maureen on 6275 0832 or 0409 253 834.

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