As a comment to Ian's remarks below, Lake Gregory which a team of us
with Outback Track Tours visited in July, was awash with birds -
thousands and thousands as far as the eye could see. Following the 2002
cyclone which had drenched the area and turned the usual salt lake into
a real inland sea. No doubt many of our missing eastern birds are out
there enjoying the bonanza.
Ian May wrote:
g'Day all
Be alert but not too alarmed about the reported low numbers of
waterbirds in east coast drought areas. The current situation is
almost certainly no more than a cyclic and temporary event.
Before we forecast imminent global crisis and extinction, we need to
benchmark what is normal. The described survey period of only 20
years commenced in the early 1980's, following a period of unusually
wet years when waterbird populations were at an abnormal high. Again
in the late 80's there was a big wet across the inland.
Since the intense cyclones of last summer, areas of NW Australia are
wetter than usual and many waterbirds will be concentrated there.
As most of us know, most waterbirds have a high reproductive potential
and in good seasons, so long as habitat is protected, their
populations will restore not withstanding other limiting factors.
Regards
Ian May
Price South Australia
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