FW: 2012 Bird Count

["Geoffrey Dabb" <>]

For info

 

From: John Barkla [
Sent: Thursday, 6 December 2012 10:44 AM
To: John Barkla
Subject: 2012 Bird Count

 

This year’s bird count was conducted on Sunday 2 December 2012 in our regular area, which is defined as everything within a 25 kilometre radius from Werribee. 

 

Our principal efforts are always in:

·         You Yangs Regional Park;

·         Serendip Sanctuary (wild birds only);

·         Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant;

·         Werribee River Park and adjacent sites (Werribee South & Werribee Park Mansion);

·         The Spit State Nature Conservation Reserve;

·         Cheetham Salt Avalon Operations (this is the last year we will be referring to it by that name as ownership has changed and it is subject to a development proposal);

·         Point Cook Coastal Park; and

·         various sites around Altona (including Kororoit Creek, Jawbone Reserve & Mount St Joseph’s pond).

 

This year our count team comprised:

• John Barkla (leader)

·         Stuart Dashper

• Paul Dodd
• Chris Lester
• Rosemary Lester
• Elizabeth Lloyd

·         Fiona Parkin

·         Jenny Spry

• Alison Street
• Ruth Woodrow

·         Jim Wright

 

As in prior years, the count commenced from midnight on Saturday in the You Yangs.  This year we finished 2 hours earlier than usual, concluding at 7.00pm on Sunday. 

 

Every area we counted had good numbers of birds, reflecting the excellent conditions now prevailing in Victoria and the surge in breeding activity which occurred after two years of flooding in central Australia.  We recorded 96 species in the You Yangs by midday, which is only 9 fewer than the record of 105 we recorded last year.  We recorded 125 species at the Western Treatment Plant (WTP) and 80 species in the adjoining Werribee River Park (which until a few years ago was part of the WTP).  When the WTP and Werribee River Park lists are combined, we recorded 136 species in an area of  only 11,500 hectares.  This would compare favourably with any other area in Australia of similar size. 

 

Of the major bird groups:

·         Waterfowl numbers were apparently down on last year (from 40,500 to 31,500) and wader numbers also appeared to be down (from 9,800 to 6,600) – this may not represent a true decline but rather our difficulty each year in estimating numbers with accuracy and consistency, due to the count being undertaken by a small number of observers and being confined to a single day.

·         Raptor numbers and diversity were consistent with last year.

·         Gulls and terns were well represented in number and diversity – with 5,500 terns of seven species. 

 

As I have reported for the last few years, during the most recent decades the species counts have been consistently higher than those of earlier decades.  In the 10 years from 1991 to 2000, the average number of species counted was 154.  In the following decade from 2001 to 2010 the average increased to 169 and for the first two years of this new decade we have achieved an average of 186.  I have speculated that the increasing numbers have been attributable, in part, to better coverage by counters (undoubtedly true with more counters), but also to birds being attracted to the globally important wetlands within the count area during the previous period of extreme dryness.  Last year I concluded that our high count reflected the fact that bird numbers had rebounded due to the breeding that had occurred over a huge area of inland and coastal Australia following the widespread rain and flooding and consequent improvement in conditions.  This remains true again this year and it will be interesting to see what happens if we return to a period of extended dryness.

   

Some highlights of the count this year were -

1)    We recorded our first Great Knots since 1986 and our first Song Thrush since 2002.

2)    We missed a number of species which we knew to be in our area (Cattle Egret, Nankeen Kestrel, Black Falcon & Brolga - all of which we saw during our reconnaissance visits over the previous two days, Blue-winged Parrot, which was seen by other observers on the count day and Golden Whistler which we have not missed in 25 years) and yet we still recorded our second highest count.  If these six species had been seen our total would have been 191 – making the magical 200 almost possible. 

3)    As I said last year, we saw more than 20% of Australia’s bird species and approximately 55,000 individuals (2011 70,000) within 40 minutes drive of a city of 4+ million people in an area of only 25 kilometres radius: that in my view puts our area on a level comparable with anything else in the country and many other parts of the world .

4)    In recent years I have been reporting that a few species are obviously increasing in number in our area. 

a)    Brush Bronzewings seem to have been transformed from a rare bird (in our area) to one we can expect to record each year.  We did not record this species during the 16 years from 1974 to 1989.  We recorded it four times in the next 16 years to 2005, but since then we have recorded it five times in seven years, with our highest count of 16 this year.   

b)    Cape Barren Geese were only recorded twice in the 20 years to 1994, but increased steadily between 2002 and 2009.  Since the high of 90 in 2009, numbers have fluctuated and this year we recorded 33;

c)    Black Kites were only recorded once in the 20 years to 1994 and from 2002 had been increasing to a high of 17 in 2010.  Since then numbers have been relatively constant;

d)    Crested Pigeons were not recorded in the 26 years before 2000, but have increased enormously since then.  This year’s count was 102 (2011 76); and

e)    Rainbow Lorikeets continue to expand their range.  We recorded our first in 1998 and have recorded them in 6 of the past 8 years.

Finally, it was another year when we could not find some species.  All of these species used to be regularly recorded, but have now either disappeared or become very rare in the area we cover (last record during a count is in brackets) -

1. Eastern Curlew (2003)
2. Grey-tailed Tattler (1991)
3. Lesser Sand Plover (1989)
4. Greater Sand Plover (1986)
5. Brown Treecreeper (1980)
6. Hooded Robin (1995)

As in previous years, I am indebted to a number of people who provide assistance by allowing access to the sites we visit.  For helping me with the necessary access approvals and keys, I would particularly like to thank -    

1. Brendan O’Dowd of Cheetham Salt;
2. John Argote & Bernie McCarrick of Parks Victoria, based at Point Cook Coastal Park;
3. Mark Urquhart, Judy Locke and Mike Frislie of Parks Victoria, based in the You Yangs Regional Park;
4. Ruth Woodrow of Parks Victoria, based at Serendip Sanctuary; and
5. Peter Gall, William Steele and Ben Pratt of Melbourne Water.

Thank you to each of the participants for a prodigious effort, particularly Chris Lester for coordinating the count in the You Yangs Regional Park.

 

I would also like to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution made to these counts over many years by Fred Smith, who in his 90^th year was unable to participate this year.

 

I have attached 2 Excel Spreadsheets which give the results of this year's count and summarize all counts since 1974 (my first).  If anyone would like more information please let me know.

 

John Barkla

179 Victoria Parade

FITZROY   VIC   3065

Mobile 0417 382 966

 

2012 Bird Count.xls
Description: MS-Excel spreadsheet

Bird Counts 1974 to 2012.xls
Description: MS-Excel spreadsheet

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