Howdy All
Just a quick note to inform everyone that Banded Stilts are vacating Lake
Eyre NP and turning up in former haunts further south. As you may be aware
20,000 pair nested on Ibis Island in Lake Eyre North this year (July)and
hatched out about 40-50,000 young. The young have fledged now and since the
lake is drying back quite quickly it is time for the stilts to move on.
I saw six Banded Stilts on the shore of Spencer Gulf at Port Augusta last
week (6/9/00). These were the first Banded Stilts to be seen there since
they departed in response to heavy rains last February.
More significant was the report from birdo Tony Russell of "hundreds and
hundreds (maybe thousands)" on Penrice Saltfields near Adelaide on 10/9/00.
He also reported that the majority of them were juveniles, with
approximately 30% being adults.
As a ranger with NPWSA part of my job is to keep in touch with local and
interstate birdos (and I encourage others to do the same) in order to keep a
handle on Banded Stilt movement away from Lake Eyre. It is important that we
keep close tabs on the stilts from now on. That is, identifying the wetlands
they visit, arrival and departure dates and in what numbers. What is the
percentage ratio of adults to immatures? Keep a lookout for yellow leg
flagged birds which were banded at Lake Ballard in WA some years ago (there
were a few nesting at Lake Eyre) etc.
I will be most appreciative of any reports of Banded Stilts from this point
of time onwards. I figure the Birds Australia Chatline is the ideal medium
for me to stay in touch and informed as to what the stilts are doing-with
help from all of you of course. I guess it will be like a Banded Stilt
hotline.
Well thats it for now. Thanking you in advance for your observations.
Regards
Chris Baxter
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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