Hi Everyone,
Yesterday I was leading three tinnies on a shorebird roost run up the
Pumicestone Passage (SEQld, separates Bribie Is from the mainland).
This is a regular run involving the Caloundra and Caboolture local
government authorities. They provide boats and drivers and council
people keen to learn, and with another shorebird specialist, I guide
them through the labyrinth of mangrove-lined channels, covering about
10 or so roosts, where we conduct counts for the Qld Wader Study Group.
There are so many places to go that we have to go in different
directions here and there to cover all the roosts on the same tide. The
purpose of taking non-environmental officers along is to show them the
possible unconsidered effects of the planning or development decisions
which they may make at their desks.
But yesterday my faithful shorebird offsider had a clash of commitments
at the last moment, and I was reduced to sending to a couple of roosts
two council people who were unable to identify all the species,
especially the small species. Keen, but not experienced enough yet.
Suddenly I thought if they could photograph any birds they were unsure
of, I could ID them later, as long as they got the numbers. And it
worked! It meant I had to have faith that they wouldn't trip with a
couple of thousand dollars worth of my photographic equipment, but they
are careful people. The terrain is wetland at high tide.
So it makes me realise that people doing shorebird surveys don't really
have to be conversant with all the species as long as they have a
decent camera. Last night I was able to establish that they had
Greenshank in the flock of 200 Eastern Curlew which they found. And
that the "Red-necked Stint" was in fact a female Red-capped Plover.
I was really stoked, and I mention it in case any of you finds yourself
in the same situation sometime.
Cheers,
Jill
--
Jill Dening
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
26° 51' 41"S 152° 56' 00"E
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