Whimbrel migration into NW Australia update

People says “Life is like a roller coaster with ups and downs”. This also applies to our Whimbrel satellite tracking project.

Hurray to KU’s return to Australia after its more than 19,800km migration journey of 195 days to and from the breeding ground! KU departed its breeding ground around mid-July, after making 3 stops in Northern China, Sulawesi in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, it arrived Australia Mainland on 29-Oct-17.

View the whole story, download the pdf..

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

Reunion on the way home

Last but not least our last Whimbrel KU decided to move south after staying at the Yellow Sea for 50

days! And even more interesting it decided to join KS in South East Sulawesi!

To a surprise, KU joined KS to stop-over at South-east Sulawesi, they are only 60km apart from each

other at the moment! It is amazing to see these 2 birds once again utilizing similar stop-over site.

Follow the link through to update 14 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

Position Vacancy – Broome Bird Observatory

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

STOP THE PRESS!

KU has continued it’s southward migration after a 50 day pit stop in Liaoning Province!

It has flown for 4 days and has just recently covered the west coast of the Philippines.

 

 

 

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

Detour Before Home

About 2 weeks ago when we were all expecting KS to be back home to Broome soon, it again

surprised us with another detour.

On 12-Sep, after flying 6 days non-stop from North Korea for nearly 4,900km, KS suddenly made a

north-east turn before heading offshore from South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Within 6 hours, KS again

travelled at its maximum speed of 55km/h for 330km to arrive at a reef area in South East Sulawesi.

Let’s not forget KU, the other successful runner returning from the breeding ground, has stayed at

Yingkou, Liaoning Province for 50 days!

Follow the link through to update 13 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

Collaborative conservation in the Republic of Korea

In late May, representatives from BirdLife Australia and BirdLife International hosted Indigenous Yawuru and Murujuga Rangers from Broome and Karratha, academics from Deakin University and representatives of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership and Woodside Energy, in a visit to South Korea.  While there, they witnessed first-hand, the conservation work being conducted to preserve the intertidal mudflats of the Geum Estuary as well as the destruction of muddy shorelines.

The aim of the visit was to complement research and share advice with Seocheon County and the South Korean government on shorebird management in the Geum Estuary, the most important site in South Korea, which supports 90,000 migrating shorebirds, including many displaced from reclaimed areas.

Find out more about the Geum Estuary Project and conservation efforts here.

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

The East Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership – Position Vacancy for Chief Executive

The East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership is seeking a Chief Executive to lead and supervise the work and operations of its international Secretariat, based in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

The Chief Executive leads a six-person Secretariat that supports the East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), a 35-member, informal and voluntary initiative to conserve migratory waterbirds and their habitats in the 22 countries of the Flyway. More information can be found on the EAAFP website at www.eaaflyway.net/position-vacant-chief-executive/.

 

Hunter Valley Shorebird Workshops

Make sure you attend Birdlife Australia’s Hunter Valley Shorebird Workshops on the 6th and 7th of September to find out all you ever wanted to know bout migratory and beach nesting birds!

For further information and details on how to register, click here.

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

Surprising Stop at the Yellow Sea

One of the privileges being a migratory bird might be the freedom to travel among countries without passport or visa. Thus, our Whimbrel KS decided to visit a country which might be a little bit difficult (for humans) to enter – North Korea.

Meanwhile, KU is about 370km north-west of KS, still staying at Yingkou in Liaoning Province, China where it has been for 13 days. We are now anxiously waiting to see when they will both start migrating south again.

Follow the link through to update 11 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

We Have a Winner!

“Well we don’t need to wait until JX’s PTT turns on again….” said Chris Hassell and Kerry Hadley at Wader Beach, Roebuck Bay, Broome: JX is the first Whimbrel back home!

After a return trip to the Philippines spanning 6,124km, JX has returned!

The wait is now on for both KS and KU to return from their arctic adventures!

Follow the link through to update 10 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

Who Will Make it Home First?

All 3 whimbrels that left our shores on migration have begun their southward journeys home.

JX who’s migration journey stopped in the Philippines has begun to fly back to the north-west of Australia with great efficiency.

Meanwhile, the other two frontrunners from the Russian breeding ground have made their first stops in China on their southward journeys.

Follow the link through to update 9 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

On Their Way Back!

Both KS and KU have begun their southward migration from their nesting grounds in Siberia!

KU began the journey one day later than KS but was quickly making ground with GPS tracking data revealing speeds of up to 74km/h!

Follow the link through to update 8 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

The Journey so Far

With nesting underway and the majority of the northern migration complete, what better time to take a look back at what a magnificent journey we’ve witnessed so far…

Inside this update of the AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017, you will find a comprehensive recap of the different migratory paths undertaken so far as well as some fun and interesting stats detailing the journey so far.

Follow the link through to update 7 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

A Step in the Right Direction

Building Nanpu Wetland Nature Reserve for a Healthier Ecosystem

A five year memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Paulson Institute, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Hebei Provincial Forestry Department and Hebei Luannan County Government has been signed aiming to protect the Nanpu coastal wetland, one of the most important staging habitats for migratory waterbirds along Bohai Bay in China.

Over the past 50 years, China has lost more than 60 percent of its natural coastal wetlands. This agreement, among others, is a step in the right direction towards the protection of these crucial staging and refuelling areas of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) and the multitude of birds that depend on them for their survival.

Please click here to read the full article and learn more about this encouraging development.

News From Kamchatka

“Green” The Great Knot

The Global Flyway Network Great Knots wearing satellite transmitters that were issued in NW Australia, have started their southward migration back to Australia!

Very excitingly, one Great Knot, nick-named “Green” has been photographed by team member Dmitry Dorofeev amongst tens of thousands of shorebirds in Kamchatka and is now heading south through Shchastya Bay.

Follow the link through to Team Piersma’s article: News from Kamchatka, June-July 2017: learn about “Green”.

Embedded within the article is a fantastic short film by Dmitry about a very interesting re-sighting of one of his birds in the Arabian Gulf, check it out!

 

 

6th National Beach-nesting Birds Conference – Report

2017 Beach-nesting Birds Conference Review

The 6th National Beach-nesting Birds Conference was held in Willunga on the Fleurieu Peninsula over two days May 26th – 27th, 2017. The conference saw a record attendance of 143 passionate people from South Australia as well as interstate.

The three day conference saw a wide range of presentations and focus groups discussing current and emerging developments and challenges facing the beach-nesting birds themselves as well as the land managers and volunteers that work in tandem to ensure their survival as well as success. The conference culminated in a number of field trips to some of South Australia’s beach-nesting bird regions and was enjoyed by all!

Please follow the link to the 2017 Beach-nesting Bird Conference report to read more on the proceedings and the areas that were discussed.

 

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

Breeding Successful!

In the previous “Updates” we’ve seen KS settled down at its nesting location since the 2nd week. Whimbrel incubation period takes about 4 weeks with both parents sharing the duty.

From the 5th week since the beginning of incubation KS was observed to have travelled up to 40km from the nesting site, a strong indication that it’s young have hatched.

Follow the link through to update 6 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

Breeding Begins!

 

It has been quite a while since our last updates and we are delighted to see that both KS and KU have reached their breeding sites!

KS and KU have chosen different areas to nest and their nesting areas are approximately 630km apart from each other in the Sakha Republic, Russia.

Follow the link through to update 5 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

Getting close to breeding grounds!

Over the past week, our two Whimbrels ‘KS’ and ‘KU’ have made significant progress towards their breeding grounds. In one or two weeks’ time we should also hopefully be able to find out where they nest, which is one of the main objectives of this satellite tracking project. Another very interesting question is: Will ‘KS’ and ‘KU’ reunite again at the breeding grounds?

We are also now quite certain that ‘JX‘ will stay in Palawan, the Philippines. Nevertheless, it is still giving us valuable information as north-west Australia leg-flagged Whimbrels have not been resighted in South-East Asia before.

Follow the link through to update 4 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

Reunion at the Yellow Sea

After nearly a month of northward migration, the satellite recordings of our Whimbrel’s journeys show us that individual birds of the same species, caught and tagged in the same flock in Australia can have vastly different journeys to their breeding grounds, high in the arctic circle.

While two of the three migrating Whimbrel have been observed to be forging ahead through China, one bird, ‘JX‘, has stalled in the Philippines for at least 20 days. It will be very interesting to see if ‘JX‘ finally completes the migration north to the breeding grounds in around a months time.

Follow the link through to update 3 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

 

 

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

Watch out for migrating Whimbrels!

It is migration time and our satellite-tagged Whimbrels have set off as well! Three of our Whimbrels departed Australia between 16-20 April and they are now in the northern hemisphere.

As three of our tagged Whimbrel make their way up through South-East Asia and into China, it appears one may not have been up to the journey and will be wintering here in Australia until the next migratory season.

Follow the link through to update 2 of the 2017 AWSG satellite transmitter project to read the latest on the progress of the tagged Whimbrel!

 

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

AWSG Satellite Transmitter Project 2017

AWSG has been experimenting with the use of satellite transmitters for tracking the migration of shorebirds visiting North West Australia since November 2013 when five 5g satellite transmitters were deployed on Little Curlew in Roebuck Bay, Broome. Satellite tracking reveals extremely useful information about the migratory patterns and behaviors of target species.

It was decided to extend the satellite transmitter program to Whimbrel in 2017, with five 5g units being deployed at both 80 Mile Beach (one bird) and at Broome (four birds). In addition, recently released 2g transmitters, developed by Microwave Telemetry Inc. (MTI), were deployed on five Grey-tailed Tattler at 80 Mile Beach. This was carried out during the NWA 2017 Expedition, in February 2017.

Follow the link to read update 1 in a series of updates regarding the satellite tracking of the Whimbrel and Grey-tailed Tattlers as they prepare to depart our shores for their northern breeding grounds.

 

Call for submissions to the Tattler newsletter

A Call for Submissions to the “Tattler” Newsletter

This is a call to all of our shorebird (wader) network friends to consider providing us with articles of interest to readers of our newsletter Tattler for the East Asian Australasian Flyway as well as our Shorebirds 2020 Project volunteers and Flyway Partnership readers. We look forward to your contributions no matter how small.

We aim to produce the next edition of Tattler in April 2017, when most migratory shorebirds are on migration to their breeding areas.  However we would like to include any interesting stories or reports from birdwatchers and researchers who have been studying shorebirds on migration, at their non-breeding sites as well as unusual sightings (including  leg flags).  The deadline for contributions is 25 March 2017. Please forward your contributions to , or simply reply to this email.

Previous issues of the Tattler can be downloaded from our website.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Liz Crawford
Editor
tattler@awsg.org.au

Grey Plover Satellite Tracking Project for South Australian Birds

The Grey Plover Satellite Tracking project also includes birds fitted with trackers in South Australia. You can learn more about this important part of the project on the VWSG Grey Plover Tracking page.. It is of interest that the Grey Plovers which are the target of the St Vincent’s Gulf study migrate further than the Western Australian birds, as far as Wrangle Island, north of Siberia.

Australasian Shorebird Conference Earlybird Registration closing July 31, 2016

Pūkorokoro Miranda Naturalists’ Trust is hosting the 10th Australasian Shorebird Conference to be held at UNITEC Institute of Technology in Auckland on 1 – 2 October 2016. Save on registration by getting in before July 31, 2016.

The Conference will consist of two days of presentations covering a wide range of subjects relating to shorebird biology and ecology in New Zealand, Australia and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

Anyone interested in presenting a paper or poster at the conference should contact Phil Battley P.Battley@massey.ac.nz

This will be followed by field trips to a variety of good shorebird sites around Auckland on Monday 3 October.

If you are interested in sponsorship please contact Adrian Riegen, the ASC 2016 Committee Convenor at shorebirdconference2016@gmail.com

Keep up-to-date at www.miranda-shorebird.org.nz/asc2016

Emu Publishes Special Shorebird Edition

The flagship journal of BirdLife Australia, Emu, has released an issue dedicated to migratory shorebirds.

This edition, Volume 116 Issue 2, has 14 fascinating and informative articles on research which has been conducted on the EAAF and is invaluable for researchers, advocates, educators, conservationist groups and shorebird lovers.

Visit the Emu – Austral Ornithology page on the BirdLife Australia site for article summaries or to get your subscription to Emu.

Proposed development threatens Moreton Bay Ramsar Site

Though much of a proposed development at Toondah Harbour on Moreton Bay will be benign for migratory shorebirds, the development includes additions which will require the reclamation of over 43 hectares, or 1.6%, of the Ramsar Site at this location.

The AWSG, BirdLife Southern Queensland and BirdLife Australia are calling on the government to see that this facet of the development does not proceed. You can assist by visiting the BirdLife Toondah Harbour Development page, learning more and signing the petition.

Australasian Shorebird Conference 2016

Auckland New Zealand 1-2 October 2016

The coming Australasian Shorebird Conference will be hosted by Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalist’s Trust at the UNITEC Institute of Technology Auckland, NZ.

Grey Plover Satellite Tracking Project

In seeking to ensure that the best conservation outcomes for migratory shorebirds can be put in place it is necessary to identify and learn about their migratory routes, including breeding and staging locations.

In the case of the Grey Plover, much is still conjecture. We currently believe that the Grey Plover migrates around 12,000 kilometres northward each year to where it breeds in the northern summers and then returns to spend the southern summers here in Australia. We also know that there are around 12,000 Grey Plovers sharing Australian coastlines each year and that these numbers are in decline. Of interest is that nearly all of them are female.

In order to learn more, we aim to use satellite tracking to accurately map their journeys. You can learn more about this project and track its progress visiting the Marvel of Migration page on the BirdLife website.