1. pets
2. birds

The BLSH flyer
Volume 4 Number 2, May 2015
Buff-banded Rail - photograph by Terry Dunlea
Contents
Latham‟s Snipe update ................................................................................................................. 2
Fundraising in our branch ............................................................................................................. 3
Summer shorebird count .............................................................................................................. 3
Overview of field guides ............................................................................................................... 5
Meet the committee ..................................................................................................................... 6
What birds can you see in the Grenfell district? ............................................................................... 7
Conservation Officer's report ........................................................................................................ 8
Crowd funding for Grey Plovers project .......................................................................................... 8
BLSH field trip records ................................................................................................................10
New members ............................................................................................................................10
BIGnet 2015 meeting..................................................................................................................11
Birding in south west Western Australia ........................................................................................11
Scarlet Robin news .....................................................................................................................14
BirdLife Australia‟s branch network day .........................................................................................15
Bird Conservation Portal update ...................................................................................................15
Members‟ night reminder ............................................................................................................16
Latham‟s Snipe update
Liaison Officer, Col Kohlhagen, has the following update on the Latham‟s Snipe habitat
at the Southern Highlands Botanic Garden site:
The data in the table below, the results of four years of seasonal surveys undertaken by BLSH Members,
makes it obvious that the presence of Latham‟s Snipe in the middle of the East Bowral Botanic Garden site
has been irrefutably established.
In the first week of April, BLSH President, Christine Kelly and Liaison Officer, Col Kohlhagen met with
Peter Byrne. Peter is the Wingecarribee Shire Council officer responsible for overseeing the Protection
Order placed on the habitat area in September 2012 by the Federal Department of the Environment.
During this on-site meeting, the four interpretative signs donated by BLSH were handed over and the
location of the signs was discussed. Two will be placed along the walkway on the eastern boundary, one
near where pedestrians from Alice Avenue might access the site and the fourth sign will be placed at the
western boundary.
Council is in the final stages of organising a contractor to fence the area as per the Protection Order. New
survey pegs recently appeared on the site boundary and the Management Committee is confident the
results of its advocacy will soon come to fruition.
Hopefully, the first survey of the 2015-16 season will be carried out with the area finally fenced.
Season
Date of count
Surveyors
No. recorded
2011-12
December 20
5 members
18
January 10
6 members
25
March 27
5 members
30
October 30
9 members
25
January 7
6 members
32
March 25
8 members
0
November 8
8 members
35
January 10
12 members
12
March 7
4 members
0
November 7
12 members
60
January 10
6 members
20
March 6
8 members
10
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
May 2015
2
Fundraising in our branch
Over the last few months, BLSH members have been discussing fundraising, and whether our branch
should be actively involved in fundraising activities. The Committee considered this at a recent meeting,
and gave an update on our position at the Members' Night held in March.
Our branch now has just over 100 members, who are spread throughout the Highlands. Of these 100
members, approximately 40 are actively engaged on a yearly basis. However, only 20-25 members are
regular participants. That would mean that if we were to engage in fundraising activities, it would fall to
these same 20-25 people to be the organisers and the workers.
The Committee also feels that we would need a specific purpose to justify any formal fundraising activity.
Currently we have no need to raise additional funds as our current project, the Latham‟s Snipe signage for
the Southern Highlands Botanic Garden site, is covered by existing funds. We also intend to seek out and
apply for grants from local community groups and further afield, where appropriate.
We do, however, have one fundraising activity running at the moment, and this is a raffle for a framed
artwork which was generously donated to us by the artist. The Committee felt that, in this case, the very
best way to make us of this generous donation was to raffle it. The funds raised will be used at the
discretion of the Committee, as expressed in our constitution, for a specific conservation project which will
be discussed at the AGM next year.
You can buy tickets for the raffle at Members' Nights and Guest Speaker Nights throughout the year.
Tickets are $2 each, or 3 for $5, and the raffle will be drawn at the end of year barbeque in November.
Finally, the Committee urges members to remember that the national organisation, Birdlife Australia, has
many important and deserving projects to which people can donate - Carnabys Black Cockatoo Recovery,
Mallee Fowl Recovery, and Shorebirds 2020 just to name a few. You can give to BLA on a regular basis
throughout the year with a tax deductible receipt being issued at the end of the financial year, or you can
donate for a specific project. All donations over $2 are deductible.
Summer shorebird count
Conservation Officer, Simon Robinson,
reports on the Summer Shorebird
Count:
Shoalhaven Heads lagoon at high tide.
On 21 February I took part in the Summer
Shorebird Count at Shoalhaven Heads. This is
part of a national program managed by BirdLife
Australia. Shoalhaven Heads is only one of
many locations where shore birds are counted
and is organised locally by Phil Craven of NSW
Parks and Wildlife Service. The results are
coordinated by Rex Worrall, a long-time
NSWPWS volunteer and sent to BLA for
atlassing and recording. The Australia-wide
counts provide a critical picture of the status of
our shorebirds.
The Shoalhaven Estuary is notionally divided
May 2015
3
into a number of sectors that are surveyed by
specified teams. We had three teams operating
on this count, and I was lucky enough to get a
ride as „scribe‟ on the NSWPWS boat with Phil
Craven and Stan Brown. We surveyed 3 sectors
from the boat, including the lagoon to the
South of the heads which was running at high
tide. I personally saw 31 species (including
non-shorebirds), but more importantly the
biggest sector counted 499 individual birds
including Bar-tailed Godwits, Red-capped
Plovers, Pacific Golden Plovers and Eastern
Curlews. It seems that Eastern Curlew were
steady, Red-capped Plovers were up, but Rednecked Stints and Bar-tailed Godwits were
down on previous years.
Phil Craven and Stan Brown ready to set out.
This is a great way to become familiar with shorebird identification with experienced birders and is great
fun. I plan to join in future surveys. (There are two formal surveys each year, but informal surveys are
carried out by volunteers in between). If any BLSH members would also like to get involved (and beef up
their shorebird ID skills!), please let me know and I can coordinate with the organisers.
Great Egret at
Charleston
Dam. Photo by
Helen Erskine.
At Charleston Dam, April 1. Photo by Helen Erskine.
Hardhead at Charleston Dam. Photo by Graham Olde.
May 2015
4
Overview of field guides
Some of our members are new, not only to BLSH, but also to birdwatching. For all birders, a field guide is
an indispensible piece of equipment, and they are now available in both hardcopy and digital versions.
Here is a brief overview of what is available.
Hardcopy field guides:
Morcombe
Pizzey and Knight
Simpson and Day
Slater


very popular


neat and compact

good illustrations

good for carrying in
the field
smaller pocket
version also available
recent new edition
available
Digital field guides:
Morcombe's Birds of Australia
Pizzey and Knight

available for iPhone / iPad and
Android

available for PC, iPad and Android
(needs quite a lot of memory)

the iPhone / iPad cost is $29.90

cost is $49.99

the Android app cost is $28.60

take a tour at www.gibbonmm.com.au

download from the Apple App store or Google
Play store

download from the Apple App store or Google Play
store
Black Swan at
Charleston Dam. Photo
by Helen Erskine.
May 2015
5
Meet the committee...
In this issue of the newsletter, we are introducing a new series, which will introduce members to the BLSH
committee. First cab off the rank, is our president, Christine Kelly.
How long have you been birdwatching and how did you initially become interested?
I first became interested when I was given a copy of What Bird is That for my 19th birthday. I guess I had
expressed some interest for the book to be given to me. I was living in Canberra and thought that the
range of birds especially parrots were really interesting. I should have joined group then but I muddled
along on my own trying to learn how to identify the birds and not making a lot of progress.
Can you tell us about a memorable birding experience? A favourite bird?
This is a difficult question to answer. The most interesting bird that I have seen was a Yellow-bellied
Sunbird which had built its nest hanging from a roof rafter on ground floor veranda in a unit that we had
rented for a week in Port Douglas about 20 years ago. We had travelled to Port Douglas with friends from
America so it was a very memorable bird to see. The little bird came and went with little regard to us
being around. It was lovely to watch it popping in and out of the nest. As far as we were aware it had no
eggs but I will confess I didn‟t look too closely for fear of scaring it away. Later on the same trip we saw a
Cassowary, which was fabulous.
What's your favourite location for birding in the Southern Highlands, and why?
I love going out to Barren Grounds. I have been going there for many years, well before I joined BLA. I
have seen all sorts of wonderful birds out there and never tire of going back to look for more. I took part
in a survey for the Ground Parrot last year which was interesting as we heard many and saw none. The
wide range of species at Barren Grounds makes it a favourite location of mine.
I also enjoy going out to Belanglo Forrest where we can almost predict what we will see in various parts
on our travels around.
The pelagic trip out of Wollongong was exciting. Seeing birds that rarely come to shore is a thrilling
experience for any birder. I recommend it to anyone who is vaguely interested in seeing sea birds.
How long have you been involved with BLSH? What prompted you to join this group?
I have been a member for about 5 years. I knew that the only way that I would improve my recognition
skills was to join a group and learn from more experienced birders. Col had been interviewed in the local
paper and I had clipped the item and kept it on my fridge for about a year. We were not living here
permanently at the time, so I kept putting off phoning him. Once we had a more regular pattern of living
in the Highlands I contacted him and really expected him to be no longer involved but no, he was still the
contact person and made me feel very welcome. My first club outing was to Charleston Dam. On arriving
there Val Cooper came and introduced herself to me and as they say in the classics, the rest is history. My
initial thoughts have proved to be correct. I have learnt so much from the experienced birders who are
very generous with sharing their knowledge.
What binoculars do you use? Why did you choose these?
My current binoculars are Swarovski 8.5 x42. I just love them. They are clear and easy to manage and
give a wonderful field of view. I started birding with a pair of Tasco 8 x40 which I started using in 1974
and then moved to a pair of Nikon 9 x 25 but I quickly learned that whilst excellent binoculars I needed a
wider field of view to find the LBB in amongst the foliage. I also have a pair of Leica 10 x 25 which are
lightweight and I keep handy in my kitchen just in case something appears in the garden. They are also
very useful for travelling overseas where weight is an issue.
May 2015
6
What birds can you see in the Grenfell district?
Members John and Jenny Shepherd recently enjoyed a birding trip to Grenfell in NSW:
We have been twice to this area, last August and recently in March. The main attraction is the Weddin
Mountains National Park and nearby State Forests with bird hotspots. It is an easy morning‟s drive at
about 285 kms from Bundanoon and we stay at a lovely cottage on the town‟s creek (Emu Creek). The
National Park has camping areas and there is a recently revamped site at the Ben Halls Cave access on
the western side of the mountains.
The interest for us is in the presence of western bird species not found around here and the different drier
vegetation communities. A foray in to the Weddin State Forest on the Bimbi road last August made us
realise that whilst the cypress forests are somewhat degraded with sheep grazing, some lovely birds are
present. At the risk of getting lost in the track network with no maps, we retreated twice and decided to
return with the 1:50 000 NSW map sheets. However, we had seen Diamond Firetails, a Little Eagle,
Speckled Warblers and three types of Woodswallows to name a few to whet our appetites.
Not wishing to trudge to the highest ground in the
mountains of the NP, where there are apparently
Peregrine Falcons, we headed for an easy walk in to
Bertha's Gully where we were rewarded by the sight of
a Mistletoebird, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters and Inland
Thornbills. It was our first good sighting of a
Mistletoebird!
This month we returned armed with maps of the State
Forest and we were not disappointed. Murphy‟s law
meant that the State Forest is on the corner of four
sheets so we had to buy the lot. Concentrating on visits
to two sites we saw lots of honeyeaters including
striped (feeding on the flowering ironbarks – E.
sideroxylon), Grey-Crowned Babblers, Apostlebirds and
White-winged Choughs. A highlight was seeing Redcapped Robins, a Little Eagle again and Western
Gerygones with their beautiful call. We atlassed these
sites for the records.
The cottage owner (a Landcarer and birdwatcher of
experience) also owns a conservation property of 250
acres on the edge of town where amazing revegetation
work is underway. There we were invited to look for
Superb Parrots, Blue Bonnets and an array of smaller
birds we saw at dusk and in the morning. We also found
surprising that there are four species of macropods
there, intermingling: Wallaroos, Eastern Grey
Kangaroos, Swamp and Red-necked Wallabies. Nearby,
the Grenfell Sewage Ponds are host to numerous ducks
(including Plumed Whistling-Duck), Spoonbills and
Grebes. There are many birding spots around the
district and the local council has put out a leaflet called
Weddin Bird Trails. This is a useful guide.
Cypress woodland,
Weddin State Forest. Photo
by John Shepherd.
Sandstone walls, Bertha's Gully.
Photo by John Shepherd.
May 2015
7
Conservation Officer's report
The latest on conservation issues affecting our branch, from Simon Robinson:
The branch is gathering an increasingly high profile in the community and is being invited to become
involved in a number of conservation projects. For example, we have been involved in surveying the bird
populations in the Mittagong Creek restoration area on behalf of Council. We are surveying five different
sites along the creek and so far have carried out 15 surveys at each.
In addition, we have been invited by Greening Australia to assist with bird monitoring in their project to
restore habitat in the Wollondilly Valley. This project, funded by the NSW Department of Environment,
seeks to engage local land owners in restoring native tree and shrub corridors in the floor of the valley in
order to provide passage for various bird species, in particular the Regent Honeyeater and the Swift
Parrot. Both these species have been identified in the area in the past. We have so far attended two
workshops conducted by Greening Australia, and are about to begin formal surveys on three properties,
anticipating more in the future.
Other conservation involvement includes surveys on properties not associated with the Wollondilly project
and our continuing interest in preservation of the Latham‟s Snipe habitat at the East Bowral Botanic
Gardens. The Management Committee is in the process of establishing a core team of survey leaders to
share the work of this burgeoning commitment, and with a view to including and guiding as many of our
members as are interested in this aspect of birding.
Want to start surveying? It's easy.
You need about an hour or so per site per month for the simple type of survey.
You can survey along a set route or conduct a survey of a 2 hectare site, survey within 500 meters of a
fixed point, or a survey within 5 km of a fixed point. The sites don't have to be at exotic or unusual
places. In fact, some of the most important records come from ordinary sites.
You can set yourself up as a registered surveyor by contacting the National Co-ordinator
([email protected]) who will allocate you a user name and password for the Birdata website.
BirdLife publishes a very easy to follow starter's kit.
Any of our regular surveyors will be happy to sit down at your computer (or theirs) and help you enter
your first survey record. It is a very simple process. (The kids at Wingello Primary School can do it!!)
You will be amazed how quickly the number of species builds up from a once a month survey. For
example, Col Kohlhagen has been surveying along a fixed route the drainage ponds on Boardman Road,
near the big roundabout in East Bowral, since June, 2011. The species list for that site now totals over 60
including some real surprises, namely Pink-eared Duck, Royal Spoonbill, Nankeen Night Heron and the
two local Dotterels, Black-fronted and Red-kneed.
Crowd funding for Grey Plovers project
The Shorebirds 2020 project has contacted us about an exciting project being set up by the Australasian
Wader Studies Group (AWSG). AWSG is using crowd-funding site Pozible to raise $17,680 to attach
satellite trackers to at least three Grey Plovers for the 2016 migration and breeding season.
The project team has this to say about the Grey Plover and their project:
May 2015
8
The Grey Plover is a special and unusual migratory shorebird that we know very little
about. It is the largest plover we have in Australia. We know that they migrate an
amazing 12,000km to breed in northern Siberia and Alaska during the northern summer
and return to spend our summer in Australia. The Australian coastline hosts around
12,000 Grey Plovers from September to March each year. However nearly all the
population in Australia is female which makes their migration even more mysterious.
Why do females migrate to Australia, but males apparently don’t?
We aim to use satellite tracking to find out some of the answers to these questions.
Our plan is to follow at least three Grey Plovers using satellite tracking technology in the
2015/16 migratory season to answer the mysteries of Grey Plover migration. And you will
be able to follow them too!
A key aim of this program is to identify migratory routes and stopover sites. We can then
build on this for further work to identify if these are regular habitats/routes used by the
birds. The other key aim is to identify the breeding areas used by these birds.
Follow the link below to find out more about this innovative project, including how the project team intend
to use the funds they raise. Using Pozible, you can elect to make a donation (tax deductable over $2) or
select a reward depending on how much you pledge. So let's pledge some funds to get the project up and
running in time for the 2016 migratory season.
http://www.pozible.com/project/194554
Photo from Tracking the Grey Plover's Journey page on Pozible.com.
May 2015
9
BLSH field trip records
BirdLife Australia is currently revamping its national Birdata Bird Atlas Survey Database which supports
the Atlas of Australian Birds. When the reconfiguration process is completed it will allow BirdLife branches
and individual surveyors easier and more flexible access to their survey records. This will enhance the
preparation of maps and graphs relating to a whole range of records from specific sites and individual
species relating to the BLSH Bird List.
To maximise the potential of this new arrangement, the BLSH Management Committee has decided that
a current committee member, Graham Olde, will continue and expand the work started by our current
Admin Officer, Sandy Berry when she was the Records and Research Officer.
Bird Atlas surveys have already been conducted at 45 sites across the branch by over ten members.
Some of these records date back many years, especially Peter Dewey‟s surveys. The number of survey
sites and surveys will increase as BLSH becomes more involved in conservation projects and activities,
especially those undertaken on private properties.
Other significant but untapped sources of records are the sightings made during BLSH Branch Field Trips.
While some leaders already log these results onto the Birdata system, the Management Committee is now
taking steps to ensure the capture of all sighting records from outings where the individual leaders are not
registered Bird Atlas Surveyors.
Therefore, from this point in time, the records from BLSH field trip sites which are not registered Birdata
Survey Sites, will be entered as a Branch Record. Field Trip leaders who are not registered Bird Atlas
Surveyors are asked to email the following information the after each outing to the Liaison Officer:

date of survey

time spent at the site

number of participants

name of site

location of site, including specific GPS location if available

the names bird species recorded

the number of each individual species recorded

any particular weather or habitat information
New members
BLSH warmly welcomes the following new members:

Colin Harding from Bowral

Helen Harding from Bowral

Steven Fischer from Mittagong

Carol Cosgrove from Bundanoon

Paul Wallace from Bundanoon

Gail Mitchell from Moss Vale
May 2015
10
2015 BIGNet meeting
Christine Kelly attended the BIGNet meeting in April 2015, and has this report:
The beautiful Megalong Valley was the location for the bi-annual meeting of BIGNet (Bird Interest Group
Network) held during April 2015.
The meeting was well attended with representatives from most of the BirdLife and Bird Observers' Clubs
throughout NSW.
Samantha Vine, Head of Conservation from BirdLife Australia, chaired the first session.
The Hunter Economic Zone and protection of all species was a primary topic. Other areas of discussion
included:

Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of significance in NSW
It was suggested that members look for creative ways to attract support to monitor specific sites with
regular surveys. Suggestion was to create a special survey area and involve one experienced birder who
will train novice birders in recognition and how to enter data. BLSH is doing this with the Wollondilly
Project, Charleston Dam, Mittagong Creek and Chevalier Wetlands to name a few.
BirdLife Australia has created a special position to coordinate IBAs. It was suggested that branches could
invite the BLA representative attend to assist in running field days or workshops. This will be discussed
over the coming months at Committee level.

Off set policy in NSW
Members held a discussion regarding the current NSW offset policy in relation to new developments. It
takes many years for an area that has been set aside for protection to grow and develop to the same
stage as the land approved for development. Allowing developers to 'offset' a previously declared National
Park or State Conservation area does not actually offset for development.
Management of crown land is also a problem. Land is being sold to landowners on both sides of public
roads and this results in the crown land being 'landlocked' with no access to the area by the general
public.
There has been no change to the management or classification of travelling stock routes in NSW.
Birding in south west Western Australia
Terry Dunlea has provided this report about his recent trip to Western Australia:
In April this year Jann and I visited South Western WA. The plan was to visit a friend who has just moved
to Toodyay 80km east of Perth then head south to the coast. I had only been to Perth for business in the
early 90s and Jann had never been to WA, so it was all new. I have been reading Tim Dolby‟s blog on the
internet for some time and he has notes on a trip through the Southwest of WA. This formed the basis of
our travel. As our time was limited we concentrated on the Dryandra Woodland and Cheynes Beach which
is located in the Waychinicup National Park.
We decided to hire a campervan for the “experience”, and it was. It was huge – 7m long and 3.2m high, a
monster compared to the Forester. While this gave us freedom to camp anywhere, the size restricted our
movements.
May 2015
11
Most of the country south from Toodyay to the Stirling Ranges has been cleared for wheat and grazing, so
most of the roadside birds were Ringneck Parrots and grazing Australian Shelducks.
The Dryandra Woodlands is about 170km south of Perth near the town of Narrogin. Being “wise men from
the east”, we didn't realise that WA has a long weekend for Anzac Day, so the camping area was very
busy. The Woodlands are dry eucalypt forest. The first new bird for us was the Rufous Treecreeper which
was found mainly on the ground, and was common. There are signposted walks and drives throughout the
28,000 ha. The birding was a bit slow, but I guess in Spring with wild flowers in abundance there would
be many honeyeaters. We did flush five Wedge-tailed Eagles from beside the road.
Moving south we stayed at the Stirling Ranges Retreat on the eastern edge of the Stirling Ranges National
Park. The owners have constructed nature walks through the Resort area which lead into the National
Park. From August to October wildflower and bird walks are conducted regularly.
As normal, some of the easiest bird watching was conducted by sitting next to the van. Western Yellow
Robins, White-breasted Robin, Australian Ringneck, Red-capped Parrot and Elegant Parrot came to visit
us. Fairy wrens were moving through, but we never saw a coloured male, so identification was difficult.
Soon after leaving the Resort we saw Carnaby's Black Cockatoos feeding in the roadside mallee. We
parked and walked through the scrub to get closer, but they kept moving off, so we gave up and headed
back to the van. As we approached the van the flock of approximately 50 birds flew overhead and landed
40m away before moving on.
After restocking with supplies in the outskirts of Albany we headed to Cheynes Beach Caravan Park which
is about 60km to the east. This small township is located on a protected north facing bay, surrounded by
national park. The owner asked what we were doing so we said birdwatching etc. She produced a folder
which contained maybe 100 pages of bird observations for the area around the caravan park. One side
has a mud map of the area, and blank on the other. Previous visitors had noted on the map where Noisy
Scrub-birds, Western Bristlebirds and Western Whipbirds had been seen and/or heard. The reverse had
lists of sightings and notes of what was seen at what time and location! The majority of the sightings of
the Noisy Scrub-birds, Western Bristlebirds and Western Whipbirds were within 200m of the caravan park
entrance. Red-eared Firetails were “all around" the caravan park. The first birds to greet us were four
Carnaby's Black-cockatoos in the trees above our campsite – good start!
Carnaby’s Black-cockatoo. Photo by
Terry Dunlea.
May 2015
12
Over the next 3 days we walked the surrounding heath. New Holland Honeyeaters were very common
even though there was limited blossom.
New Holland Honeyeater. Photo by
Terry Dunlea.
The Western Bristlebird and Noisy Scrub-bird were seen close to the caravan park, and the Western
Whipbird was heard, but it couldn't be seen even though it was only several metres away! A lone Redeared Firetail was found in the location as described in the notes. White-Breasted Robins and Brush
Bronzewings were common in the caravan park.
Red-eared Firetail. Photo by Terry
Dunlea.
The bay and ocean rocks had Kelp Gulls, Silver Gulls, Sooty Oystercatcher and Crested Terns, plus the
promise of more.
I was lucky to see an Osprey flying over and then dive down to take a fish out of the water. The fish it
caught was quite large and the bird struggled to get out of the water and fly away. It eventually got up to
about 30 m and then it was hanging in the air eating the fish!
May 2015
13
Eastern Osprey action shot! Photo by
Terry Dunlea.
There are other areas to visit such as Two Peoples Bay and Betty's Beach, but for us time was limited as
we headed back to the Dryandra Woodlands to visit Barnia Mia. Barnia Mia is a predator-proof animal
sanctuary where they conduct night tours to see the threatened native animals such as Bilbies, Burrowing
Bettongs, Rufous Hare-wallabies, Quendas and Woylies.
The two weeks was only a snapshot of the area and we are planning to spend a longer period of time
there.
91 species and 14 new birds was a good outcome.
Scarlet Robin news
The ABC has recently reported that the Scarlet Robin has been declared a vulnerable species by the ACT
Government. It had already been declared as Vulnerable in NSW.
A Vulnerable species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium term future.
The decline in Scarlet Robin numbers in the ACT was established by long term surveys undertaken by the
Canberra Ornithologist Groups Woodland Bird Monitoring Project at 92 sites over 14 years. The data
collected was then analysed by an ANU post-doctoral fellow.
Read more at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-20/scarlet-robin-declared-vulnerable-in-the-act/6485074
May 2015
14
BirdLife Australia‟s branch network day
The annual BLA branch network day was held on May 22, and Janine Hodge attended for
our branch:
The day started with an address from CEO Paul Sullivan who discussed the progress made in the previous
twelve months. One key achievement for the organisation was the reduction in reliance on government
funding from 70% in 2012 to 40% in 2015. The shortfall has largely been made up by fundraising efforts.
Paul also outlined the important projects currently being undertaken by BLA. These include Woodland
Birds for Biodiversity, Beach-nesting Birds, Shorebirds 2020, Carnaby‟s Black-cockatoo Recovery and
most importantly the Atlas and Birdata. The Atlas, supported by the Birdata website, is the key intellectual
property underpinning conservation efforts.
After this, the main two themes covered on the day were Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and Volunteers.
Two sessions were held on Important Bird Areas. The BirdLife Australia website states that IBAs are:
... sites of global bird conservation importance. Each IBA meets one of four global criteria used by BirdLife
International. IBAs are priority areas for bird conservation - we aim to monitor birds at our IBAs, advocate
their importance to government, and work with land-holders and other local people to conserve them.
BLA intends to drive a program to adopt and champion IBAs. An IBA Co-ordinator, Dr Golo Maurer, has
been appointed to facilitate this. The aim is to ensure that good data is available for all of Australia‟s 314
IBAs, and to do this will require the support of volunteers to monitor these sites.
This led to the next important theme of the day - the use of volunteers. BirdLife relies heavily on
volunteers, principally for surveying and contribution to the Atlas. Two sessions were held on the need to
attract and retain volunteers, and particular emphasis was given to engaging new demographics.
Angela Rutter from the Australian Conservation Foundation then shared a volunteer case study from her
organisation. The Climate Reality program has involved more than 450 volunteer Climate Leaders who
have delivered more than 350,000 presentations in the past six years.
An opportunity for BirdLife was identified in the many people that travel throughout Australia, eg. grey
nomads. These travellers could be recruited as “birding nomads”, by engaging them to atlas as they travel
and participate in surveys etc.
Bird Conservation Portal update
BirdLife Australia is in the process of developing a Bird Conservation Portal. When complete, this Portal
will replace and extend the functionality of the Birdata website. BirdLife Australian has provided the
following update on progress:
The Bird Conservation Portal draws together structured bird monitoring, the synthesis and analysis of bird
data and biological, ecological and conservation reporting in one place.
The specific focus of the portal is to encourage repeat surveys of fixed sites and structured bird
monitoring needed to support bird conservation. The portal will have three major components:

Birdata - bird monitoring

Birds as indicators - publications to support bird and habitat conservation
May 2015
15

Australian research portal - search, view and extract key biological / ecological information about birds
online.
The initial phase, currently being implemented, is focussed on developing core bird survey functionality.
The Australian research portal and Important Bird Areas in Danger modules are also in early development.
Members‟ night reminder
Don‟t forget to put Tuesday July 28 in your diaries!
Our Members‟ Night will kick off at 7.30pm, and will be held at the usual venue at East Bowral Community
Centre.
Special guests Holly Parsons from the Birds in Backyards program, and Fiona Blandford from BirdLife
Australia National Office, will also be attending. So come along, spend some time with other members,
meet Holly and Fiona, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. We‟d love to see as many of you as possible!
Newsletter contributions
BLSH Committee
If you would like to contribute an article to
the newsletter, please contact
[email protected]. Articles can be on
any aspect of birding or issue related to
birding, that may interest other members.
Photos, in jpeg format, are also very
welcome.
President
Christine Kelly
Liaison
Col Kohlhagen
Conservation
Program
Treasurer
Records
Admin
Newsletter and website
Committee support
Simon Robinson
Terry Dunlea
John Desmond
Graham Olde
Sandy Berry
Janine Hodge
Val Cooper
May 2015
16