7th National Beach-nesting Birds Conference - Inverloch, Victoria Friday 24th May 2019 - Sunday 26th May 2019 - BirdLife Australia
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7th National Beach-nesting Birds Conference
Friday 24th May 2019 – Sunday 26th May 2019
Inverloch, Victoria
Sponsored by:
7th National Beach-nesting Birds Conference, 24-26th May 2019
Over 150 people from around Australia attended the National Beach-nesting Birds Conference in
Inverloch. There were representatives from volunteer and community groups, land management
agencies, Federal, State and Local government, other not-for-profit conservation agencies, as well as
individuals with an interest. The conference was held over three days, with the first half of Day 1 and
2 consisting of conference presentations, and the second half of Day 1 consisting of local field trips,
the second half of Day 2 being a series of workshops to upskill participants in bird ID, advocacy,
communications and photography, and Day 3 being full day field trips venturing further afield.
This event was funded largely from the fundraising from the previous 2017 conference, plus support
from the National Landcare Program through a partnership with Glenelg Hopkins Catchment
Management Authority, including sponsorship of volunteers from distant areas to attend. Bass Coast
Shire generously provided the venues and funding support towards local volunteers attending.
Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM and Natural Resources Northern and Yorke also generously
sponsored local volunteers to attend. Special thanks to all the wonderful Friends of the Hooded
Plover Bass Coast volunteers for their assistance during the event and to BirdLife Bass Coast for
running the bird walks and providing advice on great field trip locations.
DAY 1 Friday 24th May, Inverloch Community Hub
1. The Beach-nesting Birds Project: 14 years on
Dr Grainne Maguire, Coastal Birds Program Manager, BirdLife Australia. Additional authors
Renee Mead, Meghan Cullen, Kasun Ekanayake and Dan Lees
The presentation started by discussing the vulnerability of Hooded Plovers to human behaviour and
how difficult it is to monitor and protect them.
“These birds are incredibly hard to monitor – they are well camouflaged, have highly camouflaged
eggs and chicks, expansive habitat/territories, and use highly secretive and clever behaviours to try
and outsmart their threats. So how do we gather enough data to learn how to help these birds? We
do this by training many highly-skilled volunteers, following a strict set of guidelines and collecting
the same information across all the sites in a standardised data portal.”
“It is as eggs and chicks that survival rates are problematic and too low to sustain the population.”
2
The need for intervention is paramount and an outline of the BNB program was presented
followed by a detailed analysis of the impact the program has had on breeding success over the
years.
Graphs showing the results of long-term analyses illustrate the positive results achieved from
management investment. In some regions data sets of up to 10 years have been analysed, showing
numbers of fledglings and nesting pairs increasing over time. This data demonstrates that signage
and fencing of nests produces a significant improvement in hatching and fledging compared to pairs
that are offered no protection.
3
Graphs and images were also used to delineate the various threats and knowledge gaps, including
surveying in remote areas. Recent surveys along the coast of Yalata, Discovery Bay and the barrier
islands of Corner Inlet have revealed new information about population densities and breeding
success in these remote areas.
The importance of planning for the improved recovery going forward was emphasised:
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2. #Share the shores:
Mark Brown, Director of Nature’s Valley Trust in South Africa. Additional authors: Brittany
Arendse, Peter Ryan, Selena Flores.
Visitors from South Africa gave a passionate presentation on the potential conflict between human
usage of the beach and the needs of beach nesting birds demonstrating how this can be overcome
with a program such as #share the shores.
The first part of this is
“As scientists, we get trained in very specific ways, which are important to ensure research is sound
BUT research is only ONE aspect of conservation.
We need to UNLEARN some of our scientific training for other aspects of our work.
We need to be fundraisers, social media gurus, educators, managers, marketing geniuses, public
relations officers, and so much more!”
The pressure from coastal development and tourism has increased hugely and in South Africa is
expected to double by 2025. In our efforts to mitigate this we should try not to marginalize certain
beach walkers – fisherfolk, dog owners – and design programs which enhance visitor experiences.
“Assessing is critical - funders and the public now want to know if what we do actually makes a
difference or not” so research was conducted to investigate how birds react to, and are affected by,
disturbance. Once research is completed results showing the impact disturbances have on nesting
and fledging are compiled.
5
“We then need to get people empathetic. This requires: Accurate, locally relevant info. Strong,
positive media campaigns. Emotionally appealing social media. Strong stakeholder engagement.
Constant presence.”
The last step is behind the scenes and
“This is BLOODY tough work! It takes effort, a thick skin, people skills and LOADS of patience…”
And necessitates a program to: Engage authorities, Include stakeholders, Adjust management of
beaches, Add value to local municipality, Implement new systems
s: The long term goal of our Education and Community work is better educated and mobilised
communities that understand the environment they live in, and how their choices affect it.
6
3. Mornington Peninsula National Park: Dog Walking and Protected
Management Area:
Kris Rowe, Parks Victoria
A very detailed presentation by Parks Victoria on the development of the dog free policy for the
MPNP. Over the years a lot of work has been done monitoring park usage, dog walking and the
impact of visitors on the natural environment. Various trials were conducted, a huge number of
surveys done and statistics complied. Various options for managing dogs within the National Park
were proposed and in concert with community meetings and visitor consultations, new regulations
were developed resulting in the 2016 prohibition of dogs in the National Park. A change which, as it
evolved, was managed in a way which avoided major confrontation between interest groups.
The presentation detailed the various options and explained the advantages and disadvantages of
each, giving a fascinating view of the many variables at play.
The presentation closed with a brief discussion of the on-going challenges to the beach nesting birds
in the park. Things such as introduced predators, pollution and climate change, horse riding and
beach visitors, including the growing number of major public events.
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4. Fast tracking horses over hoodies – not on our watch!
Shannon Hurley, Victorian National Parks Association and Andrew Hunter, BirdLife Australia
An impassioned presentation about the conflict between beach dwelling Hooded Plovers and the
Victorian racing industry in the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Key Biodiversity Area. The presenters
detailed the issues faced, the steps taken in an effort to solve the problem, the current state of play
and the need to continue the fight.
“The Reserve happens to be one of the best areas for the Hooded Plover in the world. There are
more Hooded Plovers here, per kilometre of beach, than almost any other part of the coast you can
visit.”
“People, dogs, horses and vehicles have been identified as the threats that have increased most
dramatically in the birds habitat in the past few decades and have demonstrated impacts including:
Crushing of nests and chicks
Direct predation of eggs and chicks by dogs
Disturbance that leads to lethal thermal exposure of eggs and checks, exposure to predation, or
results in chick starvation.
Habitat loss
Indirect increases in predator numbers
These threats can easily be removed from the birds’ environment, through appropriate zoning for
high conservation areas, responsible behaviour, and enforcement of regulations.”
8
Details of the changes to regulations for beach usage made over the years by local and state
government bodies were given, explaining the need for community action and the power of BirdLife
Australia as a nationwide body with a strong supporter base.
“The issue may be Victorian based but everyone in Australia should have a say in the protection of
nationally threated species, like the Hooded Plovers of Belfast. BirdLife has the capacity to bring
attention at the national level.”
Working with local action groups the situation is in a holding position.
“Since September 2018 there has been no commercial racehorse training on the beaches. No
licenses have been issued (yet)”
However the presenters pointed out that
• Twice BirdLife Australia and VNPA have written to the Federal Environment Minister, once in
2016 and again this year, requesting that the “action” of commercial racehorse training
permits be called in under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
1999 due to the likely significant impacts to a Matter of National Environmental Significance
(threatened species and migratory species).
• Our latest response was that the DOEE was looking into the matter.
• The current law does not account for the cumulative impacts of these multiple individual
actions. With over 160 horses, 640 hooves, running up and down Hooded Plover habitat
during the breeding season, DAILY, will likely have a significant impact.
• If our current national laws can’t protect critical habitat for a nationally threatened species,
the system is clearly broken.
And issued a plea that people call or email their Federal MP in relation to the EPBC Act which is “up
for review this year.”
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5. Beach bugs and breeding birds: a summary of three recent studies on
Hooded Plover food resources
Briony Hutton, graduate from Deakin University. Additional authors: Mike Weston, Nick Porch,
Lucy Carracher, Anna Cuttriss, Grainne Maguire
This presentation detailed three studies conducted in 2015, 2016 and 2017 around bugs on beaches!
Study 1: Breeding site selection based on food resources.
Aim: to determine whether Hooded Plovers actively select breeding territories based on the
availability of food resources.
Study 2: Human trampling and shorebird food resources.
Aim: to determine whether intense human trampling affects plover prey populations in breeding
areas.
Study 3: Does supplementing wrack onto the upper beach enhance plover prey resources?
Algal subsidies enhance invertebrate prey for threatened shorebirds: A novel conservation tool on
ocean beaches?
The studies were conducted to gain a better understanding of the impacts of reliable and specific
food resources on the long-term breeding success of Hooded Plovers on Victorian beaches, and
were carried out at Venus Bay/Cape Liptrap Coastal Park in Victoria.
The scientific methods and results of each study were detailed providing an interesting insight into
the food preferences and nesting site selection reasoning of Hooded Plovers. It also covered the
significant impact of factors such as trampling and the abundance of wrack as well as other changes
to beach structure such as beach armouring, sand replenishment, pollution and sea level rise.
“What do we know now?
• Hooded Plovers select breeding sites where higher abundances of invertebrates occur, and
especially where there are lots of isopods
• Intense human trampling reduces the amount and diversity of plover prey resources,
especially one of their key prey resources - amphipods
• Supplementing wrack onto the upper beach increases Hooded Plover prey resources without
attracting Hooded Plover predators”
106. Population Divergence and Structure in the Hooded Plover across its
Southern Mainland Australian Distribution
Joanna Sumner, Museum of Victoria. Additional authors Mike Weston, Kylea Clarke, Grainne
Maguire.
“Since the Pleistocene, climatic changes have transformed southern Australia from a more mesic
forested environment to a more arid one, producing biogeographical barriers to movement, and
fragmenting species and habitats. One of these biogeographical barriers is the Nullabor Plain. There
are a number of terrestrial bird species distributed across the semi-arid and mesic parts of southern
Australia that all diverged in the last 3.5 million years, as the continent has dried. Across the
Australian continent, biogeographical patterns in fauna have focused mostly on terrestrial species;
relatively few have focused on species that use wetlands and/or coasts, or which span mesic and
arid areas. The extent to which biogeographical barriers apply to waterbirds is poorly known. It
might be that the coastline, such as that along the Great Australian Bight may mean that species
occurring east and west of the Nullabor, and which might use or traverse saline waters, might
remain functionally connected.”
The research described in this presentation focused on looking for evidence of population
divergence from morphological differences and genetic changes between eastern and western
populations of the hooded plover.
“Aims of the project:
Is there is population divergence and genetic structure across the hooded plover’s southern
mainland Australian distribution?
Are there morphological differences between eastern and western populations?
Is there genetic structure between eastern and western part of distribution?
Can we identify migrants between regions or populations?”
Sampling was done in WA, SA and Vic at various locations where birds were captured, measured,
banded and a small blood sample taken.
Genetic analysis was done based on the blood samples taken and detailed analysis of all data was
conducted using a number of techniques and modelling methods. The presentation details all of
these and provides background to the methods used.
11Summary of Findings
• Western birds are larger, darker, nomadic rather than resident, less coastal and exhibit a variety
of ecological differences. Little genetic structure.
• Eastern birds are smaller, lighter, and tend to be less nomadic, evidence of long distance
migration events along south-east coast, and some genetic structure.
• No evidence of recent dispersal between western and eastern populations.
• Results support the recognition of western birds as distinct from eastern mainland birds.
• Additional sampling required throughout the range of the hooded plover to clarify dispersal
patterns, focusing especially on samples from NSW and Tasmania.
7. Impacts of foxes and dogs on Hooded Plovers on Phillip Island and
predator management
Peter Dann, Shani Blyth, Phillip Island Nature Parks. Additional authors Jon Fallaw, Alona
Charuvi, Stuart Murphy, Rachael Ferguson, Bob Baird & Dan Lees
An uplifting presentation which detailed the success of fox and dog management on Philip Island and
the resultant increase in adult Hooded Plover numbers.
Foxes were successfully eradicated from the island by August 2015.
The impact of dogs on fledging success is still a concern however and this presentation details the
efforts being made to ensure that dog owners are compliant with the regulations.
The regulations were detailed and maps showing the various restrictions were presented.
A crucial point being made was that it is important to emphasise that it’s “Not just about the
Hoodies” and that dogs on beaches impact other beach users, other wildlife and dog safety.
Importantly the emphasis is placed on compliance with the regulations being voluntary rather than
dependant on enforcement.
12“We are working towards voluntary compliance and education to get beach users on our side.
Voluntary compliance is the most important as people will do the right thing even if you’re not on
the beach as opposed to seeing a ranger and quickly putting their dog on the lead.”
Charts showing details of ranger patrols were presented demonstrating that there is still resistance
to ranger compliance and that an education campaign needs to continue.
“If we can get compliance with our dog regulations it keeps not only the people doing the right thing
happy but also benefits the wildlife on our beaches.”
Rocky the African Black Oystercatcher has a selfie with the Meg Cullen introducing the day, photo Kasun Ekanayake.
audience, photo Mark Brown
Rob Mancini from Evergreen Designs, who does a lot of Registration table, photo Grainne Maguire
graphic design work for BirdLife, photo Kasun Ekanayake.
Friday night dinner, photo Grainne Maguire Lunch set up, photo Grainne Maguire
13Bunurong coast fossils field trip, photo Grainne Maguire Mike Cleeland, dinosaur expert! Photo Grainne Maguire
Inverloch surf beach field trip, photo Kasun Ekanayake The BNB team with Brittany and Mark from Nature’s Valley
Trust, photo Dan Lees
Dan Lees from the BNB team, Jon Fallaw from Phillip Island Louise and Carly from Parks Victoria, Linda Brannian from
Nature Parks and Brian Martin from Parks Victoria, photo BirdLife Northern Rivers, photo Grainne Maguire
Grainne Maguire
14DAY 2 Saturday 25th May, Inverloch Community Hub
1. The Glorious Bass Coast
Stephen Johnson. Regional Coordinator Friends of Hooded Plover Bass Coast
Steve provided a wonderful introduction to the Bass Coast for visitors to the region. Using a series
of beautiful photographs, he detailed what the Bass Coast has to offer and also provided information
on the birds, both resident and migratory, found along the shoreline.
The major challenges faced by the beach-nesting birds in the region along with some detail of
Steve’s involvement with banding and scientific projects in the area were presented. This served to
demonstrate the long history of interest in monitoring the beach birds of the area.
The presentation closed with a chart showing the 2018/19 season outcomes for birds on the Bass
Coast which give food for thought.
2. Beach nesting birds in Tweed Shire: an update
Linda Brannian, Tweed Shire Council and Pam Gray, BirdLife Northern Rivers
This joint presentation between representatives from BirdLife Northern Rivers and Tweed Shire
Council demonstrates how working together and with the community can successfully raise public
awareness and help protect beach-nesting birds.
15Bush stone -curlew management and research plays a big part in the work done in Tweed Shire. A
well developed and comprehensive public awareness campaign was described with examples of
various projects given including signage and fencing, fox control, domestic dog and cat controls and
a five-year banding project.
A pair of breeding Beach Stone-curlews started nesting at a highly used beach site (well on the
foreshore near a public playground and BBQ!) for the first time during 2019/20 and the council,
BirdLife Northern Rivers and the community pulled out all the stops to help this pair successfully
breed. This included a popular social media campaign which helped inform residents, fencing and
signage and a near constant presence by volunteers.
The Council’s use of online systems and media releases was also detailed emphasising that the dog
walking community was better informed and therefore more compliant as a result.
A big shout out to the BirdLife BNB team completed the presentation.
163. Hooded Plover Conservation in Western Australia:
Christine Taylor, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions WA
The WA subspecies of Hooded Plovers are listed as Priority 4: Rare, Near threatened and other
species in need of monitoring.
This presentation from Parks and Wildlife in WA, with data and assistance from Marcus Singor who
heads up the Hooded Plover volunteers in WA, detailed the current situation as well as the
monitoring and support programs in place, and in development, in the area. Detailed information
about the WA annual count results (see below), the distribution of birds on inland lakes in south
west WA were given. Hooded Plover flock sizes have also been monitored since 1982 and these
results were also shown. Alarmingly, numbers appear to be declining and yet, the nomadic
movements and challenges of surveying expansive salt lakes in the WA interior, present a challenge
for demonstrating a population in trouble.
The presentation then moved to the topic of “What is being done” and detailed a number of
different projects. The Cape to Cape Hooded Plover project is the most comprehensive of these and
involves volunteer monitoring and threat management along this high use coast.
17The current situation, project aims and results were reported ending on a positive note regarding
community and volunteer involvement and predictions for a successful breeding season next year. It
also highlights the value of long-term investment in protecting beach-nesting Hooded Plovers.
4. Where do Pied Oystercatchers go and are they ok?
Roger Standen, Victorian Wader Studies Group and additional authors: Marcel Klaassen, Clive
Minton, Roz Jessop
40 years of data gathered by the Victorian Wader Study Group was presented by Rog Standen, Chair
VWSG and supported by analysis completed by co-author Marcel Klaassen from Deakin University.
The field process used was to catch birds at their high tide non-breeding flocking sites with cannon-
nets. Birds have been individually marked for decades, starting with colour band combinations and
since 2003, with engraved leg flags.
A lot of detailed analysis has been done on the movement of individual birds over the years, looking
for patterns and changes over time. The raw data was tabulated and presented in graphic format
demonstrating the proportions of populations moving from one site to another, comparing one area
with another and looking for differences between the sexes.
It seems that pied oystercatchers are doing ok but, with high tides responsible for most lost nests in
Mortimer Bay, Tasmania in 1982/3 and 1989/90 (Newman 1992), and climate change likely to
exacerbate high tides, perhaps pied oystercatchers will need to generate a new nest building
technique to survive.
5. Where are they now? Insights from flagging Hooded Plovers.
Daniel Lees and Kasun Ekanayake, BirdLife Australia
The presentation started with a delineation of the aims of the banding program and the potential
additional applications of the knowledge gained in conservation management and disaster recovery.
18This was followed by examples of what we’ve learnt, including mortality and necropsy findings, plus
site and partner fidelity. Dan Lees then went on to talk about survival estimates and investigating the
data for any sex biases in survival rates and dispersal movements.
Results for chick survival, juvenile and adult survival and natal dispersal were presented
1920
Some examples of natal dispersive movements were shown, including some fledglings that remained
in their natal territories, while others moved hundreds of kilometres!
6. Beach morphology, nesting habitat and citizen-science:
Associate Professor David M Kennedy
Professor Kennedy began with an introduction to the project in which Deakin University and
Melbourne University are partnering with DELWP (Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and
Planning) to study change in height, extent and volume of sediment on beaches and shoreline. The
problems associated with predicting shoreline erosion were then discussed. This was followed with
an outline of what is occurring and an introduction to the VCMP – Victorian Coastal Monitoring
Program.
“The Victorian Coastal Monitoring Program (VCMP) aims to provide communities with information on
coastal condition, change, hazards, and the expected longer-term impacts associated with climate change
that will support decision making and adaptation planning. Partnerships with community groups (citizen
science) and institutions to co-invest in coastal monitoring projects at both regional and local scales is
central to the success of the VCMP.” https://www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/coastal-
programs/victorian-coastal-monitoring-program
Detailed information was given on the use of drones to monitor the redistribution of sand on
beaches
and the change in beach profiles recorded in continuous surveying over several years.
21Afterwards the BNB team spoke to David about working more closely together to mitigate any
potential impacts of using drones near nesting Hooded Plovers.
7. The ecology and role of embryonic vocalisations in shorebirds:
Kristal Kostoglou. Deakin University
Supervisors: Dr Mike Weston, Dr Grainne Maguire, Dr Wouter van Dongen
A PHD student at Deakin University, Kristal began with a discussion of the lack of previous studies or
data particularly in relation to shorebirds. She then went on to discuss the possible functions of
embryonic calling.
The objectives of the study were then presented:
22• Documenting the occurrence of embryonic calling in Red-capped Plovers Charadrius ruficapillus
and Masked Lapwings Vanellus miles
• Determining the role of embryonic calling in thermoregulation
• Determining the role of embryonic calling in parental defence
• Sex and age differences in the development of calling in shorebirds; do young negotiate parental
care
Each objective and associated study methods and possible outcomes were then discussed. Results
are yet to be finalised as the research is still underway.
8. Have three decades of environmental change impacted colonies of
Crested Terns in Bass Strait?
Jessica Radford. Deakin University. Supervisor: Marcel Klaassen
The presentation began with a statement of the project background and the areas in which the
study took place - The Nobbies, Mud Islands and Corner Inlet. Data was collected by the VWSG who
have a long-term data set from banding Crested Terns and their chicks.
This was followed by details of the methodology used
and very detailed tabulation of results gained showing the variation in numbers of breeding pairs,
chicks hatched and juvenile survival rates. Many variables were considered and measured and
graphed including things such as food availability, water and air temperature, and rainfall. A
comparison with the breeding success of Australasian Gannets and Little Penguins was also included
and the impact of colony exchange or site fidelity was also considered.
23Roger Standon from the VWSG, photo Grainne Maguire David Kennedy from University of Melbourne, photo
Grainne Maguire
Christine Taylor from Western Australia, photo Grainne M Mark Brown from Nature’s Valley Trust, photo Grainne M
Photography workshop by Leo Berzins Phillip Island field trip, photo Dan Lees
Wilsons Promontory field trip, photo Kasun Ekanayake Wilsons Promontory field trip, photo Kasun Ekanayake
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