Hi All
I agree with Ian on this subject. I believe leg flagging of small waders is detrimental to their well being and should stop immediately. I will go even further and say that all banding/leg flagging of waders should stop as it causes huge amounts of stress on these birds for no good reason. We should be concentrating all of our efforts on non-interactive (minimal disturbance) counts, recording all relevant information about these birds, actively working towards habitat retention/management. This is what we are doing on Kangaroo Island as part of the 20/20 Shorebird Project. I would be horrified if someone seriously suggested that we start cannon netting KI waders in order to band/flag them. I really cannot see any real benefit of this practice continuing. We know enough about the movements of these birds now and as Ian’s suggests we need to be concentrating all of our efforts on wader conservation projects and protecting these birds and their precious feeding and roosting habitats from detrimental impacts/disturbance.
I spent three months in the Kimberley last year and 10 days at Broome/Roebuck Bay. Observing waders at Roebuck Bay over this period was a wonderful experience. However I must add that I did come away from that place with certain misgivings. I went there thinking that after many years of awareness about this area and its significance as the wader mecca of Australia, stakeholders charged with managing this place would have their act well and truly sorted out. Firstly, I must say that the wardens there were first class and were doing everything expected of them re: wader tours/management given the constraints they work under (lack of policing powers, funding etc). I was not prepared for the shock I got in seeing the amount of habitat degradation and disturbance to the waders by all manner of vested interests. It is still very much a Broome residents recreation area where lack of legislation/management allows these people to 4wd off road in order to fish, party or whatever else might take their fancy. The damage to the dune area of Crab Creek Mouth (sand erosion silting/compacting mangroves) was quite severe and some vehicles even drove on beaches accessed by the many eroded tracks off of the main esplanade road. I observed waders disturbed time and again by these recreational exploits and coupled with noisy hovercraft/airboat tour visits to the shoreline from Broome and constant jet airplanes flying directly overhead I wondered if roosting birds were ever going to get an opportunity to roost peacefully at all. It even led me to frowning at Brahminy Kites and Sea-eagles as they added more natural disturbance to these very nervous waders.
I have mentioned all of this in order to set the scene for my closing statement. After witnessing all of these disturbances to the roosting waders I was intrigued to know more about cannon netting. It just did not gel well with me that bird banders would be exacting even further disturbance/stress to these waders. It must be chaos when the canon-net falls over a swathe of birds and banders rush in to free and box them ready for processing. I found that it is even worse than that. I was puzzled as to how a cannon-net could be set up in the right spot given that waders shifted their roosting sites from one high tide to another depending upon earlier disturbances/varying tides etc. It seems that the banders have to deliberately flush the waders on occasions in order that they fly from a non cannon-net roost site in order to get them to fly off and land/roost in the “right” cannon-net spot so they can be captured successfully. If this is true it is cruel harassment and it must stop.
In closing I know that banders mean well with what they are doing but I am convinced that many of them have their better judgement blinded by their addiction to the hobby/practice of bird banding. Many are overzealous and are prepared to overlook the well being of these fragile delicate creatures in order to sate their own personal pleasures/egos. I believe there needs to be a thorough assessment of bird banding in Australia. I for one need convincing of its merits.
Chris Baxter
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Chris, are the birds disturbed by jets? I would have thought they’d become accustomed to them.
Peter Shute
“I observed waders disturbed time and again by these recreational exploits and coupled with noisy hovercraft/airboat tour visits to the shoreline from Broome and constant jet airplanes flying directly overhead I wondered if roosting birds were ever going to get an opportunity to roost peacefully at all.”