webs news - bto

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WeBS data andavian influenza

As most of you are doubtless already aware,WeBS data are used regularly by the govern-ment conservation agencies to designate reserves and other areas of protection, and tofight potentially damaging developments. Recently however, WeBS data have provedinvaluable in our fight against avian flu. David Stroud from JNCC explains . . .

T he spread of the Asian lineagehighly pathogenic avianinfluenza H5N1 across Eurasia

during the last 12 months has been thesubject of considerable (though ofteninaccurate) media attention. Duringthis period, the WeBS Partners havebeen working with the UK governmentand the European Union to provide thenecessary data and information for anumber of risk assessments. From apolicy perspective, the central ques-tion asked by government has been“what is the risk of H5N1 arriving in theUK, when and where?”

Late last summer, the role of wildbirds in transmitting H5N1 wasunclear, but it is now apparent thatwild birds are one of the multipleroutes of transmission of the virus, (aswas demonstrated by the arrival of thevirus in Europe prior to any outbreak inpoultry.) Other transmission routessuch as the movements (both legaland illegal) of poultry and poultryproducts, the wild bird trade andmechanical transfer have allcontributed to the global spread of thedisease to varying degrees.

The wealth of existing data onwetland sites, waterbird distributionand movements within the UK hasbeen invaluable in responding to thefast-changing events of the last year. Inassessing the risk of transmissionspecifically by wild birds, WeBS data

have been used in the major riskassessment undertaken by theEuropean Food Safety Authority1 aswell as a recently published assess-ment by the European Commission2.

Closer to home, WeBS has been aprimary source of data for national riskassessments undertaken by DEFRA inresponse to the rapidly changingsituation3.

During the spring of this year, theability to be able to rapidly advisegovernment was tested with a ‘falsealarm’ in Orkney in mid-March.Unfortunately this was soon followedby the confirmation of the real thing(of the HPAI H5N1 strain) in Fife inearly April, when a decomposingWhooper Swan was found inCellardyke Harbour near Anstruther. Afew weeks later, an infection of poultryin Norfolk by the by low pathogenic H7strain was confirmed. For each ofthese incidents the immediate ques-tions asked were related to thelocation of and composition of anyconcentrations of waterbirds in thevicinity, coupled with questions as tospread through onward waterbirdmovements.

Ringing data, such as thatsummarised by BTO’s Migration Atlas,have also been crucial to an under-standing of waterbird movements, and

Continued on page 3

CONTENTS

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2RAFOS helps out with WeBS Counts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Mixed fortunes for Whooper & Bewick’s Swans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6A vagrant counter on the East Asian Flyway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Special Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Golden Plovers & Lapwings . . . . . . .11Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12A request from the WeBS Office . .13Other News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Who’s who in the WeBS Team . . . .15WeBS Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Newsletter of the Wetland Bird Survey

Issue no. 22 Summer 2006

WeBS Core Priority Count DatesAs requested by many counters, we have included a separate insert with the prioritycount dates for the rest of 2006 up to the end of 2007. We have also put them on page7 of this Newsletter, as some folk prefer to refer to their WeBS News. Counters andorganisers may also find the dates on the WeBS website, so hopefully these contingen-cies please and inform all of you!

WeBS News

WeBS

CROWES WeBS-News-060922.qxp 27/9/06 3:30 pm

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S ummer again and it has beenanother busy year for WeBS. Asif the everyday tasks of running

the scheme, collating all your records,writing reports and answeringrequests for data weren’t enough, inAugust 2005 (shortly after WeBS News21 went to press), the “bird world” wasplunged into the issue of AvianInfluenza. A year on, many of us nowknow more than we ever expected (orwanted!) to know about virus strains,disease control, the poultry industry,the workings of governmental andinter-governmental agencies and, ofcourse, the media. We had alreadyfeatured an article on the virus inWeBS News 21 but I have to admit Ihadn’t realised the significance of thepiece at the time!

In many ways, the massive atten-tion suddenly given to AI wasunwelcome, a distraction fromongoing work (and indeed, life outsidework!) However, on the other handthere has been no greater opportunityin recent years to demonstrate to thegovernment, the media and the publicthe value of the volunteer bird moni-toring carried out in the UK. Given thatthe majority of cases have involvedwaterbirds, WeBS and the ringingscheme have obviously been at theforefront, but data from almost allsurveys, ranging from those looking atgarden birds to the large-scale atlaseshave been brought into play to informthe debate. JNCC Chief OrnithologistDavid Stroud talks about of this in hisarticle (see front page).

One of the features of avianinfluenza is that it is very much aninternational phenomenon. Luckily, sois bird monitoring. Ornithologists havesuddenly been needed across theworld to inform their local policy-makers and to contribute to the globalview of the virus. In a way that wouldhave been impossible in previousdecades, transfer of information, ideasand theories has been made straight-forward by e-mail and the internet. Ane-mail discussion forum was set up inAugust 2005 for ornithologists todiscuss AI issues. At the time ofwriting, there have now been 2,352messages posted and there are 120members of the group, from all overthe world. Such international coopera-tion between national counting andringing schemes has long been thecase, but situations such as AI under-line the importance of internationalorganisations such as WetlandsInternational and Euring. WeBS counts

are fed into the International WaterbirdCensus, a collation of January countsacross the world by WetlandsInternational. As well as helping toanswer questions about specific issuessuch as AI, the IWC is also of crucialimportance in determining interna-tional population sizes and trends.

Of course, we keep saying it but it’strue: none of this would be possiblewithout you. The counts we all makeat our individual sites not only makeup part of the national picture, but alsothe world view. Once again, thanks forall your help and have a good 2006–07season!

Andy Musgrove

WeBS National [email protected]

WeBS Counter [email protected]

WeBS National Organiser(Core Counts)

[email protected] National Organiser

(Low Tide Counts)[email protected]

is an Ornithological Advisor at [email protected]

is a Research Ecologist at [email protected]

is a WeBS Counter on the Cromarty Firthis a Research Ecologist at BTO

[email protected] a Research Ecologist at BTO

[email protected] a Research Ecologist at BTO

[email protected] a Senior Project Officer

(Waterbird Monitoring) at [email protected]

have been jointly respon-sible for this issue of WeBS News.Heidi is the WeBS Office Secretary

[email protected] National Coordinator

[email protected] the Senior Ornithologist at JNCC

[email protected] a Waterbird Monitoring Officer at WWT

[email protected]

Information in this Newsletter is compiled from avariety of sources and does not necessarily reflectthe views of the WeBS partner organization

Cover photograph by Al DownieLine drawings by Richard Richardson (Snipe),

D A Thelwell (Redshank), JF Robinson (Curlew) andLaurel Tucker (Turnstone)

Typeset and laid out by Eng-Li Green, Pennsylvannia, USA

Printed by Crowes Complete Print, NorwichPrinted on Barbican Laser Matt paper in Cheltenham ITC BT and M Gill Sans fonts

Published by BTO/WWT/RSPB/JNCC©BTO 2006

The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) is the monitoringscheme for non-breeding waterbirds in the UK whichaims to provide the principal data for the conservationof their populations and wetland habitats. The datacollected are used to assess the size of waterbird popu-lations, assess trends in numbers and distribution andidentify and monitor important sites for waterbirds. Aprogramme of research underpins these objectives.Continuing a tradition begun in 1947, around 3,000volunteer counters participate in synchronised monthlycounts at wetlands of all habitat types, mainly during thewinter period.WeBS is a partnership between the BritishTrust for Ornithology, The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust,Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the JointNature Conservation Committee (the last on behalf ofthe Countryside Council for Wales, English Nature,Scottish Natural Heritage and the Environment &Heritage Service in Northern Ireland).

The Nunnery,Thetford,Norfolk IP24 2PUT 01842 750050F 01842 750030W www.bto.org

The Lodge, Sandy,Bedfordshire SG19 2DL

T 01767 680551W www.rspb.org.uk

Slimbridge,Gloucestershire GL2 7BT

T 01453 891900F 01453 890901

W www.wwt.org.uk

Monkstone House, City Road,Peterborough PE1 1JY

T 01733 562626W www.jncc.gov.uk

Colour comes toWeBS News

Hopefully you will not fail to noticethat this, the 22nd edition of WeBSNews, has changed! We are intro-ducing a colour section to eachissue, which we hope you willenjoy, and which will serve tobetter illustrate some of thefeatured articles. We couldn’tresist the beautiful photographs ofwaders in South Korea to startthings off, particularly as one ofthe most desirable species formany birdwatchers (the Spoon-billed Sandpiper) is shown inglorious close-up. Maybe one dayit will feature on an East CoastWeBS form . . .

Steve Holloway

EditorialEditorial


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along with information deduced fromthe virus have helped us learn moreabout the likely source of these infec-tions. Thus, the genotype of the H5N1isolated from the Fife Whooper Swanwas virtually identical to those of HPAIH5N1 viruses then circulating in theBaltic, indicating the ultimate source(although whether it had actually beenbrought across the North Sea by theswan or other species is obviouslyunknown).

Whilst last winter saw largely reac-tive use of WeBS data to advisegovernment, the BTO and WWT arecurrently involved in a major projectfor DEFRA to assess areas of potentialhigher risk of avian influenza occur-rence; identifying where there arelarge concentrations of poultry in closeproximity to significant numbers ofwaterbirds. This will provide importantinformation to allow a more strategicapproach to the targeting of AI surveil-lance activity in the months ahead. Itwill also help the UK to start to developan ‘early-warning system’ related tocirculating avian influenza viruses.This is crucially important given thehuge potential economic impacts thatoutbreaks of influenza can have. The2003 HPAI H7N7 outbreak in theNetherlands, for instance, resulted indirect costs to the poultry industry ofC= 270 million and indirect costsexceeding C= 1,000 million with over 30million chickens killed before theoutbreak was stamped-out.

The spread of H5N1 also has impli-cations for bird conservation as themortality of a significant proportion ofthe world population of Bar-headedGeese demonstrated last year inChina. Government contingency plan-ning highlights the potential need tominimise disturbance to birds ininfected areas and thus reduce the riskof local spread of the virus. To this end,the ability to map waterbird distribu-tions with respect to outbreaks iscritical and will aid conservation also.

The events of the last 12 monthshave especially highlighted threethemes:

• The immeasurable importance ofthe WeBS data archive representingcountless days of voluntary surveyeffort over decades. This voluntaryeffort is never taken for granted,and without it a monitoring schemeof the size and scope of WeBSwould simply not be feasible. Theend result, constantly growing,allows increasingly sophisticatedquestions to be addressed.

• The fact that, however good our dataarchive is, its value in advisinggovernment, especially in real-timeemergencies, is only as good as theinformation systems that allow theretrieval of key data and its summari-sation to provide readily understoodinformation for decision-makerswithin government. To this end, theincreasingly GIS-based informationsystems used by WeBS performedwell, and more than justified theinvestment that the WeBS Partners

have been making in recent years.The current development of on-linesystems of data capture through theWeBS Online project and associatedwork will further enhance capabili-ties to extract and organise pastcounts.

• The importance of specialistprofessional staff being able tointerpret collated WeBS data so asto advise and inform governmentagencies.

It seems unlikely that the issuesraised by the spread of HPAI H5N1 willgo away soon, and there is currentlymuch planning within the governmentand its agencies to develop rathermore sustainable systems of adviceprovision. This is seeing the develop-ment of information modules that canreadily extract necessary data inadvance of its need. Watch this space!

For more information:1http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/scienc

e/ahaw/ahaw_opinions/1484.html2http://ec.europa.eu/environment/

nature/nature_conservation/focus_wild_birds/avian_influenza/index_en.htm

3http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/monitoring/riskassess.htm

David StroudSenior Ornithologist, JNCC

WeBS data and avian influenza….continued from page 1

Wildbird risk area surrounding the H5N1 outbreak site at Cellardyke, Fife.Dots show position of WeBS sites


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T he Wetland Bird Survey(WeBS) aims to monitor thechanging fortunes of the UK’s

non-breeding waterbirds. It remainsone of the most popular of volunteersurveys and coverage is excellentacross much of the UK. However, incommon with many other surveys,there is a perennial problem in gettingthe more remote parts of the countrycovered.

One such area is the north-westcoastline of mainland Scotland, fromSkye up to Cape Wrath and then eastalong the north coast of Sutherland.This is a wild and windswept region,with numerous deeply-indented sea-lochs backed by a hinterland ofmountains and moors. Relatively fewpeople live in the region and theweather in the winter months can beparticularly harsh. Small wonder thenthat getting regular coverage of the

RAFOS helps out with WeBS Countsin NW Scotland

Andy Musgrove (centre) with John Wells (left) and Eric Howlett from RAFOSduring their visit to WeBS HQ Photograph by Steve Holloway

Good numbers of Shag were recorded during the RAFOS counts Photograph by Stuart Newson

RAFOS helps out with WeBS Countsin NW Scotland


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area for WeBS has been difficult in allbut a handful of areas.

We have been delighted, therefore,that the Royal Air Force OrnithologicalSociety (RAFOS) have mounted expe-ditions to this coast during February2005 and 2006, following similarsurveys back in the 1990s. A smallnumber of hardy souls have countedwaterbirds along as much of the coastas possible, concentrating on thelarger sea-lochs but with more openareas of coast covered also. Theresults have been extremely inter-esting, with several species regular uphere that are considered scarce furthersouth. For example, in February 2005the team found totals of 46 Black-throated and 95 Great Northern Divers,12 Iceland Gulls and eight GlaucousGulls, not to mention occasional guestappearances by both Golden andWhite-tailed Eagles.

In addition, the RAFOS team havealso provided counts for some of theinland lochs in the region. As might beexpected, these lochs have beenfound to support extremely low densi-ties, with many having no birds at alland others perhaps holding aGoldeneye or two. Whilst perhaps notso exciting as the coast, we have beenvery pleased indeed to get theseinland counts. We are currently inves-tigating analytical approaches toestimating the numbers of waterbirds

present on uncounted waterbodies,both in Scotland and elsewhere in theUK. To do so, we need counts from atleast some of each “class” of water-body. Whilst an average small loch inSutherland may only hold one bird inwinter, there are tens of thousands ofthese lochs in northern Scotland.Given that the British estimate forGoldeneye is only about 25,000 birds,the potential interest in learning moreabout such sites is clear.

RAFOS, organised by John Wellsand Jerry Knights, are to be congratu-lated for their support in this area andhave already announced their willing-ness to be involved in the forthcomingNon-estuarine Coastal WaterbirdSurvey (NEWS) (see page10) duringwinter 2006-07, which is fantastic. Welook forward to continuing to workwith them in the future.

Andy Musgrove

Map of the area covered by RAFOS

Eider were commonly recorded by RAFOS Photograph by Mike Weston


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W intering populations ofWhooper and Bewick’sSwans are monitored

every five years by an internationalmid-winter census involving the effortsof hundreds of volunteer and profes-sional ornithologists across thewintering ranges. Very many thanks goto all those WeBS counters who wereinvolved in the January 2005 census,not only for covering their usual patch,but for all the extra effort involved insearching the countryside for addi-tional sites that had the potential to

hold swans but are not routinelycovered by WeBS.

Results of the January 2005 censushave helped to determine the currentsize of each population, as well astrends in population growth (ordecline), and have provided valuableinformation regarding importantfeeding and roosting sites, habitat useand breeding success. The resultsshow very different trends for thesetwo species within Britain and Ireland.

The Icelandic Whooper Swanpopulation (which winters mostly in

Britain and Ireland) has undergone aperiod of sustained growth since themid 1990s. Results show a staggeringrise from around 16,000 individuals in1995, to over 26,000 in 2005. Of all birdscounted, 37% were recorded in theRepublic of Ireland, 25% in England,16% in Scotland, 16% in NorthernIreland and 6% in Iceland.

Although numbers have increasedin all countries (with the exception ofWales), proportionally the largestgrowth was seen in England.Continuing increases concentrated atjust two sites in England (OuseWashes in Norfolk/Cambridgeshireand Martin Mere in Lancashire) arelargely responsible for the rise in totalnumbers in England.

As in 2000, the Highlands regionheld the largest numbers of birds (829)in Scotland in 2005, although manyareas experienced substantial changesin numbers between the twocensuses. Decreases were apparent incentral Scotland and Borders, butwere accompanied by increases ofmore than 50% in Lothian, Fife,Tayside, Grampian, Highlands andShetland regions. Increases of

Whooper Swans Photograph by Paul Docharty

Total numbers of Whooper and Bewick’s Swans in January 2005

Number of Whooper Swans Number of Bewick’s Swans

Northern Ireland 4,331 13

Republic of Ireland 9,748 211

England 6,495 6980

Wales 94 12

Scotland 4,142 0

Iceland 1,556 n/a

Total 26,366 7,216

Mixed fortunes for Whooper and Bewick’sSwans – results of the January 2005

International Swan Census

Mixed fortunes for Whooper and Bewick’sSwans – results of the January 2005

International Swan Census


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between 25–50% occurred in Dumfries& Galloway, Western Isles and Orkney.In Northern Ireland, numbersdecreased in Co. Fermanagh and Co.Antrim but increases were seen else-where, particularly in Co. Londonderryand Co. Tyrone (80% and 71%, respec-tively). In Iceland, most birds werelocated in the southern lowlands andthe southwest, the latter regionshowing the largest regional increase(57%). Smaller numbers were presentin the north of the country andremained similar to that of theprevious census.

It is possible that the increasingBritish numbers of Whooper Swans,particularly in east central England,may be inflated by an increasingproportion of birds from the NorthwestEuropean population wintering inBritain. This population breeds fromFenno-Scandia to north-west Russiaand winters in continental Europe, butit is known from ringing studies that asmall number winter in Britain. Agreater understanding of the extent ofinterchange between populations, anduse of British and Irish winteringgrounds by the Northwest Europeanpopulation, is necessary to ascertainthe true size of these expandingpopulations.

In contrast, numbers of the north-west Europe population of Bewick’sSwan wintering in Britain and Irelandhave decreased by 5% since 1995 toaround 7,200 individuals. Numbers inboth Northern Ireland and theRepublic of Ireland have decreaseddramatically from 1,244 birds in 1984,to just 224 birds in January 2005, anddeclines have also occurred in manywestern regions of Britain.

Two areas which have seenincreases in numbers, however, areEast Anglia and southeast Englandwhich suggests a possible eastwardcontraction of the wintering range.East central England continues to holdthe largest concentrations of Bewick’sSwans in Britain and Ireland; the OuseWashes regularly holding internation-ally important numbers of birds.Although annual fluctuations at theOuse Washes occur, numbers havecontinued to rise with a 7% increasebetween January 1995 and January2005.

The northwest Europe populationof Bewick’s Swans as a whole(including those on the continent)underwent a substantial increase from16,046 to 29,277 from 1987 to 1995,largely due to expansion of numbers inthe Netherlands. The populationthroughout the rest of northwestEurope was also censused in January2000 and 2005, but full results are stillawaited. These results will help to

determine whether declining numbersin parts of Britain and Ireland areindeed cause for concern in relation tothe true size of the entire northwestEurope population, or whetherchanging climatic conditions andwarmer winters, are causing moreswans to remain closer to theirbreeding grounds.

An assessment of the number ofjuveniles present in flocks showed thatboth species had a relatively goodbreeding season in comparison withother census years. The overallpercentage of young Whooper Swanswas 19.2%, ranging from 17.9% inIceland to 20.6% in Britain and overallmean brood size was 2.3 cygnets. Thisis the highest percentage of youngrecorded in a census year since 1986,when 22.9% was reported. Likewise,the percentage of young Bewick’sSwans recorded in flocks was found tobe relatively high at 13.9% and meanbrood size was comparable to that ofprevious years (1.98). This is thehighest productivity recorded in acensus year since 1991.

As with previous censusesWhooper Swans were recorded mostcommonly on pasture in Britain andIreland, although use of arable landhas increased over the last threecensuses. Results suggest potentialagricultural conflict is limited sinceonly a small proportion of birds werefound on growing crops. Instead, themajority of birds recorded on arableland in January 2005 were using wastestubble and harvested potato fields. Incontrast, Bewick’s Swans were mostcommonly recorded on arable land in2005, and similar to previous years,most were using winter cereal andsugar beet.

The January 2005 census hasshown a continuing upward trend innumbers of Whooper Swans and withthe consistently good breedingsuccess seen over the last ten years, itwill be interesting to see if this trendcontinues. Results of the Bewick’sSwan census from the continent are

eagerly awaited to determine thestatus of the northwest population ofBewick’s Swan throughout Europe.

The full results will be publishedlater this year and will also be avail-able on WWT’s Goose & SwanMonitoring Programme web pages atwww.wwt.org.uk/research/monitoring/

Jenny Worden

PRIORITY CORECOUNT DATES2006 – 2007

13 August 2006

17 September 2006

8 October 2006

19 November 2006

17 December 2006

21 January 2007

18 February 2007

18 March 2007

15 April 2007

13 May 2007

17 June 2007

2007 – 2008

15 July 2007

12 August 2007

16 September 2007

7 October 2007

11 November 2007

9 December 2007


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I n April I packed my telescope andtally counter and headed for SouthKorea. I had responded to a

request in the Wader Study GroupBulletin asking for experienced shore-bird counters to take part in theSaemangeum Shorebird MonitoringProgram (SSMP). The vastSaemangeum estuarine system on thewest coast of South Korea is the singlemost important known site for migra-tory shorebirds in the Yellow Sea, itselfa core area on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Internationallyimportant concentrations of at least 18species of shorebird have been regu-larly supported by the site, as well asnine or more other waterbird species.

Despite its enormous ecologicalimportance, Saemangeum had beentargeted for reclamation by the SouthKorean government and followingfifteen years of legal battles was aboutto be finally enclosed. Few organisedshorebird counts had been conductedthere in recent years and very littlegovernment data had been madepublicly available. In addition thereappeared to be no program in place to

monitor the impact of this reclamationproject on shorebirds.

Recognising the need to monitorand publicise the impact of what isprobably the largest single ongoingcoastal reclamation project in theworld, the domestic conservationorganisation Birds Korea, partneredwith the Australasian Wader StudiesGroup (AWSG), set up the SSMP. Theintention was to undertake intensiveshorebird surveying in theSaemangeum system through Apriland May 2006 (with similar surveyeffort planned for 2007 and 2008). TheSSMP also aimed to count the adjacentGomso Bay and Geum Estuary, wherethe proponents of the reclamationclaim the birds displaced fromSaemangeum will move to.

I left Scotland on April 21st, the daythat bulldozers closed the lastremaining gaps in the 33-km longSaemangeum seawall. This finallydammed 40,100 ha of tidal-flats andshallows and left tidal exchangecontrolled by two sluice gates totallingonly 540m in length. By the time I lefton 30th April the tidal range had beendrastically reduced from a near-natural

7 m peak in March to less than 1m.Forecast models indicate that 90% ofthe tidal-flat will be either dried out orpermanently flooded within the nextyear, and construction of inner dykes isexpected to start in 2008. The impacton the area is already enormous withthe livelihoods of an estimated 25 000local people affected. A report by aKorean government institute suggeststhat this single reclamation could evencause a region-wide rise in sea level,leading to a loss of a further 5% of theYellow Sea’s tidal-flats. Worst of all thisterrible damage has been donewithout any clear end-use for any landcreated.

There were several reasons why Ivolunteered for the SSMP. I had beenaware of the Saemangeum reclama-tion for a while and I thought that therewas still a possibility to stop it andfurther disastrous coastal reclamationsin South Korea if Birds Korea could getenough data to convince the courts. Itwas also an opportunity to use theskills and experience I have gained asa WeBS counter in an internationalproject. Finally, there was the chanceto see two of the most enigmatic

Bar-tailed GodwitsPhotograph by Jan van de Kam (Birds Korea)

A vagrant counter on theEast Asian Flyway

It is easy to forget that many countries lack monitoring schemes such as WeBS, with sites being damaged or destroyed almost beforethey have been ‘discovered.’ However, in this particular instance, the Saemangeum tidal flats of South Korea are known to be of inter-national importance for migrating shorebirds but this has not stopped the construction of a barrage as a first stage to reclaiming thearea.WeBS counter Simon Cohen describes a recent visit he made to the area.


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Spoon-billed SandpiperPhotograph by Jan van de Kam (Birds Korea)

Great KnotPhotograph by Jan van de Kam (Birds Korea)

waders in the world, Spoon-BilledSandpiper and Nordmann’s (Spotted)Greenshank, for which Saemangeumis a major stopping-off point.

I have been a WeBS counter onand off for 15 years and on theCromarty Firth, my present patch, Ihave survived sub-zero temperatures,gale force winds and the occasionalblizzard. However counting in Koreaposed some new challenges. Heathaze and dust blowing down from theMongolian steppe made for poorervisibility than I have ever experiencedin the UK. The numbers and diversityof species was also vastly differentfrom Northern Scotland. I saw morethan 30 species of shorebirds duringthe counts, including four Spoon-billedSandpipers, three Nordmann’s Green-shanks and an Asiatic Dowitcher.Some species were also present invast numbers. There was one flockcontaining 56,000 Great Knot. As theonly ‘vagrant’ Brit on the team (I wasworking with Australians, NewZealanders, Americans and Koreans)my excitement at seeing flocks ofspecies like Red-necked Stint andSharp-tailed Sandpipers caused mild

amusement to my antipodeancolleagues although they were unbe-lievably keen on seeing the GreatSpotted Woodpeckers in the smallscrubby woodland near the hotel!

The SSMP gathered a massiveamount of data that is still beinganalysed. However, initial estimatesshow that the three most abundantshorebird species recorded in thecombined Saemangeum/Geum areawere:

• Great Knot, with 116,126 in mid-May (approximately 30% of theworld population)

• Dunlin (82,718, also in mid-May)

• Bar-tailed Godwit (15,876 in mid-April).

Additionally 34 Spoon-billedSandpiper and 14 Nordmann’sGreenshank were recorded within theSaemangeum area in mid-May, with 70Nordmann’s Greenshank at the GeumEstuary. The Geum is also now sched-uled for reclamation.

During the programme countersalso spent time searching for leggedflagged and colour ringed waders.

More than three hundred wererecorded showing that birds fromAustralia, New Zealand, Singapore,Japan, Taiwan and China all passthrough the site.

Birds Korea and AWSG are seekingexperienced counters for future years,as well as financial support. As the bestdeveloped shorebird monitoringprogramme in the world, it would begreat if members of the WeBS networkcould go and share their expertise withlocal Korean counters. If you are inter-ested in volunteering, or any otheraspect of the SSMP, including moredetailed count information, visit theBirds Korea website atwww.birdskorea.org

If you want to express your concernabout the ongoing reclamations writeto the South Korean embassy.Background information for prepara-tion of such letters is provided onwww.birdsaustralia.com.au/articles/saemangeum.

Simon Cohen


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The Northwest ScotlandGreylag Goose Census 2006Due to a lack of funding it has been neces-sary to postpone the planned NorthwestScotland Greylag Goose Census from 2006until 2008. Unfortunately, this means thatthere will be an 11 year gap since theprevious census, but this postponementdoes provide the time needed to ensureadequate funding is available and that a fullcensus can be carried out.We would like tothank everyone who has so far contactedus to express their interest in helping withthis census, and hope that we can lookforward to their participation in 2008.

Further information about this post-ponement is available on the Goose &Swan Monitoring Programme web pages(www.wwt.org.uk/research/monitoring/),and will also be given in the next issue ofGooseNews, available from WWT or onlineat www.wwt.org.uk/research/monitoring/reports.asp.

Waterbird Monitoring UnitWWT Slimbridge

Breeding Little Ringed andRinged Plover Survey 2007(NOTE: subject to funding).The BTO is planning to organise a nationalsurvey of Little Ringed Plover and RingedPlover during the 2007 breeding season(currently pending funding).This will be thefirst census since 1984.

The first pair of Little Ringed Plovernested at Tring Reservoirs in 1938. Eversince breeding numbers have increasedcontinuously, accompanied by a west andnorthwards range expansion. The latestpopulation estimate available, in the BTONew Atlas of Breeding Birds, is about800–1,000 summering pairs for the1988–91 period.

The 1984 census of Ringed Ploverrevealed a national total of ca. 8,600 pairs,about two thirds of which bred in Scotland.There had been several local and regionalpopulation declines and a distinct spreadfrom the coast to inland sites since the1970s.The species is now Amber listed, andthe UK and the Republic of Ireland togetherhold around 80% of the temperatebreeding population of the nominate race,making it important to monitor the nationalpopulation on a regular basis.

The main objective of the survey is toobtain updated population estimates forRinged and Little Ringed Plover.Also, we areinterested in the current spatial distribution,habitat dependencies and patterns of co-occurrence of the two species.There will bea large number of sites involved, and we will

probably aim to survey a sample of previ-ously recorded sites and sites known tohave been colonised subsequently, plus astratified selection of random sites.The fieldmethods will involve three site visitsbetween April and July 2007 counting thenumber of pairs / adults present. The levelof skill required for this survey is the abilityto identify Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers.

If you would like more informationabout this survey or know of a site whichyou would like to survey, please contactMarkus Handschuh at BTO HQ (E-mail:[email protected] Tel.: 01842750050).

Breeding Great Crested GrebeSurvey 2007 (NOTE: subject tofunding).In 2007, the BTO will possibly also run anational Great Crested Grebe survey(currently pending funding).This will be thefirst national survey of the species in over30 years, which will provide an updatedbreeding population estimate.The breedingpopulation has increased considerably, asillustrated by the results of the previoussurveys in 1931, 1965 and 1975, whichrevealed estimates of ca. 2,800, 4,700 and6,800 individuals, respectively. A furtherincrease was indicated by the BTO NewAtlas of Breeding Birds (1988–91), whichestimated 8,000 breeding individuals inBritain and a further 4,150 in Ireland.Together with increasing breeding numbersthe species’ distribution has also expanded.

The methods for the survey are beingtrialled during spring/summer 2006,however, it is likely that two to three surveyvisits will be required during the surveyperiod (April to July).The bulk of the surveywill involve counting the number ofbreeding adults as well as nest and familyparties. Some basic information on the typeof water body will also be collected.

If you would like more informationabout this survey or know of a site whichyou would like to survey, please contactGreg Conway at BTO HQ (E-mail:[email protected] Tel.: 01842 750050).

The Non-estuarine CoastalWaterbird Survey (NEWS)December 2006 – January 2007The United Kingdom is internationallyimportant for its numbers of winteringwaterbirds, and many of these are moni-tored annually by the Wetland Bird Surveycounts (WeBS). However, most WeBScounts are made on estuaries and inlandwaterbodies, thereby leaving the majority of

our coastline uncounted. Important popula-tions of several species occur around ourshores outwith estuaries, and consequentlytheir numbers are not monitored annuallyby the WeBS counts.

In a bid to bolster our knowledge ofwaterbird populations around our coastline,the 1984–85 Winter Shorebird Count(WSC) was organised by the BTO, andfound that the non-estuarine coast heldparticularly important numbers of RingedPlover, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper andTurnstone. Building on the success of theWSC, a repeat survey, the Non-estuarineCoastal Waterbird Survey (NEWS), wascarried out over the 1997–98 winter.

Comparing the results from NEWS tothose of the WSC revealed declines in thenumbers of Ringed Plover (-15%),Sanderling (-20%), Purple Sandpiper (-21%),Bar-tailed Godwit (-44%) and Turnstone (-16%) wintering around the UK coastline.NEWS also revealed changes in the winterdistribution of species such as Ringed Ploverand Purple Sandpiper, with the greatestdensities of birds recorded on the WesternIsles. These changes could be linked to ourchanging climate, with milder wintersallowing birds to winter further north.

It is nine years since the 1997–98survey, and we are running it again thiswinter (December 2006-January 2007).There is plenty of anecdotal information tosuggest that the populations of species suchas Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone(amongst others) have further declinedsince the previous survey, whilst the distri-bution of other species has continued tochange.

We achieved good coverage during thelast survey, but inevitably, we are likely tohave a shortage of counters in someregions, such as Highland Scotland, the InnerHebrides, the Western Isles and Shetland.So, if you think that you would like tocontribute to a worthwhile survey over thefestive period, then please contact SteveHolloway at BTO HQ.

Email: [email protected] Tel:01842 750050

. . . Special Surveys . . .. . . Special Surveys . . .


11

T hey are in the book in thewader section and they’ve gotlong legs, but do they count as

real waders? Moreover, do we countthem as waders? Of course the answeris YES they are waders, and NO, wedon’t count them, at least not wellenough. This is where your WeBScounts can help BTO develop a morereliable estimate of the numbers ofGolden Plovers and Lapwings in theUK this coming winter.

Recent years have seen growinginterest in these species and it’s notjust restricted to the UK. Last Autumn’sInternational Wader Study Groupconference included a workshopbringing together scientists andconservationists from across Europe todiscuss gaps in knowledge and worktowards coordinated Europeansurveys of Golden Plovers. This followson the success of the October 2003count that was coordinated acrossseveral north-west European coun-tries. WeBS counts were central to thecount of 143,000 Golden Ploversrecorded in Britain. But we can dobetter and this winter’s full survey willbe another major step up in our knowl-edge of these species, and will set the

scene for the next European coordi-nated count in October 2008.

The BTO/JNCC Winter PloverSurvey will run from October 2006 toFebruary 2007 and will involve countsof key known sites plus surveys ofrandom tetrads and casual records.We’ve planned for all counts to besynchronised with WeBS Core Countdates as a means of minimising countduplication in these highly mobiledates. So what would we like WeBScounters to do? Well, broadlyspeaking, nothing! Simply survey yourusual WeBS count sectors as normaland your totals for Golden Plovers andLapwings will be extracted from yourforms upon submission to the WeBSOffice. If you see flocks of eitherspecies just outside your normal countarea, please do not add them to yoursection totals, but instead pleasewould you report them through asimple online form at www.bto.org/goto/winter-plovers.htm. If you do nothave access to a computer and/or theweb, then please include the details ofany additional flocks on a separatepiece of paper and include them whenyou return your WeBS forms.

There may be large flocks that youknow roost on your site at low tide, butare not normally present when makingyour Core (high tide) counts, as theyare likely to have moved a little wayfurther inland. Why not see if you cantrack them down? The same onlineform can be used to submit anyrecords of Golden Plovers or Lapwingsseen anywhere in the UK betweenOctober and February. If you are inter-ested in helping out in a moresystematic way, or have any questionsconcerning the survey and winteringplovers more generally then pleasecontact me. [email protected]

Simon Gillings

Golden Plovers and Lapwings –do they really count?

Golden Plover Photograph by Tommy Holden

Golden Plovers and Lapwings –do they really count?


. . . Correction . . .Wild Swan Indices – Not all doom and gloom!

Given the enormous amount ofdata generated by WeBS coun-ters each year, it is perhaps

inevitable (if regrettable) that theremay be a few errors introduced intoeach season’s annual report, Wildfowl& Wader Counts. Such errors areflagged at the start of the report for thefollowing season. However, oneproblem with the 2001–02 / 2002–03and 2003–04 reports has come to lightthat we feel is worth promptlycorrecting in a more public manner toensure that any problems arising canbe minimised. In addition, it may be ofinterest to counters to see how thisproblem has arisen.

A glance at the accounts forBewick’s Swan in the last two reportswould suggest that there has been amajor decline in numbers in GreatBritain, with the main decline betweenthe 1997–98 and 1998–99 winters.However, perusal of the text alsopoints out that numbers at the mainsite, the Ouse Washes, were very highin 2003–04. Given that the OuseWashes supports about 70% of all theBewick’s Swans in Britain, it is hard toreconcile these two observations.

Happily, it is the picture of declinethat is the false one (see the article onpage 6) Numbers of Bewick’s Swansare relatively healthy in the GB. Thetrue annual index plot for Bewick’sSwan up to 2003–04 is reproducedhere. As can be seen, numbers ofBewick’s Swans in Britain fluctuate but

have been broadly stable since themid 1980s.

The reason this error occurred isrelated to the fact that, on the OuseWashes (and Nene Washes and MartinMere) Bewick’s Swans are countednot only during standard day-timeWeBS Core Counts, but also as they flyin to roost in the evening; many swansspend the day feeding in surroundingagricultural landscapes. Prior to1998–99, such roost counts had not

been differentiated from core countsin the database. Thus, our originalindex which was based only on “core”counts, included roost counts up to1997–98 but not thereafter. This led tothe apparent decline. We are nowincluding the roost counts from thesethree sites within the index calculationfor Bewick’s Swan.

Moreover, the same problemaffected Whooper Swan, which alsoroosts on the Ouse Washes in verylarge numbers. The previouslypublished trend information for thisspecies in Britain showed a relativelystable population. However,accounting for the roost counts in thesame manner leads to a somewhatdifferent picture. Numbers ofWhooper Swans in Britain have risensubstantially over the last few years,reaching a new peak level in 2003–04.

We apologise for any problemscaused by this error. However, it isheartening to see both these finewinter species doing well in Britain.Unfortunately, Bewick’s Swan remainsat a very low ebb indeed in bothNorthern Ireland and the Republic ofIreland, and have also shown aworrying decline in some of the keywintering sites of the Netherlands. Itwill be important to maintain a closeeye on this species in years to come.

Andy Musgrove

12

Points / Solid line = Index Dashed line = Smoothed Trend

Points / Solid line = Index Dashed line = Smoothed Trend


13

W e are a fun-loving lot(generally) in the WeBSOffice, and we don’t mind

having a go at most things. However,even our powers of deduction arestrained when we receive count formswith no site name, date or counterdetails on them! These appear to befrom individual counters, rather thanvia an LO, which only adds to themystery. Unfortunately, we are unableto use the data on the forms as wehave no idea where it is from. These

instances are few and far between, butplease do check that your counterdetails, the site name and the date areon the forms before returning them tothe office. Many thanks.

In the meantime, do you recognisethe mystery form below? If you think itis yours, please identify yourself to amember of the WeBS Office. Allreplies will be treated in the strictestconfidence!

A Request from the WeBS Office


AEWA UpdateThe Agreement on the Conservation of AfricanEurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) is adaughter agreement of the Convention onMigratory Species.The third Meeting of Partieswas held in Dakar, Senegal in October 2005and was attended by around 150 delegatesrepresenting 49 Contracting Parties plus theEuropean Union (EU), 29 non-ContractingParties, nine non-governmental organisationsand three intergovernmental organisations.TheUK, holding the EU Presidency, played a promi-nent part in the meeting.

• A decision not to expand the taxonomicscope of the Agreement through theaddition of migratory seabirds, butrather to focus on the implementationof the requirements of the Agreement’sAction Plan for currently listed water-birds that occur mainly in terrestrial andcoastal wetlands.The debate highlightedthe need to develop concerted interna-tional action for a considerable numberof the most threatened waterbirdspecies, especially in Africa.The majorityof international action plans developedby AEWA have so far been for Europeanspecies. The UK, on behalf of the EU,strongly noted the need to focus theimplementation of the Agreement espe-cially on waterbirds in Africa. Theagreement of a Resolution on climatechange and waterbirds, promoted by theUK. This requests that the Agreement’sTechnical Committee start to assess theimplications of climate change for migra-tory waterbirds, and bring forwardtechnical guidance and amendments tothe Action Plan to the next Meeting ofParties. The impacts of climate changewill be of major conservation signifi-cance for waterbirds and their habitatsand this Resolution commences aprocess to consider how countries maybest respond to the challenges raised.

• Agreement to give priority to thedrafting of a series of internationalreviews of different aspects of theconservation status of waterbirds, tocome to the next Meeting of Parties,and to be updated triennially thereafter.Such reviews are crucial to inform the

parties to the Agreement as to thepriorities for their implementation of theAgreement.

• Agreement of technical guidance relatedto the definition of the term ‘seriouslong-term decline’ as well as proceduresfor the review and update of knowledgeon international biogeographic popula-tions of waterbirds–important units ofconservation management.

• A decision to develop a strategic planfor the Agreement that would give guid-ance as to the priority areas for itsimplementation.

• Finalisation of international action plansfor Corncrake, Northern Bald Ibis,Ferruginous Duck, the East Canadianpopulation of Light-bellied Brent Geeseand White-headed Duck.

For more information:www.unep-aewa.org/meetings/en/mop/

mop3_docs/daily_coverage/day1_mop3_230ct_coverage.htm

www.unep-aewa.org/meetings/en/mop/mop3_docs/mop3.htm

The Wash to face another publicinquiry over mussel bedsThe inquiry was called after English Naturerefused fishermen permission to scare birdsaway from their mussel farms on The Wash.The RSPB fears its reserves in Norfolk andLincs (Snettisham, Frampton Marsh andFreiston Shore) will be harmed if action istaken against the birds. Fishermen blameEider ducks in particular for feeding on themussels. They are demanding the right toprotect their artificial beds by scaring birdsoff.

Many birds are present throughout theyear in The Wash, whilst others use it as astopover during their long migration flights.The RSPB is also calling for shell fishing toreturn to a sustainable level to protect thelong term future of both birds andfishermen.

Mark Avery, Conservation Director atthe RSPB, said: “The Wash is protected byinternational European and UK law. Birdsthat eat shellfish, including Oystercatcher,Knot, Shelduck and Pintail, have droppedin number by more than 100,000 onThe Wash.”

WeBS bird ties the Knot!Congratulations to Assistant WeBSSecretary Emma Davis who becameMrs Glaister in May of this year.

14

….Other News…. Other News….….Other News…. Other News….


15

WANTED – ARTICLES FOR THENEXT EDITION OF

WeBS News

Perhaps Simon Cohen’s article in thisissue about his trip to South Koreahas brought back some memories ofexciting days counting birds that youwould like to share with us? If so wewould love to hear from you, whetheras a counter or a Local Organiser. Ifyou are a budding journalist and havea story to tell, start writing now or getin touch with the WeBS Office forfurther information or guidance. Weare looking forward to being able tofeature more articles from WeBSvolunteers in the future

We are always on the look out forgood quality photographs and linedrawings that we can use for WeBSpublications (with full credits given ofcourse). Any species or habitatscovered by WeBS would bewelcomed. Digital images would beeasiest, but we can scan slides (whichwill be returned) if necessary.

So get snapping!

Who’s Who within the WeBSteam 2006

Many counters and Local Organisers are in regular contact with the WeBS team atBTO. For the benefit of those that are not sure who does what and who to get incontact with for various matters, the following ‘Who’s who’ is included to clarify theroles of the various personnel.

,WeBS Database ManagerWeBS AlertsWeBS database managementStatistical analyses

,WeBS National Organiser (Low Tide Counts)Low Tide CountsCarmarthen Bay Common Scoters, etc

,WeBS National Organiser (Core Counts)Annual reportStandard data requestsWeBS News

,Web Software DeveloperWeBS Online

, Assistant WeBS SecretaryCounter and Local Organiser database managementMailing of count forms, newsletters and annual reports

,WeBS Counter CoordinatorCounter and Local Organiser liaisonRecruitment of new counters and Local OrganisersWeBS NewsNon-estuarine Coastal Waterbird (NEWS) Organiser

, Research EcologistWeBS Alerts

,WeBS SecretaryCounter and Local Organiser database managementMailing of count forms, newsletters and annual reportsJointly responsible for the producton of this edition of WeBS News

,WeBS National CoordinatorOverall management of WeBSWeBS database managementWeBS Online

use the format of [email protected] e.g. [email protected]

WeBS web site: http://www.bto.org/survey/webs/index.htm

WeBS Alerts report: http://blx1.bto.org/webs/alerts/index.htm

Photographers and Artists –

please read on


16

In last year’s WeBS News we talkedat some length about the forth-coming WeBS Online system.

Those people paying attention mightbe wondering where it has got to,particularly those who kindly offeredto help pilot the system. Well, as theNHS, Child Support Agency and thePassport Office have proved, ITsystems sometimes over-run a little inthe development stages. However,we’re pleased to announce that weare finally just about ready to go live.

Obviously, we don’t want to set youall loose on the system until we’re surewe’ve ironed out at least most of theinevitable bugs that will crop up tostart with, and we’re still planning on apilot phase with volunteer testers.However, once we’ve resolved anyinitial teething troubles we’ll be goinglive, at some time this autumn.

Whilst much of the detail about thesystem was given in WeBS News 21,

the main features of WeBS Online canbe summarised as:

a) Counters will be able to type intheir WeBS counts (Core, LowTide, or Supplementary) directly,

b) Counters will be able to view anyhistorical counts for sites theycover,

c) Local Organisers will be able tokeep track of submissions made bytheir counters.

We must stress, of course, that useof WeBS Online will not be compul-sory by any means. We still envisagethat we will receive many counts usingthe traditional paper forms for manyyears to come. However, given thelevel of support and number ofenquiries we’ve already receivedconcerning WeBS Online, it looks likemany of you are keen to make useof it.

Although we can’t say a precisedate by which time WeBS Online willbe up-and-running this autumn, wecan confirm that we will be sendingout detailed instructions on the use ofthe system in spring 2007 to all coun-ters. Therefore, if you’re the sort ofcounter who transfers their countsfrom notebook to count form at theend of the year (as I do), you’ll be ableto transfer them directly to WeBSOnline instead should you so desire. Ifyou just can’t wait to get stuck intousing WeBS Online at the earliestopportunity, however, then keep aneye on the WeBS website where thelatest update will be posted, or elsecall the WeBS Office to find out more.

Andy Musgrove

WeBS Online – Almost There!

Screenshot of a WeBS Online Site Summary.


webs news - bto

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