Melbourne Water has extended BOCA's contract to survey their ten sites for a further three years, commencing July 2010, and added one additional site - Rigby's Wetlands, Scoresby, Melway Map 72, Grid D10. This new site, together with the Plowrights' relocation to Foster and the extension of the Kilberry Boulevard Site, requires more volunteers for surveys. See below for the sites requiring new volunteers and changes to existing personnel.

Melbourne Water’s objective was to instigate standardised monthly surveys of bird communities for ten constructed urban wetlands in the Dandenong Valley Catchment and to monitor bird behaviour at these sites through a collaborative scheme with a community bird watching organisation in order to:

• explore the usefulness of bird communities as indicators of environmental conditions at these wetlands,

• determine which birds are attracted to urban wetlands constructed to treat stormwater runoff, and

• develop and strengthen relations with bird watching organisations and increase their awareness of Melbourne Water’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and management activities.

BOCA was successful in winning the contract to carry out these surveys.  Members of MELBOCA, BAYBOCA and PENBOC are carrying out the field work.

The surveys commenced in June 2007 and are to be conducted at monthly intervals over a three year period.

The surveys will complement Melbourne Water’s existing bird survey programs at a number of natural wetlands in the Dandenong Valley Catchment, and provide Melbourne Water with valuable information on which birds are using the constructed and natural wetlands, and how they might use different wetlands for different purposes or periods.  

The ten sites being surveyed are:

• Frog Hollow Wetland, Eumemmerring Creek (Melway Map 91 Grid G9) – MELBOCA Site No 1 (Leader: Bill Ramsay.

• Kilberry Boulevard, Hampton Park East Drain (Melway Map 96 Grid H9) – MELBOCA Site No 2 (New leader and volunteers required for this site)

• River Gum Creek Reserve, Hampton Park East Drain (Melway Map 96 Grid H9) – MELBOCA Site No 3 (Leader: Graeme Hosken)

• South of Golf Links Road (Melway Map 110 Grid F11) – MELBOCA Site No 4 (This site will now be surveyed by Ruth Ackie, Elizabeth Lloyd and Fred Smith)
  
  
• Hallam Valley Road, tributary to Eumemmmering Creek (Melway Map 95 Grid K3) - MELBOCA Site No 5 (Leader: Arthur Carew)
  
  
• Waterford Wetlands, tributary to Monbulk Creek (Melway Map 73 Grid C10) – MELBOCA Site No 6 (Leader: Colin Barraclough)

• Rigby's Wetlands, Scoresby (Melway Map 72 Grid D10) - the new MELBOCA Site, Site No 7 (Leaders: John & Margaret Bosworth).
  
  
• Heatherton Road North (Melway Map 90 Grid H2) – a BAYBOCA Site

• Heatherton Road South (Melway Map 90 Grid J4) – a BAYBOCA Site
  

• Hallam Valley Floodplain Wetland, Troups Creek (Melway Map 96 Grid K5) – a PENBOC Site
  
  
• Springvale Road Wetland, Mordialloc Creek (Melway Map 93 Grid G4) – a PENBOC Site

For the latest MELBOCA Melbourne Water Survey Summary of Sightings please click here

The surveys are to be commenced by 9:00 am at monthly intervals and are to be carried out on the day by at least two people.  Ideally each site will have a team of about four people to ensure that there are always at least two people available to carry out the survey on a given day.  MELBOCA needs extra volunteers to build up team numbers for MELBOCA’s sites.  Persons who would like to participate in the surveys please contact Graeme Hosken (Tel: 9802 5250 or info@melboca.org.au).

Frog Hollow Wetland view
Photographs by Bill Ramsay