BOCA’s Western Port Survey started in 1973 and is believed to be the longest continuous bird survey undertaken by volunteers in Australia.  BOCA members from MELBOCA, BAYBOCA, PENBOC, WESBOC Branches and others currently carry out coordinated bird surveys of 20 high tide roost sites in February, June and November.  The sites range from near HMAS Cerberus in the south west, with numerous sites at strategic locations around the bay extending as far as Reef Island in the south east, and also includes sites on French Island.

The birds surveyed can be categorised as:

• Waterbirds,

• International migratory waders,

• Australian breeding waders,

• Raptors, and
  
  
• Bush birds including parrots

The BOCA 2003 publication Wings over Western Port – three decades surveying wetland birds 1973 -2003 lists the following as some of the benefits that have already arisen from the Survey.  The information has been widely used to help achieve better environmental outcomes for Western Port as below:

• Nomination of the Western Port area as a Ramsar Site (1982) and preparation of the Draft Strategic Management Plan for the Ramsar Site (Parks Victoria 2002).  In 1984, Western Port was declared a Ramsar site of national importance. Western Port, under Ramsar Convention criteria is of international importance for Eastern Curlew and Pied Oystercatcher and national importance for Common Greenshank, Double-banded Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Pacific Golden Plover and Hooded Plover.

• Nomination (1996) and listing (2001) of Western Port as a site of international importance for migratory shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Shorebird Site Network.  This was based on the Western Port data being incorporated in national wader counts after 1980, and the assessment of Western Port as being of national and international importance for shorebirds under the National Plan for Shorebird Conservation in Australia (Watkins D, 1993);

• Successfully arguing against a proposed residential subdivision of land (BHP property containing freshwater swamps significant for Common Greenshank, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, etc) on the west coast of French Island in the 1980s.  This land was later incorporated in the French Island National Park;

• In the preparation of the French Island National Park Management Plan (1998), the Phillip Island Nature Park Management Plan (2000), and the successful nomination of the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (2002);

• In preparation of the Strategy Plan for the Protection and Development of Western Port (1992);

• In preparation of the Western Port Shoreline Oil Response Handbook (1999) by identifying the most important feeding and roosting sites for birds; and

• Contributing to Western Port being included in World Wide Fund for Nature Australia’s National shorebird Conservation Project as one of five priority sites where action will be taken to help protect key feeding and roosting habitat.
  
  
• In being incorporated in the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve, which is a combined urban/rural UNESCO biosphere reserve (2002).
  

Further information about the history, methodology, findings and outcomes of the Western Port Wader Survey can be found in the BOCA 2003 publication Wings over Western Port – three decades surveying wetland birds 1973 -2003.  This publication is available for loan from the BOCA Library and for purchase from The Blue Wren Gift Shop.

Although the current team of volunteers surveys 20 sites, with more volunteers more sites could be surveyed.  Persons who would like to participate in the surveys please contact BOCA National Office. Participation in this survey is an excellent opportunity to improve your wader identification skills.

Western Port Survey Work
Photographs by Damian Kelly