Advocacy Continues for Bird Reserve at Beidaihe

A recent speech by Dr. Martin Williams continues his advocacy for a bird reserve at Beidaihe, a vital habitat for avifauna on the coast of Hebei province, east China. He was a featured speaker at the Beidaihe 2009 International Bird Watching Race and Photography Contest to close out a "bird race" which coincided with the start of a photographic competition. He was invited as he led the first migration survey at Beidaihe since 1945, and has since done much to popularize birding and promote conservation there.

Dr. Martin Williams at the Beidaihe 2009 International Bird Watching Race and Photography Contest. Images courtesy of Dr. Williams.

"This spring, there was a newly built, fancy Qinhuangdao Bird Museum complete with a walloping great dinosaur and pterosaur replicas, right by a wetland yet with planted trees blocking views to it," Dr. Williams said. "It was evident money is no longer such an issue as when the Beidaihe government established a basic bird reserve in 1990. Maybe it is still worth still trying for reserve."

The audience seemed supportive, and included some other leaders, others involved in conservation related decisions, he said in a posting to the Oriental Birding forum. A vice mayor of Qinhuangdao was among people present during bird race/photo ceremony. "She told me that conservation as I suggested is important; I was later told she'd been excited by my speech."

"Beidaihe is a seaside resort town on the coast of China, around 280 kilometers east of Beijing. The town is on a roughly triangular headland, with smaller headlands, hills rising to 153 meters; it lies on an otherwise flat coastline, along a narrow coastal plain that helps funnel migrants breeding in northeast Asia. It has a good mix of habitats, including woodland, rice paddies, a freshwater reservoir and three small estuaries. Yet like much of China, the town has developed rapidly in recent years. Developments have been most intense just south of Beidaihe, where a brash new town – Nandaihe - has sprung up on land that until the 1990s was just fields with small villages." — Dr. Martin Williams

Dr. Williams, a freelance writer and photographer, specializing in conservation and the environment, has lived in Hong Kong since early 1987.

"I first visited Beidaihe in spring 1985, as leader of an eight-member expedition studying bird migration. At the time, Beidaihe was almost unknown as a place for birdwatching: we were mainly relying on information from a Danish scientist, Axel Hemmingsen, who had studied birds at the town from 1942-1945," Dr. Williams says in the leading statement on his website.

The site was an obvious attraction, as Dr. Williams continued to visit "most years since, mostly as leader or co-leader of migration surveys and birding tours, a couple of times for a holiday. In all, I have spent well over a year at the town, garnering a Beidaihe list with around 350 Asian migrants, and experiencing superb spells of birding."

His records from 1986 included 2729 Oriental White Storks migrating south, which was more than double the previous estimate for the entire world population (900-1000), clearly showing the importance of Beidaihe for studying migratory birds.

In 1990, the local government did establish a bird reserve, Dr. Williams noted; but with no money forthcoming, and - although it was spared from major construction thanks to some efforts to protect birds - trees were planted, and a quirky water park for people was created.

Dr. Williams kept returning to the area because he believes "Beidaihe can be a great place for conservation. There are many birds; plus there are many people – both residents and visitors, who can be given opportunities to enjoy seeing and learn about wild, migratory birds."

His home town of Scarborough in Yorkshire, England is, like Beidaihe, a seaside resort – and it was here that he first became fascinated by migration. "I love days when there are many birds passing by, or days when birds arrive during inclement weather," he says. "Plus at Beidaihe, I’ve been lucky enough to make significant observations of globally rare birds, as well as discover previously unknown birding hotspots near Beidaihe."

The diversity of bird species which occur in the area was defined in an article Dr. Williams wrote for Birding, the magazine of the American Birding Association, in the mid-1990s.

"Megaticks such as Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana), which is virtually restricted to eastern Russia and China; most of the world population of perhaps 3000 migrates over Beidaihe in autumn. Megaticks like three endangered cranes that are unique to the Far East — Red-crowned (Grus japonensis), Hooded (Grus monacha) and White-naped (Grus vipio) — as well as Siberian Crane (G. leucogeranus), which hangs by a thread in Iran, yet numbers close to 3000 in the Far East, and passes Beidaihe in the hundreds. And Saunders's Gull (Larus saundersi), world population perhaps 2000, Relict Gull (L. relictus) (4000-5000), and Nordmann's Greenshank (Tringa guttifer) (1000), which have all graced the small estuaries at the town — Relict Gull is regularly seen on migration only at Beidaihe.

"Beidaihe now ranks as the place to see east Asian migrants. Pick any of the Asian vagrants to North America and, chances are, it occurs at Beidaihe. Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum)?, Siberian Blue Robin (Erithacus cyane)?, Siberian Rubythroat (E. calliope)?, Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus)?, Lanceolated Warbler (Locustella lanceolata)? All are common. Fork-tailed Swifts (Apus pacificus) pass over in thousands. The estuaries are visited by flocks of Mongolian Plovers (Charadrius mongolus). Wood Sandpipers (Tringa glareola) and Long-toed Stints (Calidris subminuta) prefer damp paddyfields, which in late spring are the places to search for Pechora Pipits (Anthus gustavi)."

Other highlights of the local avifauna are presented in the article, provided in entirety at Dr. Williams’ website.

Martin Williams birding.

Dr. Williams realizes there is a need for conservation in this part of the world, as to the south of Beidaihe, especially east of east of the Happy Island area, a great industrial complex springing up on the coast and has petrochemical refineries and factories, etc. in a place that was once wild and rural. Happy Island, he notes, is evidently being developed for tourism, even though it's just a scrubby, sandy island surrounded by mudflats — brilliant for birds, although not for regular human tourists.

"The proportion of endangered species on the Beidaihe list shows the birds need our help," Dr. Williams said.

In 2005, he drafted a conservation plan for the Beidaihe regional government which covered much of the Beidaihe and Nandaihe area, and mentioned mentioning sites such as the Lotus Hills (Liangfen Shan), Dr. Williams explains on his website.

"The conservation plan remains just a collection of ideas; the reserve is still a dream. At times, I have felt disheartened, felt efforts to encourage conservation by myself and others have been unsuccessful, wondered if efforts have been wasted.

"I have long been impressed by the Chinese Taoism philosophy, with its emphasis on balancing yin and yang. Balance at Beidaihe would mean recognising the importance of wetlands. Just look at the rare species that help make the town famous for birds: many of them are wetland birds, ranging from huge Oriental White Storks, through Red-crowned Cranes that are interwoven throughout Chinese culture, beautiful Mandarin Ducks and Baikal Teal, as well as Relict Gull, Saunders’ Gull, shorebirds such as Nordmann’s Greenshank, and the small, poorly known Streaked Reed-Warbler.

"I believe that at Beidaihe, we have the chance to create the world’s most exiting reserve for migratory birds."

Dr Williams believes the time is right for the local government to work with conservationists on a plan for a reserve combining an estuary with nearby freshwater marshes and secondary woodland. Ideally, he believes this should include at least one artificially created, landscaped lagoon – akin to the Scrape at Minsmere reserve in the United Kingdom. Then, the reserve should be created.

"A reserve like this will attract impressive densities of birds, coupled with very high species diversity," says Dr. Williams. "Plus, it will be an extra visitor attraction for Beidaihe, helping protect the town’s environment. A successful reserve can serve as a role model for China, where the natural environment faces extreme pressures, yet people are increasingly interested in conservation."

Shadow Lake a Bird Haven in Bitter Midwest Cold

Bitter cold weather has languished for a few days in the midwest, and with snows a few days ago, it is a frigid landscape.

At Shadow Lake, ever-flowing springs of warm subterranean water has created a unique haven for a few birds.

This small spot was visited on the 15th of January, when the ambient outside temperature was about 6^o below zero. Three bird species were noted. There were 55 Mallards appreciating the warm waters of the lake as their own tiny refuge, a single Song Sparrow, and the resident Winter Wren foraging about.

Not much else was about, but the dichotomy of green and blue, contrasting with white and brown created a vivid scene that can be appreciated only a few days a year.

With the warming rays of a sunny day - while bundled up in layer upon layer of clothing - it was a pleasant visit to the local park.

Further up Wood Creek, along Happy Hollow, were some White-breasted Nuthatch and Black-capped Chickadees, a tenacious Red-bellied Woodpecker, and about a dozen Mourning Dove lingering near an open water area, that probably was an appreciated place for a drink of water.

Snow crystals. Note that these pictures have been digitally altered.

Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary an Important Locale For Long-term Waterfowl Research

Snow Geese at Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary. Images courtesy of Dr. Ray T. Alisauskas.

The largest bird reserve in the world is the site for long-term research on the life history of several species of waterfowl.

The focus of the current research at Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary are Ross's Geese, Snow Geese, White-fronted Geese, King Eiders, and Long-tailed Ducks, said Dr. Ray T. Alisauskas, research scientist and adjunct professor based at the Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre of Environment Canada, on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon.

"The research started with a focus on understanding what role spring nutrition and arctic climate play in driving population biology of arctic-nesting geese," he said. "Also, we were interested in understanding how annual survival of geese changed and whether there were any longer-term trends in survival. With each additional year, it became obvious that we were in a unique position to address other unknowns about species for which there were conservation concerns such as King Eiders and Long-tailed Ducks. So, we exploited our presence in the area, to expand our focus on more than the species we were originally interested in."

This season's efforts will include "studies of body condition and nutrient analysis of harvested geese, sampling of nest density, species composition, habitat selection, breeding effort and success" of the nesting geese and sea ducks, according to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry. Researchers will also monitor, on an incidental basis, nests of gulls, loons, terns and other waterfowl.

The number of people involved varies with the number of objectives each year, Alisauskas said. "This summer there should be about 12 people involved at one time or another during the summer," not including pilots for the fixed and rotary wing aircraft used for access to and from the sanctuary, and to reach remote study sites.

A base camp at the Karrak Lake Research Station will be occupied for all or part of the period from 1 May to 31 August.

During part of this year's field season, a British Broadcasting Company film crew will accompany some of the staff "during their daily activities, in an attempt to film arctic wildlife for a documentary on polar regions," according to the environmental assessment.

"One of the most important benefits of the research is that it helps us to understand not only what the natural ecological factors are that influence populations, but also what role humans might play in this," Alisauskas said. Once we know this, we can make recommendations about how to manage human behavior that affects a population either positively or negatively.

"By marking birds, we can estimate annual survival rates, and also population size in some cases, depending on the source of the information about when marked birds are re-encountered. So, we can start to understand how much of changes in population growth/decline is due to changes in survival or production and recruitment of new young. Once you know which of these two components of population growth is more important to changes in population growth, you focus on the priority and start to investigate the main ecological factors that are influencing either survival or recruitment. It is hoped that once there is knowledge about the ecological problem (climate change, predation, toxic chemicals), then it may be possible to offer prescriptions for conservation."

Research camp.

Researchers prepare for an aerial survey of waterfowl.

Research that spans many years is essential to help understand the dynamics of the breeding geese and ducks.

"Long-term research is not only valuable, but necessary, since it is difficult to know if annual changes in population size or survival between two years are just random or part of a longer-term trend," Alisauskas said. "If part of a trend, then it requires more years to detect this. Another reason is that, depending on the species, they don't mature and begin to breed until they are at least three years old, and some individuals may not be detected as first-time breeders until they are 7-8 years old. So, a study has to continue longer than this to be able to detect and estimated such things.

With the bird sanctuary recognized as having the largest variety of nesting waterfowl in North America, a variety of topics have been investigated during recent decades. Surveys of nesting waterfowl were started in 1949, and determined the distribution of nesting Ross's geese and the lesser Snow Goose. Additional aerial surveys have been done in 1976 and during several years in the 1980s.

There have been several reports published that describe results of the research. Recent examples, published by Alisauskas and a number of other investigators, including university students earning advanced degrees, include:

• Previously unrecorded colonies of Ross' and Lesser Snow Geese in the Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary; in 1994, which showed an expansion of nesting range for both species, due to increasing populations
• Diet and growth of Glaucous Gulls at a large Arctic goose colony; in 1999
• Nest-site selection, interspecific associations, and nest success of King Eiders; at Karrak Lake, in 2003
• Comparative reproductive strategies between Long-tailed Ducks and King Eiders at Karruk Lake: use of energy reserves during the nesting season; in 2005

The Queen Maud Gulf area is the "largest bird sanctuary not only in Canada, but in the world apparently," Alisauskas said. "It has been relatively isolated, and because of its size, difficult to get around in without using aircraft. There are also logistical challenges because fixed-winged aircraft cannot land in many areas, and we have to rely on helicopters. So the isolation and size of the sanctuary can make it overwhelming to work in."

Alisauskas, however, finds "the landscape itself is beautiful to my eye. My main motivation for working in the Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary is that it supports a diverse array of arctic waterfowl, some of which are extremely abundant. However, the fact that there are few modern developments in the sanctuary is an added bonus. The solitude and isolation are enjoyable."

The Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary, designated as a Ramsar site on 24 May 1982, sprawls across more than 63,000 square kilometers, extending from just south of the arctic circle and north to the gulf, and from the Kaleet River south of the Adelaide Peninsula, west to the Tingmeak River basin. Most of the land is federal Crown Land, with small portions owned by the Inuit of Nunavut.

A management plan for the area is currently being evaluated, and is expected to be released this summer.

Report on mapping of the land cover with illustrations of the waterfowl habitat