Project Coordinator’s Report for South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team MeetingPLU 14-9-12

Bronwyn Perryman

June – Sept 2012

As per Recovery Plan Actions;

Action 1. Identify and protect feeding habitat from clearing: revise feeding area maps, train relevant staff to identify feeding habitat, and monitor clearing 'offsets’

  • Provided advice in relation to preferred nesting habitat of RtBC’s to Tania Chapman from Native Vegetation Council DEWNR re a clearance application to remove 17 Red Gums.

Action 3.Encourage fencing of feeding habitat to protect it from stock

  • Followed up on potential landholder wanting to do some revegetation near the Dry Creek Area, SA.

Action 4. Replant feeding habitat

  • Conducted a radio interview with Annabelle Homer ABC South Australia on 13-8-12 in relation to the Kids helping Cockies helping cockies SA NRM Grant (BirdLife & Recovery Team, thanks to Tim, were successful recipients of a SA NRM Grant to assist schools to establish their own school nurseries to grow food and nest trees for Red-tails).
  • Contacted DEWNR in relation to Kids helping cockies helping cockies grant to confirm which components of the project had been funded for interview.

Action 5.Identify and reduce threats from fire.

  • Contacted Kay Richardson to discuss DEWNR’s capacity to complete ecological fire monitoring at Rob Loechel’s stringybark scrub block that was burnt in 2008, and their on-going capacity to support Rob to undertake a second burn.
  • Currently preparing a news article for the web to highlight DEWNR’sEcological Fire Management Strategy for Red-tails.

Action 7Monitor the population, range and area of occupancy: conduct an annual count, expanded flock counts and analyses, and map location records

  • Assisted PO (Dave) to undertake flock count of birds at Wandilo NFR (18-6-12).
  • Met with PO (Dave) in Heywood to compile GIS ready spread-sheets for sightings and annual count areas searched for end of year reporting.
  • Prepared GIS ready spread-sheets of annual count observations, final tallies and all areas searched for WCMA and GHCMA.

Action 9.Reduce the threat from reductions in nest sites

  • Prepared articles about the nest incentive scheme for GHCMA LandLife, BirdLife Australia’s enews, and website.
  • Updated Nest Incentive Scheme website page.
  • Prepared media release re the Nest Incentive Scheme for 2012-13 which was sent out on 10-9-12. Have two radio interviews on Thursday 13th September with Stan Thompson from ABC South East and Ewan Grant from 963 5SE re nest incentive scheme. Details of the Nest Incentive Scheme will also appear on Ag Connect Website and Ag Connect enews.

Action 10Maintain existing artificial nests and monitor their use

  • Responded to queries re suitable artificial nest box designs for Red-tails.

Action 15.Produce and implement a communication strategy

  • Continued receiving 1800 phone sightings. Updated sightings database (entered all new sightings) and forwarded new records to BirdLife’s Bird Atlas Database, South Australia Biological Database through Oisin Sweeney and Victorian Wildlife Atlas through Richard Hill.
  • Felicity Lord has continued to look after our web sightings and web newsletter subscribers.
  • Reported WA Red-tail sighting to Ron Johnson.
  • Attended Cockies helping cockies helping cockies field tour of habitat protection and revegetation sites around Lucindale on 24-8-12.
  • Updated electronic and hard copy newsletter mail lists.
  • Obtained quotes for new newsletter template.
  • Prepared September 2012 edition of the new look Red-tail News. Labelled and sent newsletters to 1067 addresses and uploaded to web site.
  • Two news items added to website (Draft Recovery Plan Available for Comment and Nest Incentive Scheme 2012-13. Website stats for the last three months in relation to number of hits have been great: June10450, July9991,August10450, Sept (so far) 2475. Total hits this year is 82678.
  • Presentation to two Year 3 classes at Tension Woods College in Mount Gambier re Red-tails. Teachers interested in establishing a school nursery to grow stringybarks and bulokes for various habitat restoration projects.
  • Attended a planting day at Reedy Lagoon with DEWNR staff and Kalangadoo Primary School.
  • Attended Habitat 141 Meeting for Zone 2 in Natimuk on 17-7-12.
  • Presentation at Mount Gambier Library (24-6-12) as part of Environmental Month re Red-tails and annual count results.
  • Responded to website requests re logo usage (Indigenous Rugby Team in NSW), volunteers, observers and students.
  • Investigated site options for our own Red-tail site at Hamilton Sheepvention (due to costs decided not to attend). However, negotiated with GHCMA for our banners, bird and red-tail pamphlets to be displayed as part of their site (thanks to Aggie Stevenson)
  • Prepared article for BirdLife Pacific re 2012 Annual Count and Flock Count Results.
  • Prepared Project Summary Report for Habitat 141 Meeting.
  • Provided comment on BirdLife Australia’s Bird Conservation Strategy (2012-17).
  • Refresher website training with Jen Cleary.
  • Uploaded Draft Recovery Plan (2012-17) for comment on Red-tail website.
  • Met with Dick Cooper to collect sighting information.
  • Organised for the purchase of Red-tail Kites to use as a small fundraiser at field day events and via the website. Looking into how we can sell these via the Red-tail or BirdLife Website.
  • Prepared article for Threatened Bird Network Volunteer Newsletter re Annual and Flock Count Results and Nest Incentive Scheme.
  • Obtained 5 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Coins from the newBirds of Australia Coins Series from the Perth Mint. These were kindly donated and worth $65 each. Currently working with the Perth Mint to run a competition in the next edition of Red-tail News to win one of these beautifully crafted coins. Currently working on a thank you letter to the mint and a news article for the website.

Action 17.Operate the recovery program

  • Recovery Team meeting 8-6-12. Prepared minutes, and update action table following June meeting.
  • Organise payments for Catering, Dick Cooper and Red-tail Kites.
  • Organised invoices for last quarter for GHCMA, WCMA and ZoosSA.
  • Assisted Tim and James with Budget and updates re Project Coordinator salary and on-costs.
  • Contacted GHCMA and WCMA re confirmation of funding for 2012-13 project while Tim was on leave.
  • PreparedDSE ABC Database Report for GHCMA and updated ABC database for end of financial year reporting.
  • Circulated new newsletter template, annual count media release and nest incentive media release to RT.
  • Finalised agenda for PLU Recovery TeamMeeting to be held via teleconference on 14thSeptember 2012. Distributed agendaand project team reports.
  • Prepared thank you letters and information packs to Sue Gibson and Peter Hewett for their generous donations towards the Red-tail Recovery Project. Extended an offer to both for a tour of red-tail habitat restoration and protection work in the South East.
  • PLU (6-6-12) with MM, VJR, BP to discuss funding short fall and how it relates to PO position.
  • PLU (30-8-12) with JO’C, MM, VJR, BP to discuss funding short fall and how it relates to PO position.
  • Completed self-assessment as part of BirdLife’s annual performance reviews.
  • Updated Recovery Team contacts list.