Waterbirds survey records 40 species

Thu, Mar 20, 2008

By ANNA FERGUSON

The Brunswick News

An avid bird-watcher and member of the Coastal Georgia Audubon Society, Harriet Roberson is constantly on the prowl for feathered friends.

Whether it's a scheduled bird-watching meet or just observing from her Brunswick home, Roberson always finds herself enamored by the overwhelming number of bird species in the area.

"This is the best spot for bird-watching in the whole country," Roberson said. "On any given day, you can probably see 20 or 30 different types of birds."

Roberson's bird-watching ways are more than just a hobby. Members of the Audubon Society, as well as birding enthusiasts from other area organizations, submitted their observational findings to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for the annual midwinter waterbirds survey.

This year, the participants in the count observed about 40 different bird species and an estimated 103,000 birds, said Brad Winn, program manager for the DNR Nongame Conservation Section.

"We rely on the best birders in the state to help us out," Winn said.

Conducted every January since 1996, the census works to gather vital information about waterbird migratory patterns, population information and roosting areas. Results this winter indicated a higher number of several shorebird species on the coast, including short-billed dowitchers, dunlins, western sandpipers and semipalmated plovers.

Touting binoculars, checklists and a keen eye, Roberson and her area birding buddies scanned the sands, waters and skies of 14 barrier islands during high tides, when the most birds concentrate in smaller areas.

Data collected throughout the January scoping sessions will be used to verify the waterbird populations on outer barrier beaches.

Some species, such as the piping plovers, red knots and American oystercatchers, were tagged with leg bands for research and records.

Georgia's coast is a vital resource of waterbirds, Winn said. The beaches and dunes provide havens for several rare species.

"Along with freshwater wetlands, the beaches are very important habitats for water birds," Winn said. "Populations of many of the (waterbird) species we're surveying are of high conservation concern throughout the Western Hemisphere."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Georgia Ornithological Society, St. Catherines Island Foundation, and groups representing Little St. Simons and Little Cumberland islands also submitted data for the survey.

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