Local volunteers are invited to take part in a national shorebird count along the Lower Canning River foreshore.
The count will take place on Sunday, February 22, with community members surveying two sites at Grecian’s Spit and Wadjup Point as part of a nationwide monitoring program coordinated by BirdLife Australia.
The local group has participated in the count for 12 years, with organisers saying the activity helps highlight the importance of protecting bird habitat along the foreshore.
Vice President Colma Keating said birds were an important and visible part of the local foreshore environment.
“Birds are an important and visible native animal along our strip of neighbourhood nature that everyone can enjoy and protect,” she said.
She said shorebirds and other water birds relied on sand spits and protected areas to rest, feed and sometimes nest and raise their young.
The two survey locations were chosen because they are key sand spits along foreshore stretch from Yagan Wetland at Bull Creek to Shelley Bridge, where birds regularly rest and forage.
Ms Keating said shorebird habitat locally and globally was under threat from development, clearing, climate change, and disturbance from people and dogs.
“The annual shorebird count enables us to highlight the importance of our feathered neighbours and how to ensure we keep them by keeping their habitat undisturbed,” she said.
Data collected during the count contributes to long-term monitoring of shorebird populations across Australia.
Around 10 to 20 volunteers usually take part, with an activity open to local residents including those with no prior birdwatching experience.
“You don’t need to know anything about birds, just be interested in finding out more,” Ms Keating said.
She said the count also provided an opportunity for the community to learn about more than 30 years of volunteer-led foreshore rehabilitation work carried out alongside the City of Canning.
“It is a lovely way to spend time on our amazing foreshore while enjoying spotting birds and meeting people from the local community,” she said.
