The Non-estuarine Coastal Waterbird Survey (NEWS) December 1st 2006 – January 31st 2007

The United Kingdom is internationally important for it's numbers of wintering waterbirds, and many of these are monitored annually by the Wetland Bird Survey counts (WeBS). However, the WeBS counts are mostly made on estuaries and inland waterbodies, therefore leaving the majority of our coastline uncounted. Important populations of several species occur around our shores outwith estuaries, and consequently their numbers are not monitored annually by the WeBS counts. In a bid to bolster our knowledge of waterbird populations around our coastline, the 1984-85 Winter Shorebird Count (WSC) was organised by the BTO, and found that the non-estuarine coast held particularly important numbers of Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone. Building on the success of the WSC, a repeat survey, the Non-estuarine Coastal Waterbird Survey (NEWS), was carried out over the 1997-98 winter. Comparing the results from NEWS to those of the WSC revealed declines in the numbers of Ringed Plover (-15%), Sanderling (-20%), Purple Sandpiper (-21%), Bar-tailed Godwit (-44%) and Turnstone (-16%). NEWS also suggested changes in the winter distribution of species such as Ringed Plover and Purple Sandpiper, with the greatest densities of birds recorded on the Western Isles. These changes could be linked to our changing climate, with milder winters allowing birds to winter further north.

It is nearly a decade since the 1997-98 NEWS, and we are repeating the survey again during Winter 2006-07. There is plenty of anecdotal information to suggest that the populations of Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone at least have further declined since the previous survey. The survey will build on the successful 1997/98 NEWS, and will help to update estimations of wader populations both within the UK and along the Eurasian Western Flyway.

For the current 2006/07 NEWS we are not looking to achieve total coverage of the UK's non-estuarine coastline, but to sample 2,500 randomly chosen sections counted for the previous 1997/98 NEWS.

Waders on the intertidal area are the priority for the survey, but we are also keen to receive counts of all species of waterbird on the intertidal areas, offshore and inland of the section whenever possible. Only a single count of any piece of coastline is required, and as long as this is made within a 7 hour period commencing 3.5 hours before the advertised time of low water and finishing 3.5 hours after low water, it can be made on any date between December 1 st 2006 and January 31 st 2007.

We are using a network of local organisers (mostly the existing Wetland Bird Survey LOs to Coordinate coverage within their area (or region).

As of November 1st 2006, the regions and areas where we are still short of counters, and would welcome additional volunteers are:

The Western Isles
Shetland
The northern coast of Mainland Scotland
The Grampian coast between Lossiemouth and Fraserburgh
Parts of North Yorkshire
Northern Ireland