Count me in: WoKing around King Island 2018
Another fun surveying weekend on King Island took place over the last weekend of April when 28 people in 5 teams surveyed 50 sites. Survey results are yet to come in.
Of these, 13 were visitors hailing from Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania – and one from USA. The others were Islanders – and it was great to see new faces joining in.
Some surveyed intensively over Friday and Saturday, while others did one or half a day. Everyone loved it.
On Sunday, a holiday from formal surveys, many visited the Frogshack Nursery for an informal farm tour and birding around the dam. More fun had there too.
Following are comments by two visitors new to King Island and to surveying birds:
“As a first time involvement with a bird count/identification project the Wings on Kings Project sounded ideal.
We participated in the Birding for Beginners workshop that was invaluable – especially the tip on how to use binoculars properly and never miss your bird!
Friday morning we met up with our Team Leader and headed for our first site - Disappointment Bay. There we were inducted into how to count birds and to our surprise it was mostly by listening. We learnt that the count was for a strict 20-minute period in a limited area. We learnt not to say “there goes a small, fast, brown bird – What was it?” but to look and listen intently and slowly we did start to identify Silvereyes, Dusky Robins, Fantails, Scrub Wrens, New Holland Honeyeaters, Pardalote, Fairy Wren and the pert and precocious Flame Robin.
We could talk about so many things we liked about King Island and the project – the friendly welcoming community, the cheese, and the lack of stop signs, but all we will say is we will be back for the next count.”
Beautiful art, beautiful food:
Over two months the junior school kids – kindergarten to year 6 – worked on a Threatened Species art show they called ‘Help: I’m Endangered” Wow! See photos of some of the work, all depicting the various endangered species that live here.
From the 3D sculptures, 2D plasticine imagines, nests, and drawings some showed real understanding of how and where these birds live. It was a stunning example of what is important to kids.
Dr Jenny Lau, BirdLife Aus, opened the exhibition awarding those present with a pin of the endangered Swift Parrot (an occasional KI visitor) and a poster of the Common Birds of King Island.
Then it was dinner at the Rock Café. This Café is at the KI District High School and is teaching students hospitality skills. 35 people dined on delicious soups, roasted pork, lamb, vegetables, coffee and slices. The Café rocked with laughter and chatter as our budding hospitality workers waited on us with professionalism - keeping up the high standards that King Island is known for.
Post-dinner we focused on threatened species. Starting with the new documentary ‘The Desparate Plight of the Orange Bellied Parrot’, we then proceeded into a community discussion about how we manage our endangered species. A report on the documentary and the results of this discussion will be available on the website shortly.
Many thanks and well done to everyone who made this weekend possible and such a success – too many to name here.
The whole weekend was yet another example of how well we do things on King Island and how much we have to offer.
Dr Jenny Lau, opening 'Help: I'm Endangered" exhibition
King Island Endangered Species x the kids, KIDHS - a few examples
Wings On King is an on-going project designed so survey sites can be monitored at any time - whenever it suits YOU.
Like to know more about the Wings On King Project click here
Comments