4 th Annual National Beach-nesting Birds Workshop June 2014 This year our annual National Beach-nesting Birds workshop will run across two days to allow for a broad range of presentations, workshops and social events. This will be a great opportunity to share knowledge and advance our conservation efforts for this special suite of birds and their coastal habitats. Day 1 Friday 13th June 2013 Times: Conference 9:00am 5:00pm Where: Lighthouse Theatre, 185 Timor St, Warrnambool, Victoria Optional Dinner at Piccolo Restaurant, Warrnambool 7pm start Day 2 Saturday 14th June 2013 Times: Workshop sessions 9:00am 12:45pm BBQ Lunch Field Trip 12:45pm 2:00pm 2:00pm 4:30pm (finishing times may vary) Where: Port Fairy Consolidated School, Albert St, Port Fairy, Victoria For field trip locations see page four. RSVP no later than Monday 26 th May to bnb.events@birdlife.org.au, using the supplied registration form.
4 th Annual National Beach-nesting Birds Workshop Detailed Agenda Photo courtesy Glenn Ehmke. DAY 1 Friday 13th June Lighthouse Theatre - Studio, 185 Timor St, Warrnambool (see Map 3) 9:00 Arrival (grab a cup of tea or coffee) 9:20 Presentations begin 9:20 9:45 Welcome/Housekeeping/Welcome to Country 9:45 10:10 Opening and Introduction by Sean Dooley (Author of The Big Twitch ) 10:10 10:45 Hear from BirdLife Australia s Grainne Maguire with an update on the Beach-nesting Bird program, and from Local Regional Coordinator for the Friends of Hooded Plovers Far West Victoria, Toni Ryan, with an introduction to the area, coastal issues and progress so far. 10:45 11:15 Morning Tea (provided at no cost) 11:15 13:00 Hear from BirdLife Tasmania s Eric Woehler about the work happening for beach-nesting birds in Tassie, from Mae Adams on the impacts of Pipi Harvesting at Venus Bay in Victoria, and from a guest speaker focusing on the broader coastal environment. 13:00 14:00 Lunch (provided at no cost) 14:00 15:00 A series of presentations from interstate Beach-nesting Bird programs: Linda Brannian from the Tweed Coast (just south of the Gold Coast), Jan Olley from Byron Bay and Jane Renwick from Kangaroo Island. 15:00 15:20 BirdLife Australia s Meg Cullen and Renee Mead present on education and a new element of the My Hoodie portal. 15:20 15:50 Afternoon Tea (provided at no cost) 2
15:50 16:10 Hear from local land managers from Parks Victoria and Moyne Shire about local coastal management strategies. 16:10 16:15 Silent Auction announcement 16:15 16:20 BirdLife Australia s Conservation Manager Jenny Lau introduces the upcoming Shorebird Campaign. 16:20 17:00 Four Deakin University students present their amazing findings on a range of shorebird species and human impact topics. 17:00 End of proceedings 19:00 Optional Dinner: Piccolo Restaurant, 73A Liebig St, Warrnambool. Just around the corner from the Lighthouse Theatre. A wide range of dinner options - modern Australian Cuisine. Prices range from $18 - $33 for mains. Note dinner costs are at your own expense. For booking purposes, please indicate whether you will be attending dinner in your RSVP registration form. If we have 40 people for dinner, the restaurant will be closed to the public for the night and be ours! http://www.piccolowarrnambool.com.au/ DAY 2 Saturday 14 th June Port Fairy Consolidated School, Albert St, Port Fairy (see Map 4) Workshop Sessions 9:00 Arrival (grab a cup of tea or coffee) 9:30 10:30 Workshop session 1 (choice out of 5) 10:30 11:00 Morning Tea (provided at no cost) 11:00 12:00 Workshop session 2 (choice out of 5) 12:00 12:45 Announcements and question time 12:45 14:00 Lunch (please bring along a donation of $5) 14:00 17:00 A range of field trips to local biodiversity hotspots (choice out of 5), see below. 3
Workshop Session Topics You will each get the chance to attend two of the workshops listed below during the Saturday morning. However, because we need to limit numbers attending each workshop, we ask that you rank your preferences from one to five (most preferable to least preferable) in advance using the registration form that accompanies your RSVP. Workshop session: Description: 1. Bird photography Tips on bird photography focussing on birds and how to capture their unique behaviours, including ethical considerations. Note: you don t need to bring a camera. 2. Advocacy Toolkit BirdLife Conservation Manager, Jenny Lau, will impart her knowledge and useful tips on a range of methods used in advocacy, including submission and media writing. 3. Shorebird ID session Learn from BirdLife Australia s Shorebirds 2020 Project Manager Dan Weller, how to identify resident and migratory shorebirds. Dan provides lots of useful tips on distinguishing between migratory species in particular. 4. Grant Writing This workshop is for any groups or individuals seeking to attain funds by applying for grants. Emma Dart, Coastcare facilitator for South West Victoria, will provide insightful advice and tips for putting together a good grant application. 5. Beach-Nesting Birds Training session. New to volunteering with the Beach-nesting Birds project, or time for a refresher? BirdLife Australia s Beach-Nesting Birds team will present on all you need to know to monitor and interpret the behaviours of your local beach-nesting birds. Feel free to ask any questions you ve been wanting to ask! Field trip options Please indicate in your RSVP which field trip you would prefer to attend. Each excursion will be led by a knowledgeable local guide. There are 5 to choose from (see over the page also) and Map 5 shows where these are each located. Field Trip Description Notes Griffiths Island Rutledges Cutting Tower Hill At the tip of Port Fairy lies Griffiths Island with its famous shearwater colony and Port Fairy Lighthouse. The Cutting not only attracts flocks of up to 60 Hooded Plovers but the saltmarsh surrounding this estuarine lake is also a hotspot for Orange-bellied Parrots. Come along to see this amazing habitat, learn about coastal plant identification and hopefully see amazing birds! Explore this extinct volcano, with its range of woodland and wetland birdlife. Easy access and easy walk. Wear suitable sturdy shoes and warm clothes. Track to the Cutting is a dirt road with several potholes. Wear suitable sturdy shoes and warm clothes. Potential to drive within the volcano and stop for several short walks or roadside viewing of birds. 4
Field Trip Description Notes Stingray Bay, Warrnambool Lake Pertobe, Warrnambool Take a look at Middle Island where the Little Penguins breed and meet the Maremma dogs on the beach! Hear from Warrnambool Coastcare about this unique protection and monitoring project. Discover this recreational lake in the heart of Warrnambool, with a range of waterbirds to view from the bird hide. Great opportunities to photograph waterbirds that have habituated to being close to humans. Limited places. Bitumen road. Wear suitable sturdy shoes and warm clothes. Bitumen road, plenty of car park space and an easy walk. Extra activities We will be running a silent auction on Friday the 13 th, to raise money for Beach-nesting Bird research. There will be a number of exciting items for auction including shorebird prints, original art works from Jo s Desktop and Rosemary Kidd, and much, much more. Items will be on display until afternoon tea on Friday, with winners announced toward the end of the presentations. If you have posters, banners, photographs or brochures and materials that you would like to display, we will be making a designated space for this. Just be sure to let us know what you plan on bringing so we can make sure there is enough room. If you have a copy of any of Sean Dooley s books that you d like to bring along for an autograph, we ll make sure there is an opportunity during the day! Photo courtesy Glenn Ehmke. Maps and Directions Trains Melbourne - Warrnambool Thursdays and Fridays Departing Southern Cross at 07:19 and arriving at Warrnambool Station at 10:45 Departing Southern Cross at 13:00 and arriving at Warrnambool Station at 16:14 Departing Southern Cross at 19:00 and arriving at Warrnambool Station at 22:25 Saturdays Departing Warrnambool Station at 11:43 and arriving at Southern Cross at 15:03 Departing Warrnambool Station at 17:25 and arriving at Southern Cross at 20:49 5
Sundays Departing Warrnambool Station at 7:10 and arriving at Southern Cross at 10:30 Departing Warrnambool Station at 12:10 and arriving at Southern Cross at 16:34 [this is a bus to Geelong, then changing onto a train] Departing Warrnambool Station at 17:25 and arriving at Southern Cross at 20:49 We will be able to pick people up from the station on Thursday 12 th June at 4:15pm and drop people off on Saturday for the 5:25pm train. Please let us know if you wish to be picked up. Unfortunately we cannot provide transport to/from the station for other train times. Driving to Warrnambool Map 1. Warrnambool is about 3 and a half hours south west of Melbourne. If you are coming from Melbourne follow the signs through Geelong to Warnambool using the A1 highway. Map 2. Alternatively if you are travelling from South Australia, Warrnambool is 7 hours drive from Adelaide, along the Riddoch and Princes Highways. 6
Map 3. Friday the 13th at the Lighthouse Theatre at 185 Timor St, Warrnambool. Map 4. Saturday 14 th at the Port Fairy Consolidated School, Albert St, Port Fairy. 7
Map 5. Locations of Saturday afternoon Field Trips relative to Port Fairy and Warrnambool. Red star represents Griffiths Island; Yellow star Rutledges Cutting; Green star Tower Hill; Navy blue star Stingray Bay; Purple star Lake Pertobe. Accommodation The table on the following page provides a summary of some of the accommodation options available in the Warrnambool and Port Fairy areas. For more options, visit: http://www.stayz.com.au/ http://www.booking.com/ http://visitwarrnambool.com.au/search/#.u2sefffnnwu 8
Accommodation name location type of accom price per night (from) Max number of guests weblink 104 on Merri Apartments Warrnambool apartments $225 3 http://www.104onmerri.com.au/ Discovery Holiday Park Warrnambool holiday park $45 - $99 6 http://www.discoveryholidayparks.com.au/vic/great_ocean_road/warrnambool Figtree Holiday Village Warrnambool holiday park $31 - $75 6 http://www.figtreepark.com/ Hopkins House Warrnambool motel/apartments $130 6 http://www.hopkinshouse.com.au/about/index.htm Redwood Manor Warrnambool motel/apartments $139 5 http://www.redwoodmanor.com.au/ Salt Air on Banyan Warrnambool apartments $130-160 4 http://www.saltaironbanyan.com.au/ Sea Shells on Banyan Warrnambool apartments $140 2 http://seashellsonbanyan.com.au/ Banyan Place Warrnambool self-contained unit $157 4 http://banyanplace.com.au/home/4578377534 Best Western Tudor Motor Inn Warrnambool motel/apartments $170 4 http://www.bestwestern.com.au/warrnambool/hotels/best-western-tudor-motor-innand-apartments/ Comfort Inn Western Warrnambool hotel-motel $129 2 http://www.choicehotels.com.au/en/comfort-inn-western-warrnambool-hotelau597?promo=gglocalauen Southgate Holiday Rental Warrnambool self-contained, house $150 8 http://www.southgateholidayrentals.com.au/ Surf Side Holiday Park Warrnambool holiday park $115 to $180 2 to 4 http://www.surfsidepark.com.au/index.php?q=node/3 Warrnambool Beach Backpacker's Warrnambool backpacker's $25 to $80 7 to 16 http://www.beachbackpackers.com.au/index.html Warrnambool Holiday Village Warrnambool holiday park $31 to $90 6 http://www.holidayvillage.com.au/wchv/wchv.html Beachfront Retreat Port Fairy self-contained house $190 - $480 6 to 13 http://www.skye-retreat.com.au/skye-beachfront-retreat-port-fairyaccommodation.html Belfast Cottages Port Fairy cottage $120-190 1-8 http://www.belfastcottages.com/ Big4 Port Fairy Port Fairy holiday park $42 -$130 6 http://www.big4portfairy.com.au/ self-contained Cherry Plum Cottages Port Fairy cottage $170 2 to 4 http://www.cherryplumcottages.com.au/ Gum Tree Caravan Park Port Fairy holiday park $36 - $80 6 http://www.gumtreecaravanpark.com.au/ Lagoons Bay Port Fairy self-contained B&B $175 4 http://www.lagoonsbay.com/ Merrijig Inn Port Fairy hotel-motel $120 2 http://www.merrijiginn.com/ The Victoria Apartments Port Fairy self-contained, house $97-$269 1 to 8 http://www.thevictoria.com.au/ 9