We need as many volunteer helpers as possible to successfully complete the census this year.

Applicants who are individual Save The Gouldian Fund members and/or donors will be given preference.

It is essential that each volunteer has a good pair of binoculars of his/her own.

Volunteers intending to participate in the census will need to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

Sunday 2nd September

• Assemble at Wyndham TAFE (opposite BP off main road through Wyndham) by 2.00pm.
• Presentation - Dr Sarah Pryke - Discussion of current threats to the Gouldian and an overview of the current research projects.
• Induction - Dr Sarah Pryke and Mike Fidler - Guidance on what we are going to be doing for the following five days.

Monday 3rd September

• Bird counting at waterholes at dawn
• Breakfast at Parrys after count (to discuss any problems)
• Rest of the day free or opportunity to go birding with experts at Emma Gorge/El Questro

Tuesday 4th September

• Bird counting at waterholes at dawn
• Rest of the day free or volunteer to participate in nest box building workshop

Wednesday 5th September

• Bird counting at waterholes at dawn
• Rest of the day free or volunteer to participate in nest box building workshop
• Evening barbeque at sunset at Bastion Lookout

Thursday 6th September

• Bird counting at waterholes at dawn
• Breakfast at Parrys after count (report back on count)

So if you fancy:

1. A wonderful excuse to visit this spectacular area - the whole area is a birder’s paradise with Marlgu, a Ramsar listed wetland, adjoining Parry Creek Farm. The area around Wyndham also hosts a number of mangrove habitats, as well as the savanna grasslands, which host a large diversity of finches and other birds that are well worth seeing.
2. A unique opportunity to see Gouldian finches in the wild, together with a large diveristy of other native finches, including star, crimson, lomg-tailed, masked, yellow-rumped, chestnut-breasted, double-bar, zebra and pictorella finches. Less than an hour’s drive away you should be able to also find the lovely Painted Finch.
3. Help in a really good cause
4. Meet up and make friends with some wonderful like-minded people
5. Get away from it all and chill out!

For further information and registration please contact

David Myers

Email or phone (0410422386)

ACCOMMODATION IN THE WYNDHAM AREA

Parry Creek Farm (20km from Wyndham)
Tourist resort and Caravan Park
www.parrycreekfarm.com.au
Tel: 08 9161 1139
email: info@parrycreekfarm.com.au
Cabins; Several rooms; Camping

Wyndham Caravan Park
53 Baker Street,
Wyndham
Tel: 08 9161 1064
Basic rooms; Camping

Wyndham Town Hotel/Motel
O’Donnell Street
Wyndham
Tel: 08 9161 1202
Basic motel rooms; Meals at the pub

For information about the area:
Kununurra Visitor Centre
75 Coolibah Drive,
Kununurra
Tel: 08 9168 1177
www.kununurratourism.com

The Save The Gouldian Fund has negotiated some concessional prices on accommodation and vehicle hire for volunteers:

Accommodation available at Parry Creek Farm

The following special prices for accommodation at Parry Creek Farm, Wyndham are available for people involved with the Gouldian Finch Count in September, 2012.

You need to register with the STGF before booking accommodation.

The prices shown below are for two people in each room - some rooms have extra beds available at $25 per person.

Self-contained en suite cabins - $179 per night
Sleeps 2 to 4 people – $25 per extra person – 4 available

Large rooms (not en suite) - $92 per night.
Sleeps 2 to 4 people – $25 per extra person – 6 available

Safari tents (not en suite) Sleeps 2 - $50 per night – 8 available

Powered camp sites - $30 per night

Unpowered camp sites - $12 per night

4WD Vehicle rental discounts from Thrifty in Kununurra

A 4WD Pajero (or similar vehicle) is $181.20 per day with 200kms included free per day. A 4WD Dual cab Hilux (or similar 4 door 4WD) is $104.50 per day with 200ks included free per day. For NRMA members a 4WD Prado (or similar vehicle) for 5 days is - $774.18 with 500kms included free. For NRMA members a Dual cab Hilux (or similar 4 door 4WD) is $518.02 with 500kms included free.  Additional kilometres are charged at $0.30 per km (or $30 per 100kms).
 
Damage liability, standard on these vehicles, is a maximum of $5500.00 (NRMA members - $2750.00) for a multi-vehicle incident; and a maximum of $7700.00 (NRMA members - $4950.00) for a single vehicle incident. With the option of paying a Premium Protection of $37 per day (NRMA members - $22.00 per day) the maximum excess payable for a multi-vehicle incident is reduced to $1100.00 (NRMA members - $550.00); for a single vehicle incident to $5500.00 (NRMA members - $2750.00).
 
Also keep in mind Thrifty have an assortment of offers/specials that participants would be advised of from whichever motoring organisation/club they might be affiliated with. These usually advise of a CODE to receive the appropriate discount.
 
Anyone booking will have to inform Thrifty Kununurra of either being an NRMA member or an official member of the Save The Gouldian Fund census group.

Bookings can be made by contacting: Brett Fargher / Nina Mehlmer online at www.rentacar.com.au; phone on 08 91691911 or 0409691911; fax on 08 91691912; by email at kununurra@rentacar.com.au

4WD Vehicle rental discounts from Budget in Kununurra

A 4WD Nissan Patrol (or similar vehicle) is $153.04 per day with 200kms included free per day. A 4WD Dual cab ute (or single cab ute) is $131.49 per day with 200kms included free per day. Additional kilometres are charged at $0.27 per km (or $27 per 100kms).

Damage liability payable on these vehicles is a maximum of $6831.00. By paying the protection option of $30.95 per day the maximum damage liability payable is reduced to $1708.00.

Anyone booking a vehicle will have to inform Budget Kununurra that they are an official member of the Save The Gouldian Fund census group.

Bookings can be made by contacting: Sue Stubbs, Budget Car & Truck Rental
by phone on 08 9168 2033; fax on 08 9168 2433; or email at kununurra@budgetwa.com.au

Wyndham Gouldian Finch Census: 5 - 10 September 2010

A big thank you to all the volunteers that helped with the count this year

The third annual Gouldian Finch Census was held in the STGF research area near Wyndham in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. This year dedicated volunteers travelled from all over Australia, and as far afield as the United Kingdom to participate, with at least 4 people returning to Wyndham for their second consecutive year.

This year the census area was expanded to include a larger number of waterholes within a greater radius from last year.

Early September is chosen for the census as the Gouldians have finished breeding and formed flocks. To gather information on the numbers of Gouldians in the research area, the number of finches are counted at waterholes early in the morning when they arrive to drink. The shortage of water necessitates their drinking at the few remaining water sources, therefore making it easier to count them at this time.

This year good-sized flocks of Gouldian finches were counted at a number of waterholes. Although there was an overall decrease in numbers from last year, mostly likely due to a rather wet dry-season which affected breeding this year, the population is still looking relatively healthy. Once again, juveniles far outnumbered adult birds (but juveniles were much less adundant than in previous years, probably because of the bad breeding season).

Thank you also to everyone who got involved and helped collect hollow logs and build nest boxes. The Gouldians will appreciate all your hard work and sweat!

While sitting watch waterholes, Vernon Smithers wrote some entertaining poems. Have a read:

A bad waterhole
A good waterhole

Mark Jolly, secretary of the Hunter Valley Finch Club, wrote a personal account of his experience during the count. Have a read:

The big Wyndham trip

Annual Wyndham Gouldian Finch Census –  1-5 September, 2009

During the first week of September, the second annual Gouldian Finch Census was held in the STGF research area around Wyndham, which is in the East Kimberley Region of Western Australia.

This census forms part of our ongoing research and monitoring of this endangered finch. During the last 3 years researchers from Macquarie University have been studying various aspects of Gouldian Finch ecology, during which they discovered one of the factors creating the downward pressure on populations was a shortage of appropriate nesting hollows. As a trial remedy, over 200 artificial nest boxes were erected in their breeding areas. The census therefore helps monitor the effects of this on the population and also monitors movement and the overall size of the Gouldian Finch population within our study area.

To gain an insight into the numbers of resident Gouldians in the research area, we count the numbers of birds at waterholes early in the morning as they arrive to drink. This September, we monitored and collected data from 21 waterholes which were within a 25km radius of Wyndham. This time of the year is chosen because the Gouldian Finches have finished breeding and formed flocks, which together with the shortage of water means they drink at the few remaining water sources making it easier for us to count them as they come in to drink.

Prior to the count there was some apprehension about the status of the Gouldians inhabiting the area, as significant areas of land previously untouched by fire, had also been burned this year too. We really were not sure whether this was going to affect numbers or not!

Twenty nine people, including nine Kimberley Land Council trainee rangers, assembled in Wyndham to assist with the task of counting. At the orientation meeting held at the Wyndham Shire office building on the afternoon of Tuesday, 1st September all volunteer counters were briefed on what was required and how to fill out the census sheets. Not only were we to count the Gouldians, if possible, we also had to record the sexes, head colours, number of juveniles and any band colours that we could see. In addition, time allowing, we were also asked to record the numbers of Long-tailed Finches and any bands noticed on them too! The count took place over four successive days with the counters being moved to a different location each day.

It all started early each morning with counters in place at their assigned waterholes by 5.30am; counting commenced at 6.00am and no-one was allowed to move until we finished at 8.00am! Thank goodness for that fold-out chair!

My first waterhole was one of two old reservoirs only 2-3 kilometres north of the new STGF Conservation Research Centre at old Wyndham Port and a stones throw from the crocodile farm. Adjacent to the reservoir was a small pond, and it was here that the finches came in to drink each day. Typically, before 6.30am all was quiet birdwise and then the small flocks of Black-rumped Double-bars started to arrive at the water. These were soon followed by the Zebra Finches, the Long-tailed and the Masked Finches and finally …. 12 black-headed Gouldian Finches! I can still visualise 6 of these majestic birds preening and ruffling their feathers in the top-most branches of a dead tree after drinking and bathing. An unforgettable sight! In addition to the exquisite finches were ‘squadrons’ of doves and pigeons of all shapes and sizes including Diamond Doves, Peaceful Doves, Bar-shouldered Doves and the beautiful Spinifex Pigeons who ran down to the water’s edge to drink in pairs like dancers in a Russian ballet!

Counting ceased at 8.00am each morning and we all piled back into the four-wheel drives and headed back to Wyndham to rendezvous at the ‘Big Crocodile’. On the second day of the count, there was a buzz of excitement when Wayne Southwell (one of the volunteers from Wollongong) reported seeing some 220 Gouldians drinking from a puddle on the road in front of the Wyndham Shire Offices in the middle of town, and only some 500 metres around the corner from where we were standing! 'Too many to count', said a boggle eyed Wayne!!
 At 6.00am each morning automatic sprinklers come on to water the lawn area in front of the office building. By 6.30am enough water run-off has occurred to form a large puddle in a depression at the junction of the street and the tarred access driveway – it is here that the biggest numbers of Gouldians chose to drink each morning!

The birds arrive between 6.30am and 7.30am in groups varying in size from a dozen or so individuals, to flocks containing in excess of 50 birds. By 7.30am they had finished drinking and feeding on the lawn area, and departed. 
On the Saturday when it was my turn there, the birds arrived in at least seven separate groups. Six of these groups contained a combined total of some 320 birds that drank from the pool. Another group of some 60 Gouldians alighted in the adjacent tree, but flew off in a north-easterly direction almost immediately without drinking, when flushed by a passing car.
Approximately 20-25% of all birds observed were adults; 75-80% were uncoloured juveniles. One flock containing 25 adults and 100 juveniles landed on the lawn area about 20 metres from us after drinking from the puddle and began feeding – we watched them for nearly a quarter of an hour. A phenomenal, WOW, DOUBLE WOW sight!

The official outcome of the census is that we believe that there are just over 400 Gouldians in the Wyndham study area – the overwhelming majority of which are juveniles (about 80% of the birds counted). This indicates that the population currently in the area in September this year is roughly on a par with that present at the same time last year. Although this in some ways is a healthy sign, we now need to find out what happens to the juveniles during the wet season.
The problem is that we go into the wet with a healthy population of juveniles, but large numbers do not survive to breed the following year.
 The other thing the census highlighted was how few of our banded breeding adults we recorded, which together with other measurements the researchers have made, may be indicating that the breeding adults do not survive long after the breeding season finishes.

For a Spanish translation of this article, please click here