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Where do the bitterns go after rice harvest? Part 2

The plot thickens. Just when we thought we might be getting a handle on things, our latest survey results only raise more questions and these sneaky Australasian Bitterns seem as perplexing as ever. In six weeks or so, they’ll descend on the rice crops, from somewhere.

Yesterday we completed the second round of targeted surveys at wetlands in the Riverina that we think are the best candidates to support them outside of the rice season. They range from irrigation channels and dams, to waterways and large, internationally recognised Ramsar sites. You may recall that in June, shortly after harvest, we found 11 bitterns, highlighted by four at a well vegetated wetland near Griffith and four in a cumbungi-filled irrigation channel near Coleambally. Well, they’re not there now. They’ve moved, somewhere.

With only one bittern found after five days of walking through wetlands, and our tails firmly between our legs, we suddenly hit the jackpot yesterday morning – a minimum of 8 Australasian Bitterns, probably ten or more, spread throughout a small dam (approx. 4 ha) that supports patchy stands of cumbungi and rushes (see below). Intriguingly, there were none here in June when the water level was lower. A large wetland nearby has recently received environmental water so they may well be responding to that and feeding out there at night.

These latest results remind us why we are so keen to get a satellite tracking project up and going. In June, and just now, we may have found a handful of the missing birds but even these are clearly moving around the landscape during the non-breeding season. We’ve had three records in the past couple of weeks of bitterns using recently watered wheat and oat crops, further suggesting that some stick around, but all things considered, it does appear that a large proportion of the bitterns that use Riverina rice crops have left the region. We’ll be welcoming them back shortly, from somewhere. Our Tracking Bunyip Birds crowdfunding campaign now has over 200 supporters and $44 000 raised, but we only have six days to go and $6000 remaining to reach our required target. It’s nail-biting stuff.

Lastly, speaking of responses to environmental water, it was wonderful to see hundreds of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers (above left) using freshly flooded shallows. During the week we saw three other sandpiper species that breed in the northern hemisphere, and there were also Latham’s (Japanese) Snipe but the big highlight was stumbling upon a Little Curlew (above right), a real rarity in the Riverina. There were also the shorebirds that breed here in Australia, like Red-necked Avocets and Black-winged Stilts, in their hundreds, along with good numbers of Glossy Ibis, Whiskered Tern, Baillon’s Crake, Spotted Crake and various other waterbird delights. Lots of frogs and snakes too!

Special thanks to the Riverina Local Land Services for funding these wetland surveys, and to Nathan Smith, trusty assistant bittern botherer.

Never mind the possibility of life beyond Earth, this is the real burning question! With such significant numbers of the globally endangered Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) using Riverina rice fields, and now that we know there’s widespread breeding as well, it’s crucial that we work out which wetlands they depend on during the colder months of the year. Thanks to funding from the Riverina Local Land Services, The Bitterns in Rice Project has begun to solve this curious mystery.

This year, the rice harvest was late, delayed by wet weather, but by the end of May most of these temporary agricultural wetlands that bitterns had called home over summer had been drained or dried out. The headers had been and gone, taking with them the typical ten tonne per hectare harvest. So last week we began targeted surveys of key wetland areas in the Riverina with the aim of finding some of their non-breeding, post-harvest haunts.

We had little idea of what to expect. There was every chance they’d all headed to the coast and we’d just be trudging through cold Riverina swamps for the fun of it. Monitoring data from the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands near Melbourne indicate relatively large numbers of bitterns arrive in autumn, coinciding with rice harvest. These bitterns remain present throughout winter and depart before summer. Perhaps these are some of the bitterns from the rice fields and they’re indicative of a broader coastward movement pattern.

In what was a great start, we found 11 bitterns across a range of different wetland types last week, the best sites being a Cumbungi-filled drainage channel near Coleambally (below left), with four birds, and Campbell’s Swamp near Griffith (above left), also with four birds. The well-known Fivebough Swamp near Leeton yielded two, while the Forest Creek near Conargo produced our first bittern for the week.

We need to find more birds at more sites when we conduct surveys in spring and then wait until summer to see if these bitterns are associated with the rice or not. The idea is simple. The numbers of bitterns we find at these sites outside of the rice-growing season should plummet as they move into the rice. While it’s no substitute for tracking individual birds, we should start to get a good idea of important non-breeding refuges in the Riverina and whether or not a large part of the population leaves. To complicate matters though, this no doubt varies from year to year, depending on the conditions, and the wet autumn we’ve had might mean more bitterns are staying put than they have been in recent years.

Because Campbell’s and Fivebough Swamp yield bittern records each summer, it’s possible the birds we encountered there are resident and have nothing to do with the rice. If the bitterns from the rice fields are not in key wetlands like these, then where are they? The Coleambally birds in the cumbungi-filled drainage channel highlight the possibility that they’ll stick around if they can and the role that rice farmers can play in providing habitat outside of the rice season. This is one of our key Bittern Friendly Rice Growing Tips. 

A number of wetlands along the Murrumbidgee River floodplain, such as those around Yanco (above right), showed great promise, as did parts of the Yanco Creek. Interestingly, quite a few landholders pointed out that all of their Cumbungi died off when the drought-breaking floods came. We were surprised not to get any bitterns at Tuckerbil and we also still have high hopes for the Mirrool Creek near Barrenbox Swamp and other wetland areas like Lake Wyangan.

Clearly, there are still plenty of missing pieces to this jigsaw puzzle and it’s quite possible that large numbers of bitterns did depart the Riverina once the rice was harvested, but with any luck we’ll be a whole lot closer to the truth after the next two surveys later this year. Stay tuned. Special thanks to Nathan Smith, trusty assistant bittern botherer who did more than his fair share of navigating through dense reed beds.

And for anyone that’s interested, the Bitterns in Rice Project was featured on ABC Radio National last week when rice grower John Hand and I were interviewed for the Bush Telegraph program. You can listen to it here.

We’re very pleased to launch our first edition of the Bittern Friendly Rice Growing Tips. The endangered Australasian Bittern arrives in rice crops about two months after sowing and begins nesting once there is sufficient cover. These tips are based on the key findings from the work to date of the Bitterns in Rice Project. They are for rice growers in the NSW Riverina that are keen and able to help conserve this special bird.

To download a two-page pdf click here -> Bittern Friendly Rice Growing Tips 2014

Kurlku is a short film from the Ngurrara Rangers of Australia’s remote Kimberley region. The Rangers talk about their connection to country and how rich Ngurrara Country is for their culture and wildlife. The film highlights a biodiversity survey training trip to Kurlku in October 2013, and was produced by Matt Herring (www.murraywildlife.com.au) and Nathan Smith (www.nathanjamesproductions.com.au) for the Kimberley Land Council.

Farm Dam Blitz is a short film for landholders interested in enhancing wildlife habitat in their farm dams. Farmers from New South Wales and Victoria talk about what they’ve done to make wildlife more welcome on their properties. Follow presenter and wildlife ecologist Matt Herring as he himself transforms alongside the farm dams.

The film highlights the enormous potential of the hundreds of thousands of farm dams across Australia to support more wildlife. It shows how simple changes can make a big difference and that it’s easy to have multi-functional farm dams. The typically barren farm dam can be transformed into an oasis for wildlife where one can marvel at the wonders of nature. Farm Dam Blitz is brought to you by Murrumbidgee Landcare through funding from the Australian Government’s Caring For Our Country program.

Murray Wildlife is happier than ever to use Australian Ethical as its preferred Superannuation Fund. Australian Ethical has become the first publicly listed company in Australia to be certified as a B Corporation. What does that mean? Well, in a nutshell, B Corporations must meet rigorous standards to demonstrate they use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems, rather than cause them.

It feels great to know your money is investing in the likes of renewable energy, rather than the likes of dirty coal. Sure, they’re not perfect and there are still issues to be dealt with, but it makes so much sense to have your money supporting progress toward a better world. Who would have thought that paying Super could feel so good?! To find out more, visit the Australian Ethical article.

There must be tens of thousands of Golden-headed Cisticolas (Cisticola exilis) breeding in rice crops this season. I record these beautiful birds at almost every site I survey. I’ve seen nests and lots of unfledged young. They’re a tiny bird and make a range of distinctive, insect-like buzzing calls. If you’re not familiar with them, it’s worth taking the time to get a good look and to watch their antics.

I wonder where they all come from and where they all go after the rice season. They’re certainly good at quickly taking advantage of new habitats as they emerge. One of their close relatives in Japan holds the record for the youngest breeding bird: less than two months old. Now that’s not wasting any time.

Bitterns in Rice Project Update by Matt Herring

It’s hard to know where to begin. We’re learning so much about endangered Australasian Bitterns and their secret lives. Valuable insights and exciting finds have come as thick and fast as the rice has been growing.

Just yesterday, two gorgeous chicks, dubbed Bazza and Beatrice, now about 18 days old, were found hiding under 4-5 feet tall Barnyard Grass on the side of a bank between rice bays. They were about 50 metres from the nest where they hatched into this world. The truth is I was about to see a man about a dog and saw movement in the grass. I thought it was a cat. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I parted the grass. Total fluke, but as they say, ‘you’ve got to be in it to win it’. Anyway, it really demonstrates the value of thick cover on banks and makes for another bittern-friendly rice farming tip. Controlling foxes and cats, which often walk along the banks, is likely to improve the chances of chicks fledging too.

We now have four nests including one that’s active with five eggs. If they hatch soon, they’ll have a reasonable chance of fledging from this late breeding attempt before harvest. Mark Robb has ‘been in it to win it’ again this season and almost stumbled on the nest. The other two nests have presumably already been used because the original nest found now looks much like they do, with little or no evidence of prior breeding but lots of trampled rice immediately surrounding it.

These nests are all very different from the various roosting and feeding platforms that the bitterns build. While it is thought the chicks take 7-8 weeks to fledge, they leave the nest after about two weeks and clamber about in the surrounding vegetation, making any measures of breeding success very tricky. Having said that, all indications are positive for successful breeding in rice crops.

In recent days, we’ve had Andrew Silcocks and Chris Purnell traipsing around the rice as well, trialing Birdlife Australia’s new drone. It showed good potential to complement other methods to find and monitor future nests. It certainly helped us find one of the new ‘old’ nests.

Back to the Australia Day public holiday. I flushed an owl out of a rice crop. Strange. I had a quick look as it flew off and thought that’s an odd place for a Barn Owl to roost. Moments later, I remembered that the similar but very rare Eastern Grass Owl is a ground dweller that only nests on the ground. I spoke to a few people and thought it worthwhile to get a better look to work out if it was them or not. On a neighbouring property just a couple of days ago, together with Andrew, Chris and Mark, we saw two more, then went back to the original site and found that one again. We had great views and were able to confirm a total of at least three, possibly four or five. Grass Owls: another threatened species using rice crops as surrogate wetlands and another secret revealed. Remarkable. Not so remarkable is my photo of one.

There’s a great deal of goodwill and enthusiasm for bittern conservation among rice growers. Almost every day I’m struck by it. The support for the Bitterns in Rice Project has been wonderful and the potential seems endless.

All rice farmers are asked to keep their ears and eyes out for bitterns, especially on dawn and dusk. Sightings can be reported online via the Birdlife Australia website (birdlife.org.au/projects/bittern-project/bitterns-in-rice-project), or by contacting Neil Bull (0428 603 557 nbull@rga.org.au), Andrew Silcocks (andrew.silcocks@birdlife.org.au, 03 9347 0757), or Mark Robb of Coleambally Irrigation (mrobb@colyirr.com.au, 02 6950 2850).

The Bitterns in Rice Project is a collaboration between the Rice Growers’ Association of Australia and Birdlife Australia, with key support from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation; the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; the Murrumbidgee and Murray Catchment Management Authorities; Coleambally, Murrumbidgee and Murray Irrigation; Coleambally and Murrumbidgee Landcare; the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists club; and the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service

Bitterns in Rice Project Update by Matt Herring

It’s with great joy that I share this news. Any niggling doubts I’ve had about the likelihood of widespread breeding in rice crops have evaporated. There it was – a glowing beacon of bittern reproduction: three chicks and two eggs. After so much effort, I was beginning to worry that someone would find that I’d ‘bittern the dust’ out in a rice paddock somewhere without having found a single nest!

Since last season, we’ve known that very significant numbers of the endangered Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) use rice crops in the NSW Riverina. Many things have pointed toward there being widespread breeding, but until now the Bitterns in Rice Project had been unable to find an active nest or other conclusive evidence of breeding in rice crops.

The landholders are delighted. Like many rice farmers, they’re familiar with this special bird and have a real soft spot for them. There is plenty of time for the chicks to fledge (approx. 55 days) before their crop is harvested. And in a bizarre coincidence, the property is called ‘Tarkoori’, an Aboriginal word for Australasian Bittern. I presume the ‘Tar’ is the male sucking air in and the ‘koori’ is the boom. Go on, try it.

Sure, it’s only one nest, but more are bound to follow, and the site is just one of many randomly selected rice farms (with aerially-sown or dry-sown crops) in the Coleambally region where bitterns have been recorded. As of yesterday, across the NSW Riverina rice-growing regions, we passed the 50-individual mark for bitterns confirmed in rice crops this season.

It’s clearer than ever that birds don’t arrive in the crops until the rice is about 30 cm and in mid-December that meant a smaller proportion of sites supported them because of the late season. From where they came once the crops were tall enough, we can only speculate. It’s intriguing. There are already a few sites that now have rice above 80cm and if last season is any indication, the males will quieten by about mid-February, so we only have a couple of weeks of the main survey window remaining.

Stay tuned, as we interrogate the data, comparing bittern and non-bittern sites, so we can continue to develop our bittern-friendly rice-growing tips for interested growers. This really is a wonderful example of how Australian farms can simultaneously produce food and support endangered species.

All rice farmers are asked to keep their ears and eyes out for bitterns, especially on dawn and dusk. Sightings can be reported online via the Birdlife Australia website (birdlife.org.au/projects/bittern-project/bitterns-in-rice-project), or by contacting Neil Bull (0428 603 557 nbull@rga.org.au), Andrew Silcocks (andrew.silcoks@birdlife.org.au, 03 9347 0757), or Mark Robb of Coleambally Irrigation (mrobb@colyirr.com.au, 02 6950 2850).

The Bitterns in Rice Project is a collaboration between the Rice Growers’ Association of Australia and Birdlife Australia, with key support from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation; the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; the Murrumbidgee and Murray Catchment Management Authorities; Coleambally, Murrumbidgee and Murray Irrigation; Coleambally and Murrumbidgee Landcare; the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists club; and the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service