Taking the pulse of the shorebird migration

• The core of this project is the dedicated citizen-scientists

• These volunteers will be conducting simultaneous surveys at sites of potential usage by Western Sandpipers

• The abundance of Western Sandpipers is recorded at sites that could be used by Western Sandpipers on southward migration

• Some behavioural observations are also made during the survey period

• Sites were chosen based on habitat characteristics and with advice from local naturalists including our very skilled and knowledgeable volunteers.

• Sites were within the Salish Sea region, which hosts sites of hemispheric importance to migratory shorebirds.

• Sites ranged from small ponds to tidal lagoons to extensive estuarine mudflats.

• Sites were within two national parks, multiple provincially protected areas and various areas of local importance.

• At each site volunteers spent 2-3 hours observing the site and counting the number of Western Sandpipers using the site for feeding

• Observations of peregrine falcons and merlin, which hunt the migrating sandpipers were also recorded.

• Volunteers returned to the site for 1-3 days for both the adult and juvenile migrations in July and August respectively.

The next steps

• Data from the censuses will be used to test the predictions from the hypotheses outlined above.

• Additional information about each survey site will help with this.

• The final goal is to generate and test a process that will quickly allow for the assessment of population trends in migratory shorebird species and provide an empirical estimation of support for the causes of this trend.