ML109989871

Ажиглалтын дэлгэрэнгүй

Coot were congregated in a number of large, tight groups on the western margins of the lake. We estimated the total number of birds in each group by counting groups of 10, up to 100, then multiplied that out to the whole of each group, and finally combined the total number of Coot for each group to come to a final estimate of 2500 birds. The fact that the birds were regularly disturbed by an immature White-bellied Sea-eagle assisted the count as the tightly packed groups would temporarily dissipate, helping to confirm our estimates of the number of birds in a group. Photo by Steve Reynolds shows approx. 220 Coot that he counted when walking in the opposite direction to Dan and myself, with a number of other similarly sized or larger groups along the lake area surveyed between us. The three of us concurred on the estimate for the whole area surveyed. We understand the previous highest count for this species at Wide Bay, Lake Moondarra is 200 and our count is significantly higher than this, but ours was a conservative estimate and the numbers were certainly in the thousands.