Update from the project - Feb 2023

The southern dunlins are far away right now; most spend the winter in West Africa and a few in southwestern Europe. But that doesn't mean that the project is standing still, quite the opposite. Planning is in full swing preparing the work that will start when the birds arrive. Many of the males return to Sweden around mid-April and the females usually a week or so later. Among other things, a plan has been drawn up for the survey work for the year, which will include extensive inventories of both southern dunlins and other waders on Öland, but also in Skåne and probably Halland.

In addition to planning the field work, during the winter the project management had productive meetings with county administrative boards to discuss how we can work together in the best way to save the southern dunlin, where discussions included various measures in the field. One of the most important measures to ensure the survival of the southern dunlin and many other waders is to work with predation mitigation measures. This may mean protective hunting of predators around the breeding grounds of the southern dunlin.

In terms of head-starting, all the necessary materials have been procured to hatch and hold the birds until they become flightless. In consultation with other experts, guidelines and protocols have been developed for care, infection prevention, release and more. In addition, we have sought relevant permits in dialogue with various authorities.

Now spring is fast approaching and our fingers are itching to start this year's season, which will also be the project's first full season! Now we are just waiting for the southern dunlin to come back to Sweden.