[TN-Bird] Shorebird Workshop in Northwest Tennessee

About 35 individuals participated in a Shorebird Workshop that was held August 
27-29 in Dyersburg.  Classroom sessions were at Dyersburg State Community 
College and field work was held at some of the surrounding TWRA areas. While 
most of   those attending were TWRA personnel or personnel of USFW from the 
West TN Refuge Complex, anyone interested was welcome to attend.  
 

The Workshop was put together for TWRA by Joe Hopper from Nashville and used 
plans for Black Bayou and White Lake Refuge as the teaching resource. It was 
conducted by Doug Helmers from Chillicothe, MO, a noted expert on shorebird 
management and ecology and author of the Shorebird Management Manual.  Doug has 
an MS from University of Missouri and since 1994 has been with National 
Resources Conservation Service in research and wetland restoration.



It alternated between class room discussion at DSCC and field trips.  Areas 
covered included, Bogota and White Lake Refuge, in Dyer County and Black Bayou, 
Phillippy Pits and the Ibis Hole in Lake County.

  

The course consisted of identification techniques for shorebirds, census and 
survey methods for shorebirds, and management of shorebird habitat.  These 
lessons were integrated by Doug by the use of classroom and field training and 
the use of TWRA personnel in explaining their objectives and techniques used in 
their areas of responsibility.

 

In 1994, the TWRA began to implement shorebird management on their WMAs.  At 
the same time plans were being developed by Jim Johnson along with other TWRA 
personnel for Black Bayou and White Lake refuge  to design and build diverse 
wetlands (vs. corn and water for ducks) on the grounds that they were more 
stable, predictable, and dependable for waterfowl, and more in keeping with the 
overall objectives of TWRA. One can see this diversity in the buffer strips of 
trees and other native vegetation and the various management stages in these 
units now.

 

Many experiments and trial and error attempts to accomplish the agency?s 
waterfowl, shorebird and wading bird objectives have been done with varying 
degrees of success.  Carl Wirwa, at White Lake and now, to some extent at 
Bogota, has had to struggle with invasive vegetation such as sesbania to 
produce grasses and other low-growing vegetation more favorable for waterfowl 
than shorebirds that fill the water with grass as it recedes.  Paul Brown and 
his personnel at Black Bayou have had to deal with the rapid growth of 
cockleburs also.

 

While dealing with the vegetation problems, gauging the proper depth, timing 
and drawdown to promote mud flats conducive to shorebird ?bugs? and keeping 
favored native crops for waterfowl has been a constant balancing act.  

 

In 1994 Doug held the first workshop on shorebirds as the developing plans were 
beginning for Black Bayou and White Lake. So it was natural for Joe Hopper to 
select him for this workshop.  Techniques are improving every year and  part of 
the purpose of this workshop was to inform the people here about the latest 
techniques and see how they applied in these units.     



In teaching shorebird identification techniques Doug used a Key for Breeding or 
Partial Breeding Plumage Shorebirds in the USA prepared by the Western 
Hemisphere Shorebird Network at the Manomet Observatory.  (These are the same 
people that conduct these shorebird surveys that we participate in a few times 
each year.  Check it at www.manomet.org. )  Doug was with them from 1991-1994 
and helped prepare this key.

    

 

I really enjoyed the entire workshop and learned a great deal both about 
shorebird identification and the many issues involved in the management of 
shorebirds.  The thing that impressed me most about the seminar was the 
knowledge, attitude and desire of the TWRA and USFW personnel to improve the 
shore birding (and all birding) for this area in spite of the many objectives 
they have to achieve in doing it.


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