Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) · two birds, two observers, one shared mudflat
© JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 4.0
© JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 4.0
Moreton Bay · Quandamooka Country · Shorebird Observer Network
The Field Observer Network is open to anyone who wants to contribute field observations from Moreton Bay shorebird sites — not just trained Stewards. Your counts, your flag reads, your disturbance records. They matter. Register and start contributing.
What this is
The Moreton Bay Steward dataset grows from every observation submitted — by trained Stewards and by anyone else who visits these sites with attention and care. The Field Observer Network opens the submission pathway to the public, under a registered identity that distinguishes observer contributions from Steward assessments.
Observers are not Shorebird Stewards. That distinction matters — Stewards have completed structured training and can conduct formal assessments. But an observer who visits Kakadu Beach every week during the season and records what they see is contributing data that trained Stewards alone cannot cover. We need both.
What your observations build
The Moreton Bay Steward dataset is the longitudinal evidence base for shorebird site management advocacy — counts, disturbance events, flag reads, habitat observations. Your submissions feed the dashboard in near-real time and stay in the record permanently.
Registration is free and by email. There's no login system — your registered identity is your name and email. When you submit observations through the Shoreline Assessment form, select "Visiting observer" as your level. Your observations will be tagged accordingly.
The pathway forward
There's no pressure and no timeline. Some observers contribute data for years and that's the whole story. Others get curious about the science and want to go deeper. The Steward Course is there when you're ready.