Red Knot migration in the Bohai Bay – 2011 report

Chris Hassell from the Global Flyway Network just emailed me a copy of his 2011 report on migratory Red Knot using the rapidly shrinking mudflats in the Bohai Bay, a couple of hundred kilometres south-east of Beijing.  It covers Nanpu, the area I visited and blogged about a few weeks ago.  Overall, it is again depressing reading but there is a glimmer of hope in the form of WWF China’s work to raise awareness of the plight of these shorebirds and the proposal to try to protect at least a small portion of these important mudflats from the seemingly endless development and land reclamation that is currently taking place.  I wish them luck and will be using every opportunity I have through my professional engagement with Chinese government officials to promote this issue.