It is interesting what Penny says about the crash in Fairy-wren numbers at
the uni campus due to clearing of undergrowth. The same thing has happened
at Monash Uni (Clayton, eastern suburbs of Melbourne). Peter Fell has
documented the changes in bird numbers of the years on campus (Pete, are you
reading this?, and it is a depressing story. We lost the last fairy-wrens a
few years back, but others such as scrub-wrens were hanging on. Now,
however, the uni has cleared most of the shrubs and bushes that were left,
apparently for security reasons (no undergrowth = no place for baddies to
ambush you from), and even they are fast becoming scarce.
Sean Pywell.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Penny Drake-Brockman
> Sent: Monday, 11 October 1999 8:23
> To: Russell
> Subject: Re: birding-aus Marked increases - Fairy Wrens !
>
>
> >John Gamblin wrote:
> >>
> >> A very quick message to all but we have a very marked
> >> increase in numbers of the Willie Wagtail in the
> >> township of Hastings and on the Mornington Peninsula
> >> in general, and boy are they singing.
> >>
> >> What a dawn chorus this morn.
> >>
> >> John A. Gamblin
> >>
> >This is interesting because I have also noticed a similar increase in
> >Willie Wagtail numbers in my home area at Hurstville in
> suburban Sydney.
> >There has also been a noticeable increase in peewee numbers as well.
> >Perhaps it is just a coincidence but I perceive that there
> are less cats
> >around now than when I moved here 16 years ago. Unfortunately, superb
> >fairywren numbers have crashed during that period and have not
> >recovered.
> >
> >Graham Fry
>
>
>
> To add to the above, fairy wrens have crashed in Darlington and around
> Sydney Uni campus due to overkeen clearing of undergrowth and
> the rise in
> the number of currawongs that now nest successfully
> throughout this area of
> South Sydney.
>
> Penny
>
> Penny Drake-Brockman, Examination Recitals Co-ordinator, Sydney
> Conservatorium of Music.
> Tel: 02 9351 1254.
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