I have had the pleasure of viewing a pair of Flame Robins bathing in the
birdbath in my garden for several weeks now, although they have gone
missing in the current spate of bad weather! I have been aware of the
gradual decline in the number of Flame Robins over a number of years. Older
generation birdwatchers report of seeing up to 300 Flame Robins in the
Caulfield Park and Albert Park Lake in the centre of Melbourne in the
1940's, a figure that in todays environment defies the imagination.
I heard a disturbing report on the weekend of the long term study that the
Victorian Ornithological Research Group (VORG) have been carrying out on a
Flame Robin flyway near Shepparton somewhere.For many years they have been
banding Flames and the disturbing fact is that in recent times they are
apparently only retrapping banded birds which indicates that there are no
juveniles amongst them.
The problem seems to stem from intensive sprays used on orchards in the
Shepparton region which are taken up into the upper atmosphere and dumped
in heavy concentrations on the high country where Flames breed. These
chemicals are effecting the breeding success of Flames. Can anyone
enlighten me on this disturbing report as to the validity of it. Please
tell me it's not true!!!
Bett Mitchell from a wet and windy Mornington Peninsula.
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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