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Hi Birding-aussers, an interesting article appeared in this
mornings (Saturday Feb. 3) QLD Courier Mail. I'll quote in full - not too
long.
LONDON: British scientists sent to the Antarctic to
investigate whether King Penguins fall on their backs when aircraft fly overhead
said yesterday that the birds do no such thing.
The claim that penguins toppled backwards
while gawking at aircraft recieved world-wide exposure last year, following
reports from veterens of the Falklands War.
For five weeks a team from the
British Antarctic Survey monitored penguins on the remote island of South
Geoergia as Lynx helicopters from HMS Endurance passed Overhead.
But they found no evidence that the birds
toppled over.
Richard Stone, of the British Antarctic
Survey, said "Not one King Penguin fell over when the helicopters came
over.
"As the aircraft approached the birds
went quiet and stopped calling to each other, and adolescent birds that were not
associated with nests began walking away from the noise.
"Pure animal instinct,
really."
Dr stone found flight altitudes
of about 300m caused "only minor and transitory ecological effects" on King
Penguins.
Environmentalists and
scientists have been concerned that increasing aircraft activity in the
Antarctic and sub-Antarctic could be disturbing wildlife, including driving
penguins off their eggs.
The team now plans a second set of
experiments using fixed-wing aircraft.
As an ex serving Navyman (RAN) I fully appreciate the extra
noise military aircaft (helicopters & jet propelled fixed-wing, swing-wing)
generate. It's an intimidatory thing, nothing more, nothing less!!
One wonders what fixed-wing aircraft will be used in the
second, back-up 'experiment', propeller or super-sonic jets? Part of millitary
training and exercises involves low level high speed approach. It horrorfies me
to think of a Tornado performing a low level pass even at sub-sonic speed over
any colony of birds, let alone penguins or albatrosses.
Surely, if the British must maintain a strategic presence on
these remote islands, then it must be done with a minimum of disturbance and
away from any seabird colonies. I would have thought that this would be the case
with a seemingly responsible sea-power - so why the experiments?
No mention of that other debacle by the way also in that
region involving a fire. This apparently involved a runway near seabird
colonies, which suggests increasing millitary activity in the area.
Cheers and good birding - Paul Walbridge.
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