birding-aus

Birds and grapes

To:
Subject: Birds and grapes
From: John Gamblin <>
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 20:41:51 -0800 (PST)
I couldn't agree more with you David BUT why not give
them what they want? what does the precious food
growers have to lose? if served up on a plate then
could easily so to speak could become a tourists
mecca? good wine? good birds? naked Derek Guile
protestors?

John Gamblin
pecking out from under the storm table.
=======================================================
 wrote:
Margaret bell wrote ".... creating habitats that will
encourage nectar eating birds & insects to "work" with
grape growers. At present the Mornington
Peninsula(Vic) vineyards are covered with white
netting to
"eliminate bird pests - ie grape eating birds). With
this monoculture, frequently olives or cypress are
planted for wind and vision buffers.

There must surely be a more satisfactory management
regime?" 

I can't offer a solution or suggestion. In fact I
doubt there are any real solutions. 

I have seen a non-commercial vineyard in the Capertee
Valley full of all manner of grape-eating birds. This
was immediately adjacent a national park. Literally
hundreds of Noisy Friarbirds were tucking in but no
Regent Honeyeaters were seen despite the fact that
they were less than a couple of hundred metres away. 
The significance of this is that, back in the good old
days when Regents were more common than they are now,
Regent Honeyeaters were credited with raiding
orchards.

I doubt that planting trees/shrubs to create less of a
monoculture will stop birds from finding a super-rich
food resource such as a vineyard.

Cheers
David Geering
Regent Honeyeater Recovery Coordinator
NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 2111
Dubbo  NSW  2830
Ph: 02 6883 5335 or Freecall 1800 621 056
Fax: 02 6884 9382

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