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G'day all,
Over the weekend of October 16-17th, I joined a group of
birders that went to the proposed site for the toxic waste dump facility in
Nowingi, North West Victoria to check out what's up there.
The site is literally only a good drop kick across the Calder
Highway from the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park and only 12 kilometres from the
Murray River. When it was first proposed the Bracks Government spin was that
there was nothing much significant on this block of uncommitted Crown land.
Well...
Conditions are very, very dry (the area has been in drought
for the last three years and so far this year has received only a quarter of its
average annual rainfall) so birdlife was much quieter than you would expect at
this time of year. The habitat still looked good though- very similar to areas
in nearby Hattah along the Nowingi and Konardin Tracks which are known to
many birders as a reliable site for Mallee Emu-wren, Mallee Fowl and
Striated Grasswren. The area has obviously not been burnt for a long time and
there are good areas of trioda (porcupine grass) amongst the mature
Mallee trees.
Despite the warm and dry conditions over the weekend we put in
a fairly intensive effort and managed to see several significant species
including:
8 encounters with Mallee Emu-wren of at least four distinct
parties.
At least 10 separate records of Chestnut Quail-thrush,
including individuals, pairs and a family group of three.
1 record of Regent Parrot
1 Pink Cockatoo
We also encountered plenty of Mulga Parrots, Owlet Nightjar
and Striped Honeyeaters even though very little was in flower.
Another highlight was finding a day old Spotted Nightjar chick
which was like a small cube of red-dust coloured fluff. More like a Jim Henson
creation than a real bird. Very, very cute.
None of these birds would survive here if the toxic dump gets
the go ahead.
The government has timed the process so well that the
researchers doing the environmental impact statement won't be going there until
sometime in November, when it will be even hotter and drier than it is now. If
they were serious about getting a realistic assessment why weren't the
assessments done in late Winter/ early Spring when birds are breeding and much
easier to see? Anyone who has birded the Mallee in Summer knows how dead it can
appear.
Mallee Emu-wren is an incredibly cryptic bird. They can
happily sit in one small ball of spiky triodia for hours and not budge.
Their feeble contact calls (the best way to locate the birds) are so high
pitched that many people can't hear them and can easily be drowned out by the
slightest breath of wind. It will be interesting to see how many of these
nationally threatened birds are evident in the November heat.
Though we didn't see any birds, we did find an old Mallee Fowl
mound so the habitat is obviously suitable for them and would act as a
connecting corridor between Hattah-Kulkyne and Murray-Sunset National Parks for
species such as this.
But unless the development of the toxic dump can be stopped,
all these birds will be gone.
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