sec: unclas Western Treatment Plant on a rainy day

Re: Quails -   I nearly ran over
some quails coming along Beach road past the Avalon Airport last week.

It appears that all the paddocks around
the Murtciam Wildlife Sanctuary, and within the grounds of Avalon Airport,
have recently been harvested, and most of the quail habitat has been removed,
hence there movement to new areas.

Seems odd that harvesting would be allowed
in a wildlife sanctuary, and the grounds of avalon airport, which i believe
is covered by some form of covenant???
 
Is anyone able to comment on why, and
if this should be allowed?  It would affect a number of species, including
quails, cisticolas, fieldwrens. songlarks, etc.

Do any of these species breed during
this period?

Peter

"Tania Ireton" <>
Sent by:

02/02/2005 05:24 PM

To	<>
cc
Subject	[BIRDING-AUS] sec: unclas Western Treatment Plant on a rainy day

I visited the Western Treatment Plant (Werribee, Victoria)
this morning
with a Belgian birder Marc Helderweirt.  It rained the whole time
but
one of the benefits of Werribee is that you can do most of your birding
from the car.  In the space of four and a half hours we managed to
rack
up 69 species which I felt was excellent considering many of the smaller
birds had gone into hiding.  Highlights were a very wet Striated
Fieldwren at the Beach Road gate, 10 Freckled Duck on Lake Borrie and
another 4 in one of the coastal lagoons on the east side of Little
River, 10 Black-tailed Godwit amongst about 160 Red-necked Avocet, 
female Darter, 18 Cape Barren Geese, 2 Glossy Ibis, about 75
Short-tailed Shearwater off Kirk Point and 4 Stubble Quail on Beach Road
during the drive out.  The quail moved off the side of the road into
the
grass and then just stood there, allowing us detailed views for about 10
minutes.

Regards,
Tania
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