Hello Bob,
While I can express some sympathy for the sporting groups of Mt
Gambier I also wish to lay the blame for the problem firmly on those
same groups.
They are the ones providing such wonderful habitat (well watered
grassy lawns with grubs and other foods for the birds. Without those
sources the birds probably would not have increased in numbers to the
point where they are now considered pests.
Culling them is a very short term and temporary solution. A large
cull now will solve the problem until they again increase in numbers
and the locals will want to cull again.
There is probably no easy solution but a little creative thinking
outside the range of shotguns may be better than culling.
Good luck but remember people caused this problem.
Regards
Peter
On 30/01/2008, at 5:22 PM, Bob Green wrote:
As I come from Mount Gambier maybe I could add something to this
topic.
For a number of years the corella problem has been getting
gradually worse here, affected sporting groups in summary include
Cricket - matches cancelled due to turf being decimated
Croquet - financial hardships placed on small clubs
Hockey - approx $10,000 damage to a newly replaced artificial turf
when the bird tore the seams apart
Golf - fairway and greens damaged
Nearly all sporting groups have been affected in some small way
A number of groups have had permits to shoot small numbers of birds
mostly as a scaring tactic, fright shots as well as gas guns have
been used but small community groups cannot afford to have someone
sit and watch over their complex 24-7.
It has reached the point where the fright shots etc are generating
more complaints than the birds from the general community but
sporting groups are those most affected, and not just financially.
I am not saying we need to have a cull but something definitely
needs to be done, but it is a difficult problem to manage, at the
moment one group achieves success in getting rid of the birds, only
for it to become someone else's problem.
Bob Green
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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