Elizabeth has mentioned that the old Mugga Lane zoo is for sale. This
site is habitat for many interesting birds that do not generally
appear in adjacent Callum Brae reserve, or at least not in such large
numbers. Or they may not remain at all if the zoo area disappears
since it is used for breeding. Mostly small birds - finches and
nesting thornbills etc, but also water birds on the dam and it is
often used by dollar birds much more than the reserve.
Has COG made a case for cancelling the lease and making the area a
part of the Callum Brae reserve? I realise that the interesting or
different bird habitat is partly thanks to exotics and weeds, but it
could still be modified to retain the bird-interesting aspects in a
politically correct way if necessary i.e. replace exotic with native
to still provide lots of understory, shrubs.
The complex understory there seems partly a lesson about the effects
of kangaroos - the lesson hopefully being learned at Mulligans. The
zoo area has been fenced off and as far as I know roos haven't used
it much or at all. The contrast between inside the fence and outside
is more than the planted exotics, there is grass and near-ground
complexity that can't exist in the reserve with current numbers of
roos. Which is why the small birds thrive there.
I believe it should be used right now as an example or base for
research into the need for roo culling, it really is an excellent
illustration of the effects of uncontrolled grazing and what is
currently lost in many or most of Canberra Nature Park reserves --
and it doesn't need more time or money to make the point.
Is there any chance of having the site incorporated into the
surrounding reserve? Personally I'd like it left exactly as it is
but properly fenced off from the road, partly as a 'historic' ruin, a
fascinating place to wander around.
Julian
At 08:56 AM 11/11/2008, Elizabeth Compston wrote:
Yesterday, at about 5.30pm we saw 4 dollar birds, in an aerial
display above Callum Brae, near the old zoo. I see that it is up for
sale. It is still a mess.
Elizabeth
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