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g'Day All (again)
I have reviewed Emu's sightings in my immediate
area
I have not seen any (except a tame
one) ....but they were present.
I have just had a look at the 1st Atlas (which shows
records) and some old Mount Isa Bird Lists and located the
following---
1967/8 Sam Carruthers "Nomadic but always some birds in
the area, particularly in the Nth & West of the area...."
1975 Bill
Horton "Rare...
North and west of the lake"
1976 Helen
Horton "Emu's have been seen singly
and in small groups though they are not depleted..."
1982 Dawn
Magarry Recorded at Mica Ck
1985 Dawn
Magarry Recorded at Mica Ck
1992 Peter
Harris "Rare"
That does seem to indicate a decline at any rate in the
Mount Isa zone from rare to zilch.
Now my guess is that the proliferation of fences would
have the greatest effect on their numbers ?
I must enquire of some of the Station people if they still see
any and when.
But cats apparently do kill Emu chicks !
A student of nature and author Henry G Lamond in his
1966 book "The Etiquette of Battle" relates vividly how an Emu chicken was
killed by a big red tomcat which in turn was killed by
the male Emu (who bring up the young.)
Henry Lamond was born at Riversleigh and later
progressed to a Station Manager in the NW Qld/NT area and wrote many
great nature books including "An Aviary on the Plains" Look out for it in
the 2nd hand bookshops.
But the 2nd Atlas 20 minute 2 hectare preferred method still
must give us different results to the 1st Atlas
Regards,
Bob
Forsyth
Mount Isa, NW Qld.
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