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I recently spent a weekend on my brother's
vineyard. Some of his vines are netted and although an occasional
silvereye does get itself caught, my concern was with the general lack of
birds. I know my brother does not try to harm them, so their absence
is not due to any sort of physical attack.
I grew up there and have returned regularly over
the years. The place always used to be
teeming with birds and it concerns me to see the change. Maybe my
visit coincided with a quiet day, but the only species I saw were introduced -
sparrows and starlings. I know there usually are silvereyes and
goldfinch too. The dawn chorus that morning consisted of one
yellow-faced honeyeater call.
Up until recently it was an orchard.
The fruit trees were always sprayed, as are the grapes. There are
two isolated areas of native bush both of which are now suffering from
dieback. Every blade of grass in the vineyard is mown to keep it
tidy.
I guess the change is because of the lack of
shelter in the vines compared with the fruit trees, and the loss of habitat as
dieback affects the eucalyptus. Maybe modern sprays have more effect
on birds too.
Whatever the reason it is not good.
Cheers Annabel
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