While accepting that Murphy is alive and well, Denise Brown and myself are
now able to announce that the Painted Snipe breeding site on Hope Island
(Northern Gold Coast) is safe for the next few years. If the snipe continue
to return and breed, it will be protected permanently.
Don't expect any publicity as all parties are in agreement that it should be
kept as quiet as possible. This could have been seen as an opportunity for
the GC City Council and Energex to gain positive publicity but the officers
we have been dealing with are only interested in the welfare of the birds.
Even an old cynic, such as myself, was very impressed.
A lot of research was needed and it was hard work to have all parties meet
at once but the methods used have proved very effective. I must especially
thank the following people for their advice and valuable information:
Jill Denning
Danny Rogers
Roger Jaensch
Graham Chapman
David Stewart
Environment Australia staff
and all those birders who have kept us informed as to what they have seen on
the site.
The results from our "quietly, quietly" approach far exceed what we were
requesting.
Terry Pacey
Gold Coast
PS The raised bank at the northern end of the site is the obvious place to
view the birds. This is Energex land as is the whole swamp. Permission has
now been given for birders to use this bank. (We were using it anyway but
thought that it may be part of the park. This was not so.)
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
