Hi All,
There is an Emu with 5 chicks at Red Hill on Sydney's Northern Beaches. I
first saw them yesterday (Friday ) morning and again today when Bob Way and
I went to see them.
Except for some birds on a fenced Dpt. of Defence property at St Mary's in
Western Sydney Emu's are locally extinct in the Sydney region.
Recently another Emu was reported in our local newspaper and the local NPWA
asked Waratah Park (better known as Skippy Park), a small local zoo, to
capture the bird. It is still in Waratah Park and to date no-one has claimed
it.
The likely explanation is that these birds are escapees from someone's back
yard or private zoo, there are plenty of "5 acre blocks" fenced to run a
couple of horses etc in the region where they could have been kept.. But
no-one has claimed a lost Emu and would a male Emu attempt to escape with
chicks? More to the point would Emu's breed in a small paddock? Could the
birds be drought driven from outside the Sydney region? again this appears
unlikely as Sydney is virtually ringed by water with the
Hawksbury/Nepean/Cataract river system to the north,west and enclosing much
of the south. I know Emu's can swim but can their chicks?
The birds appear to keep to the tracks on Red Hill so if anyone wants to go
and see them here are the directions.
Red hill is in the suburb of Beacon Hill and access is from Lady Penrhyn
Drive, there is a dirt road on the right as you drive up LPD about 500m.
from a round-about at the junction of LPD and Willandra Rd. Walk up this
dirt road about 1 K.past two houses at the top and continue north for 500m.
to a clearing, the Emu's are usually around this clearing.
Bruce.
Bruce Cox.
48 Rangers Retreat Rd. Frenchs Forest.
Sydney. 2086. Australia.
Phone:--02 9451 5394.
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